Chelsea’s Group H trip to Malmo is one of the Champions League matches selected to kick off at 5.45pm UK time. The intention of these early starts is to stagger the television schedule and increase audiences.

The meeting of the Londoners, second in the group, and the bottom-placed hosts is the first game after the halfway point, with Juventus hosting Zenit later this evening. Malmo boss Jon Dahl Tomasson is expecting a party atmosphere for this sold-out occasion.

Interestingly, the Swedish champions are currently the best performing team away from home in the Allsvenskan but rank only fourth on home soil. They have drawn once and won twice since losing heavily at Stamford Bridge and top their domestic league with a handful of games to go.

The Londoners are unbeaten in our past seven meetings with Swedish opposition across all competitions, winning four and drawing three against them. The last three have all been against tonight’s opponents, each ending in a Chelsea victory amounting to nine goals for, one against.

Another victory for the defending European champions, who have conceded just five goals in the past 16 matches in this competition, would take a huge step towards reaching the knockout rounds in February. The Blues are just two short of recording 2,000 goals in the Roman Abramovich era.

Chelsea team news

The reverse of this fixture at home a fortnight ago saw the Blues take off for the first time this season in an attacking sense, the 4-0 scoreline matching the highest of Thomas Tuchel’s tenure. Since then we have piled on 10 league goals without reply and extended our lead at the top of the league to three points.

It was during our London meeting that Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner sustained the injuries that will keep them out until after the international break. Happily, for the first time since August the Pennsylvania express, Christian Pulisic, is available for selection, easing the burden on the front three.

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Despite losing both strikers before half-time the Blues mustered seven shots on target while Malmo fired two blanks. Two goals came from Jorginho’s penalties as the Swedes failed to cope with Chelsea pressure in their box. With his third success of the season against Newcastle the Italy midfielder became the first player to notch 10 consecutive Premier League goals from the penalty spot.

There was also a first-ever goal in royal blue for our ‘Great Dane’ defender, Andreas Christensen, against his ‘broderfolk’ from across the Ostersund. More important from a wider team perspective was the third goal for substitute Kai Havertz, which allayed any fears of a loss of firepower.

According to UEFA’s number-crunchers Chelsea lead average possession in this year’s competition with 66.7 per cent (ahead of Liverpool with 60.3), and are joint-highest for passing accuracy with 90.3 per cent.

Those data mean little without penetration, especially against solid defences. And, once again, on Tyneside it was Callum Hudson-Odoi getting behind who produced the cutting edge to open the Geordies’ tin can. The Blues have also managed to win the ball high upfield more than any Champions League rival.

Hakim Ziyech could do with a slice of luck after his excellent finish at St James’ was ruled out for offside and Emil Krafth’s flailing leg put him off a simpler tap-in.

At the other end, only Bayern have prevented fewer golden opportunities against them than Chelsea in this competition, with Edou Mendy facing just three shots on target up to now.

Mateo Kovacic’s hamstring rules him out while Mason Mount’s (non-Covid) illness makes Burnley on Saturday a more realistic target for a return. Eighteen-year-old Harvey Vale, a two-footed attacking midfielder, joined the seniors’ sessions again this week and has travelled to Malmo. N’Golo Kante has not.

Malmo more

At the midway point of the Champions League group stage, Malmo are assessed as the second-least effective team in creating and preventing genuine goalscoring opportunities.

Domestically, too, head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson has been concerned that despite being top scorers, his hard-working side were failing to create sufficient chances.

The former Newcastle United striker blamed slowness and indirectness on the ball for a lack of productivity. It is worth remembering that Sweden’s top-flight kicked off in April and will reach its climax in early December.

But the Dane saw his team beat AIK 1-0 in a top-of-the-table clash last week, and on Saturday they edged a five-goal second half 3-2 against Sirius and are back on course to defend their title.

