Schalke 04 v Chelsea - CL Group Stage. Tuesday 19.45pm

retired_heidus17 · 11-06-2007, 11:48 AM

Nobody really cares.

retired_sherrijacobson · 11-06-2007, 11:51 AM

Bandwagon jumping

retired_heidus17 · 11-06-2007, 11:55 AM

I was told it was open season

retired_sherrijacobson · 11-06-2007, 11:57 AM

Closed a while back iirc

retired_tripaige · 11-06-2007, 11:58 AM

I care.

retired_globalmall · 11-06-2007, 12:07 PM

this is horrific.

retired_shelwill · 11-06-2007, 12:21 PM

Happy, Beatty? Eh?

retired_the_rocker_statement · 11-06-2007, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Schalke 04 v Chelsea

Champions League, Group B
Date: Tuesday, 6 November
Kick-off: 1945 GMT
Venue: Veltins Arena
Listen: BBC Radio 5 Live
Updates: BBC Sport website and mobile; Score on BBCi (1930 GMT)
Chelsea boss Avram Grant is likely to make a number of changes for the Champions League trip to Schalke.

Joe Cole should return after a slight knock, but full-back Ashley Cole (ankle) will not be considered.

Captain John Terry (knee), Paulo Ferreira (ankle) and Michael Ballack (ankle) remain sidelined.

Schalke are sweating on the fitness of striker Kevin Kuranyi, who limped out of a league game on Friday after picking up a leg injury.

News conference: Chelsea boss Avram Grant

Chelsea (from): Cech, Cudicini, Hilario, Belletti, Alex, Ben-Haim, Lampard, Obi, Essien, J Cole, Carvalho, Makelele, Sidwell, Malouda, Drogba, Shevchenko, Pizarro, Kalou, Wright-Phillips, Bridge.

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Chelsea boss Avram Grant:
"We are in a good position, but we want to finish it and qualify as soon as possible.
"In every aspect of the game we have improved. Our defensive game is better but especially the attacking football.

"We are more organised and have done that in a short space of time and the team has to have the credit."

BIG MATCH STATS
Qualification

Chelsea can qualify for the next round if they beat Schalke 04, and if Rosenborg beat Valencia.

Head-to-heads

Schalke and Chelsea's only previous meeting in European competition came two weeks ago when the Londoners won 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.

European history

This is Schalke's third Champions League season. In 2001-02 and 2005-06, they were eliminated in the group phase.

Chelsea have reached the semi-finals of the Champion League three times in 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2006-07, and have always survived the group phase in their five CL participations.

Current European form

Schalke's three points in this season's CL came from their away win in Trondheim, where they beat Rosenborg 2-0. Their last home win in European competition dates back to 14 September 2006, when they defeated AS Nancy 1-0 in the Uefa Cup first round.

Chelsea are unbeaten for three CL matches, winning the last two. Their last CL defeat was on 1 May 2007, when they lost 1-0 away at Liverpool.

Player and disciplinary info

Schalke's Jermaine Jones will be suspended if booked.

If selected, Chelsea's Claudio Pizarro will become the first player from Peru to complete 50 CL appearances. He made his CL debut on 18 September 2001 for Bayern Munich against Sparta Prague (0-0). Indeed all 49 previous CL appearances were for the German club.

Other miscellaneous facts

Chelsea are two goals short of netting their 100 in the Champions Cup/Champions League.

On Friday, Schalke lost 1-0 at bottom side Energie Cottbus. They are seventh place in the Bundesliga table, trailing league leaders Bayern Munich by 10 points.

Chelsea's 2-0 win at Wigan on Saturday took them up to third in the Premier League, three points adrift of leaders Arsenal who have a game in hand

Definitions of terms used:-

Champions League (CL) - only group phase matches and beyond of this competition which began in 1992-93.
Champions Cup/Champions League - all matches played since it began in 1955-56 including qualification matches.
European matches - all matches played in the major European tournaments (Fairs Cup, Uefa Cup, Cup Winners' Cup, Champions Cup, Champions League).
Uefa Super Cups, Intertoto Cups and the old Intercontinental Cup competition are excluded.

Tough game for us tonight especially if Kuranyi is fit. A 1-0 would be nice here just to all but confirm progression. No JT or Ashley yet but defence is much improved now with Ricky back. I will go for a 2-1 win, Didier and Lamps to get the goals.