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10th Dec 2014 | Champions League

A Sporting Chance

Chelsea are already home and hosed as group winners and are therefore more likely to allow Lisbon the draw they require to progress.

Group permutations can be all important at this stage and the fact that Chelsea are assured of top spot while Sporting need a draw to qualify behind them is really all you need to know here. Expect that to magically happen at best odds of 14/5 (Bet365).

It’s not that it will be a fix, although don’t be surprised if Schalke end up crying foul, it’s just that in a game of fine margins a lack of true motivation for the better team can really level things up. Mourinho is bound to rotate his squad heavily with six matches in 18 days coming up and the Blues tend to cruise through half their Premier League games anyway.

Crucially, the Portuguese are no mugs having bounced back well from one point in their opening two matches. Most recently they have beaten Schalke 4-2 and Maribor 3-1 and that momentum should see them through to the knock-out stages.

Odds correct at time of publishing: 06:32 10th Dec, 2014 but subject to change

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