Jo Inge Berget claimed the lead for Malmo from the spot at the weekend but their mid-table hosts turned things round with two shots past Johan Dahlin from outside the box.

After Antonio-Mirko Colak’s headed equaliser for the Sky Blues, there were goalmouth scrambles at both ends. The winner was a close-range tap-in from the Croatian, taking his league tally to 13.

Tomasson has said how excited he is to see the city and stadium transformed for the Champions League ‘party’. He wants his team to express themselves, but will be wary of Chelsea’s ability to take apart teams who play too open.

Tonight he is able to welcome back the experienced Oskar Lewicki but fellow midfielder Anders Christiansen will not be involved. Anel Ahmedhodzic, suspended for the game in London, is also available and almost certain to be one of their three centre-backs, permitting Eric Larsson to revert to right wing-back in a defensive back five.

Halfway there

With two testing fixtures to come, this is a must-win match for Chelsea. Victories tonight for group leaders Juventus and the Londoners would put the top two on 12 and nine points respectively, eliminating Malmo and leaving Zenit six adrift of qualification with the same number of points still to play for. Remember, clubs on the same points are ranked according to results in head-to-head meetings.

Zenit have suddenly hit rich form domestically with 11 goals in two games and just two in reply, while Juve are winless in three and lost their last two.

A Russian victory in Turin by more than the one goal would imperil the Italians’ progress, with a trip to the Bridge next up. Stalemate at the Allianz Stadium plus Chelsea success in Sweden would mean any further win, or defeat avoided in St Petersburg, would secure progress in this competition for Thomas Tuchel’s men.

We have history

Chelsea have played at the Eleda stadium just once before, a 2-1 Round of 16 Europa League victory in February 2019. Maurizio Sarri’s side scored either side of the break through Ross Barkley and Oli Giroud, and Anders Christiansen pulled one back for Malmo with 10 minutes to go. The Blues won the second leg 3-0 and went on to lift the trophy that season by thrashing Arsenal in the final.

It happened for Monterrey

Monterrey of Mexico will be Central America’s representatives at the Club World Cup. They beat compatriots Club America 1-0 in the CONCACAF Champions League final on Friday and will enter the tournament, now to held in the UAE early in 2022, in round two. Chelsea beat the same opponents 3-1 in the 2012 tournament, an own goal adding to strikes from Juan Mata and Fernando Torres.

The final two berths will be filled after Asia Champions League finalists Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia) meet Pohang Steelers (South Korea) on 23 November, and Brazilian clubs Palmeiras and Flamengo contest the Copa Libertadores final four days later.

Youth League match-up

At midday, a stone’s throw from the main stadium, Chelsea’s Under-19s will take on their Malmo counterparts in the UEFA Youth League. Andy Myers' young Blues came from two-nil down to win 4-2 in the reverse fixture at Cobham.

Swedish Blues

Our away ticket allocation of 1,045 at the first full Eleda stadium for two years has sold out and there are plenty of passionate Blues fans resident in Sweden. All locals are invited to join our official supporters’ club, the CSS, whose website is at chelseasweden.com. The Malmo branch usually meets at O’Leary’s bar on Fredsgatan.

Champions League Matchday Four fixtures

Tuesday

Group EBayern Munich v Benfica 8pmDynamo Kiev v Barcelona 8pm

Group FAtalanta v Man Utd 8pmVillarreal v Young Boys 8pm

Group GWolfsburg v RB Salzburg 5.45pmSevilla v Lille 8pmGroup HMalmo v Chelsea 5.45pmJuventus v Zenit St Petersburg 8pm

Wednesday

Group AMan City v Club Brugge 8pmRB Leipzig v Paris Saint Germain 8pm

Group BAC Milan v Porto 5.45pmLiverpool v Atletico Madrid 8pm

Group CDortmund v Ajax v 8pmSporting Lisbon v Besiktas 8pm

Group DReal Madrid v Shakhtar Donetsk 5.45pmSheriff v Inter Milan 8pm