Why Chelsea Have Been Given Unique Kick-Off Time in Conference League Tie

• Chelsea will play Astana in their fifth match of the UEFA Conference League league phase on Thursday evening
• Enzo Maresca's side are set to clock more than 10,000 kilometres in the 16-hour round trip to Kazakhstan
• The game will start unusually early compared to the time European matches normally start on weekdays

Chelsea will travel more than 5600 kilometres for their next assignment in the Conference League.

The Blues will play Kazakh giants Astana at the Almaty Central Stadium on Thursday, 12 December.

Enzo Maresca's side will take to the pitch knowing that a win will guarantee their place in the Round of 16. They have a perfect record, winning four out of four and scoring 18 goals.

However, they will face a different prospect in Kazakhstan, as they are set to encounter adverse weather conditions.

Why Astana vs Chelsea will kick off at bizarre time

Read also

Pep Guardiola defends Man City’s performance despite Juventus defeat: "We played really good"

Weather experts predict that the temperatures will be as low as -11C when the two teams take to the pitch.

This, coupled with the five-hour time difference between England and Kazakhstan, means the game will usually start early.

The kick-off time has been slated for 5:30 PM South African Time (8:30 PM local time). Normally, European games start at 8:45 PM and 11 PM EAT.

Why Liverpool vs Manchester City kicked off 30 minutes earlier

Briefly News recently reported on why Liverpool vs Manchester City was given a weird kick-off time.

The two giants clashed at Anfield on Sunday, 1 December. The game started 30 minutes earlier than the late Sunday game's kick-off.

Palmer returns to training

Briefly News had earlier reported that Cole Palmer was seen putting in extra effort during a gym session following England's defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final in Berlin on Sunday.

Read also

Erling Haaland and 3 Man City stars miss penalty with no keeper in training

The Chelsea forward netted England's only goal in the match, assisted by Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham. Palmer’s training video quickly caught the attention of Chelsea fans on social media, sparking reactions from Premier League supporters.

Source: TUKO.co.ke