Chelsea and Schalke meet in the opening Group G fixture of the 2014/15 Champions League and go into the game in very contrasting fortunes. Chelsea are top of the Premier League with a maximum 12 points while Schalke are languishing near the foot of the German table with one point from their first three matches.
They know what to expect from Chelsea, too, after losing to them 3-0 both home and away in last season’s Champions League group stage, and on current early season form Chelsea look capable of beating them again by at least that margin.
While Chelsea are on the crest of a wave, Schalke, who finished third in the Bundesliga last season, are in a crisis.
The royal blues were crushed 4-1 by Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday and are two off the bottom with just one point and a goal difference of minus four.
TEAM NEWS
Didier Drogba has recovered sufficiently from an ankle injury to train with the Chelsea squad ahead of the clash with Schalke. The Ivorian, whose last kick of a ball for the Blues in this competition was the winning penalty in the 2011-12 final is in contention with Diego Costa still suffering from a hamstring injury. Belgian keeper Thibaut Courtois has established himself as Chelsea’s number one, though it is expected that Petr Cech will make his first appearance of the season against the German outfit.
Schalke manager Jens Keller must contend with a defensive crisis as his team travel to Stamford Bridge. World Cup-winning German defender and Captain Benedikt Hoewedes has joined a lengthy list of absentees and has been ruled out of the clash along with fellow defender Felipe Santana. Midfielders Kevin-Prince Boateng and Julian Draxler will keep their place in the starting XI despite playing well below par. Forward Sidney Sam has struggled to adapt to Keller’s formation since arriving from Bayer Leverkusen and is likely to start on the bench with Klaas-Jan Huntelaar expected to start.
MANAGER QUOTES
Jose Mourinho: “What drives me is to try to win. I work for my club, for my players and for the club supporters. I don’t work for myself. If I win it once more, to win with three clubs is unique. But even if I don’t do it, how many top managers in the world have only one or even not a single one? The greatest in our country [Sir Alex Ferguson], he won it twice. If at the end of my career I’ve achieved that situation, then good, but it’s far from being an obsession and it’s not something that I think about a lot. We have a championship of six matches and three opponents in Group G and we have to do everything to qualify.”
Jens Keller: “There is no point in talking much about it (current run of poor form) now. We will now work hard in the coming days, lick our wounds and pick ourselves up. We want to present ourselves well at Chelsea.”
MATCH FACTS
Chelsea are unbeaten against Schalke. They’ve met four times in the Champions League, with the Blues winning three games and the other encounter ending in a goalless draw. They met in last season’s group stages, with Chelsea winning both games 3-0.
Schalke have never scored in their four games against Chelsea. They’ve conceded eight goals in the process.
Schalke’s only away win against an English side was against Arsenal in the 2012/13 Champions League group stages. They’ve drawn one and lost five of their others trips to England in European competition.
This is Chelsea’s 12th consecutive participation in the Champions League. They’ve reached the semi-final seven times, including the final twice, winning it for the first time in their history in 2012.
Chelsea were the winners the last time the Champions League final took place in Germany (2012 v Bayern Munich, in Munich).
Chelsea have kept seven clean sheets in their last 11 Champions League games.
Schalke are playing in the Champions League for the seventh time in their history. Their best ever performance in the competition is reaching the semi-finals in 2010/11.
Schalke have won one of their last six Champions League games (D1 L4).
José Mourinho is one of five managers to have won the European Cup/Champions League with two different clubs, alongside Ernst Happel, Ottmar Hitzfeld, Jupp Heynckes and Carlo Ancelotti.
Since winning the Champions League with Inter Milan in 2010, Mourinho has been knocked out in the semi-finals in each of the last four seasons (three times with Real Madrid, once with Chelsea).
Diego Costa has scored eight goals in nine career Champions League games.
Didier Drogba is the top scoring African player in the history of the Champions League (42 goals). He’s also Chelsea’s top scorer in the competition (34 goals).