Chelsea begin their UEFA Champions League campaign with a tough trip away against Dinamo Zagreb this evening (Tuesday).
The Blues are currently in action, with their game against Zagreb kicking off at an earlier time of 5:45PM UK time, whilst Premier League rivals Manchester City are in action at the usual time of 8PM UK time. Chelsea have endured a difficult start to the season, picking up three wins from their opening six games.
Thomas Tuchel will be hoping his side can repeat their success from 2020 this season and win the Champions League for a second time under his management. The west Londoners are currently 1-0 down at the time of writing, with Zagreb star Mislav Orsic opening the scoring for the hosts.
READ MORE Every word Thomas Tuchel said on Silva, James, Aubameyang, Kovacic and Chelsea vs Dinamo Zagreb
So, why have Chelsea been handed an earlier kick-off time for the clash in Croatia this evening? It comes following a change made by UEFA back in 2018 and after reviewing the decision at the end of the 2020/21 season, the early kick-offs are here to stay.
Instead of all games in one evening being played simultaneously, the UEFA Champions League group stages will see two matches a day start at the earlier time, with the rest beginning at 8PM UK time. The change is to allow European-based fans to watch more televised games, whilst UEFA will be hoping the new schedule will boost viewing figures from countries worldwide.
A kick-off time of 5:45PM UK time will be at the more favourable time of 12:45am for supporters in Australia and some parts of Asia, as opposed to 3am for the later kick-offs. Although a move to earlier kick-offs may well increase global viewing figures on television, it's unlikely to prove popular with match-going supporters, who may struggle to make the start of the game after work or school.
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