Malmo vs Chelsea LIVE: Champions League result, final score and reaction tonight
All the latest updates from the Eleda Stadion
Follow live coverage as Chelsea head into their fourth Champions League group stage match looking for another three points which would leave them within touching distance of the knock-out phase, as they face Swedish side Malmo on Tuesday evening. So far, Thomas Tuchel’s side have won twice and suffered defeat to group leaders Juventus, who are at home to Dynamo Kyiv this evening - victory for the Blues would likely see a six-point gap between themselves and third place.
Domestically, Chelsea beat Newcastle comfortably at the weekend after progressing through to the League Cup quarter-finals a week ago, leaving them on a six-game unbeaten run in all competitions. Malmo have lost just once in a six-game run of their own, but that was against their visitors tonight, in a 4-0 drubbing at Stamford Bridge in the reverse fixture two weeks ago.
The Blues still have injury concerns in their forward line with Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner sidelined, while Mateo Kovacic is also out injured to further whittle down Tuchel’s squad options until after the upcoming international break. Even so, they’ll be heavy favourites to win here. Follow all the latest updates from Malmo vs Chelsea below:
Malmo 0 - 0 Chelsea
18 mins: Save! A great run from Havertz sees him shift the ball around Soren Rieks and fly into the penalty area from the right wing. He dinks a pass to Ziyech who gets to it before the goalkeeper. The angle to shoot is quite narrow and Ziyech’s shot doesn’t beat Dahlin who manages to smother it close to the near post.
Malmo 0 - 0 Chelsea
15 mins: Chance! Chelsea’s first real sight at goal comes from Cesar Azpilicueta. Marcos Alonso makes a good run off the ball into the left side of the box and collects a pass on the byline. Azpilicueta comes into the centre of the area and waits for the cutback before hitting a low left-footed shot at Johan Dahlin who fumbles it behind for a corner that comes to nothing for the Blues.
Malmo 0 - 0 Chelsea
12 mins: Sergio Pena nicks the ball off Chelsea after a poorly timed pass from Loftus-Cheek in the middle of the pitch. The home side swepp forward on the counter-attack with Pena sending the ball up to Antonio Colak. He plays Nanasi into the left side of the box but the ball gets stuck under the striker’s own feet and he isn’t able to get a shot away before the ball comes to Mendy who tidies up.
Malmo 0 - 0 Chelsea
9 mins: More slick passing from Chelsea sees the ball come up the pitch from the right side and out to Callum Hudson-Odoi making his way into the left side of the penalty area. He shifts the ball onto his right foot and shoots just as he gets into the box but Nielsen is there to block the effort and clear his lines.
Malmo 0 - 0 Chelsea
6 mins: The Malmo fans are in full voice as Chelsea play the ball into the middle of the pitch. Hakim Ziyech lets it roll away and almost loses it to a back-tracking Sebastian Nanasi but Loftus-Cheek shoulder barges him away from the ball and gets penalised. Free kick to Malmo.
Malmo 0 - 0 Chelsea
3 mins: Chelsea win a throw in deep in their own defensive third and work it nicely out from the back. Edouard Mendy passing it out to Andreas Christensen who sends it across to Thiago Silva. He gives the ball to Rudiger who fires one up the pitch and gets Havertz into the box. He turns and looks to shoot but Lasse Nielsen nips across him and both players come together. Haverz goes down in the area looking for a penalty but the referee waves play on and VAR doesn’t overrule that decision.
Malmo 0 - 0 Chelsea
Kick off: Kai Havertz gets the ball rolling with a pass back to Ruben Loftus-Cheek. He gives it to Antonio Rudiger who flicks an aerial pass up the middle of the pitch but Havertz can’t bring it under control and Franz Brorsson heads it away for Malmo.
Malmo vs Chelsea
Here come the teams. The last time Chelsea played at the Eleda Stadion they won 2-1 in a Europa League game before going on to win the trophy in the same season.
Will history repeat itself again? A win here for Chelsea and the Blues lifting the Champions League trophy in May?
Tuchel on team changes
Thomas Tuchel spoke about his decision to drop Ben Chilwell and Reece James for tonight’s game despite both full-backs being in great goalscoring form. He said:
It’s a tough one because they have been playing so decisive. It is an intense positon, you saw how much they invested with a lot of sprints. We have a lot of matches. At the same time we have good guys from behind so we can keep the same intensity levels hopefully up high in these positions and let Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta start.”
Tuchel also spoke about Rube Loftus-Cheek’s involvement and compared him to teammate Mateo Kovacic in his desire to drive the ball up the pitch adding:
He is a bit like the type of [Mateo] Kovacic. He likes to drive the ball. The ball is very safe with him. He is using his physical ability more and more. We took the decision to build up his energy at home so he becomes more robust. I didn’t know he had not played from the start in the Champions League for a long time but hopefully it’s a good thing!”
Havertz leads the line
Kai Havertz last scored in Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Southampton in the Carabao Cup a week ago and the striker has two in his last four games for the club which as many as in his previous 15 matches.
Famously he scored the only goal in Chelsea’s Champions League final win over Manchester City last season and with Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner injured now is the time to stake his claim as Chelsea’s number one striker.
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