2Slick
04-12-2006, 21:19
The hard work has been accomplished so it is only natural that manager José Mourinho should be looking beyond Chelsea FC's final Group A fixture against PFC Levski Sofia and towards the knockout rounds that follow in the new year. Winning the section, he says, is not so important in terms of what opposition they will face in the last 16; rather it will guarantee that they stage the second leg at Stamford Bridge.
Pole position
Chelsea made sure of their qualifying place two weeks ago even though they lost their unbeaten record away to Werder Bremen. Should they make it six defeats in six for the Bulgarian debutants in London on Tuesday night, then first place is assured in Group A – however Bremen fare in their crucial match at FC Barcelona. The London team's points' tally of 13 and a record of W4 D1 L1 would exactly replicate their group-stage statistics of two seasons ago.
'Very important'
On that occasion Chelsea were paired with Barcelona in the first knockout round so it is understandable if Mourinho puts little store by that particular consequence of finishing first. "We want to win the group," he said, "because it's important to be first. But looking around the other groups and seeing who would finish first and second is not the issue. There is not a lot of difference between, say, Real Madrid and Lyon or Inter Milan and Bayern Munich. But if you go through in first place you get to play the second leg at home and that can be very important."
Praise for Levski
Chelsea, who slipped six points behind Manchester United FC in their Premiership title defence as they were without a game at the weekend, will make changes with skipper John Terry suspended. Claude Makelele will take a rest and Wayne Bridge will replace Ashley Cole at left-back. Mourinho added that he was sorry to see fourth-placed Levski bowing out of Europe altogether, because the campaign had provided valuable experience. "They would have done very well if they got through to the UEFA Cup and I hope to see them again very soon in the Champions League," he said.
All-time low
The Bulgarian league leaders will be striving to avoid the same fate as Slovakian side 1. FC Košice, who are the only team to have competed in the UEFA Champions League and not picked up a point. Conceding four goals in London would also put them on the record goals-against total of 19 which Ferencvárosi TC set in their 1995/96 group-stage campaign.
'A football machine'
The visitors' cause has hardly been helped by the absence of goalkeeper Georgi Petkov and other experienced performers. Coach Stanimir Stoilov, who will be forced to throw more of his young talents on to this stage, reciprocated Mourinho's warm words when he said success in Europe's most prestigious club competition was guaranteed for their opponents. "Chelsea are a football machine and they have the greatest potential in the world, better probably than Barcelona. I can't say whether they will win the European Cup this year or next year, but they are due success at some time."
Probable teams
Chelsea: Carlo Cudicini; Geremi, Ricardo Carvalho, Khalid Boulahrouz, Wayne Bridge; Michael Essien, Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack, Joe Cole; Didier Drogba, Andriy Shevchenko.
Levski: Bozhidar Mitrev; Zhivko Milanov, Elin Topuzakov, Igor TomaÅ¡ić, Stanislav Angelov; Richard Eromoigbe, Daniel Borimirov, Cédric Bardon; Nikolay Dimitrov, Valeri Domovchiyski, Hristo Yovov.
http://www.uefa.com/Competitions/UCL/FixturesResults/Round=2357/match=1116394/report=PR.html
Pole position
Chelsea made sure of their qualifying place two weeks ago even though they lost their unbeaten record away to Werder Bremen. Should they make it six defeats in six for the Bulgarian debutants in London on Tuesday night, then first place is assured in Group A – however Bremen fare in their crucial match at FC Barcelona. The London team's points' tally of 13 and a record of W4 D1 L1 would exactly replicate their group-stage statistics of two seasons ago.
'Very important'
On that occasion Chelsea were paired with Barcelona in the first knockout round so it is understandable if Mourinho puts little store by that particular consequence of finishing first. "We want to win the group," he said, "because it's important to be first. But looking around the other groups and seeing who would finish first and second is not the issue. There is not a lot of difference between, say, Real Madrid and Lyon or Inter Milan and Bayern Munich. But if you go through in first place you get to play the second leg at home and that can be very important."
Praise for Levski
Chelsea, who slipped six points behind Manchester United FC in their Premiership title defence as they were without a game at the weekend, will make changes with skipper John Terry suspended. Claude Makelele will take a rest and Wayne Bridge will replace Ashley Cole at left-back. Mourinho added that he was sorry to see fourth-placed Levski bowing out of Europe altogether, because the campaign had provided valuable experience. "They would have done very well if they got through to the UEFA Cup and I hope to see them again very soon in the Champions League," he said.
All-time low
The Bulgarian league leaders will be striving to avoid the same fate as Slovakian side 1. FC Košice, who are the only team to have competed in the UEFA Champions League and not picked up a point. Conceding four goals in London would also put them on the record goals-against total of 19 which Ferencvárosi TC set in their 1995/96 group-stage campaign.
'A football machine'
The visitors' cause has hardly been helped by the absence of goalkeeper Georgi Petkov and other experienced performers. Coach Stanimir Stoilov, who will be forced to throw more of his young talents on to this stage, reciprocated Mourinho's warm words when he said success in Europe's most prestigious club competition was guaranteed for their opponents. "Chelsea are a football machine and they have the greatest potential in the world, better probably than Barcelona. I can't say whether they will win the European Cup this year or next year, but they are due success at some time."
Probable teams
Chelsea: Carlo Cudicini; Geremi, Ricardo Carvalho, Khalid Boulahrouz, Wayne Bridge; Michael Essien, Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack, Joe Cole; Didier Drogba, Andriy Shevchenko.
Levski: Bozhidar Mitrev; Zhivko Milanov, Elin Topuzakov, Igor TomaÅ¡ić, Stanislav Angelov; Richard Eromoigbe, Daniel Borimirov, Cédric Bardon; Nikolay Dimitrov, Valeri Domovchiyski, Hristo Yovov.
http://www.uefa.com/Competitions/UCL/FixturesResults/Round=2357/match=1116394/report=PR.html