[Chelsea FC News - Chelsea Football Club | The Chelsea FC] Chelsea vs Bayer Leverkusen LIVE - Preview - UEFA Champions League

[Vishal Marathe]

Chelsea vs Bayer Leverkusen

(UEFA Champions League 2011)

Date: Tuesday, 13th Sept 2011; Kick-Off: 20:45 GMT,
Venue: Stamford Bridge

 

Chelsea vs Bayer Leverkusen: Champions League is back.... Watching the Champions League draw live was pretty thrilling, especially from pot 2 onwards when we came to know who we will be facing in the group stage. 1st match of group E sees Chelsea seeded in pot 1 play Bayer Leverkusen who were seeded in pot 3.

Chelsea vs Bayer Leverkusen - Catch all the latest team news, match preview, pre-match analysis, interviews, followed by LIVE match and a lot more right here at Chelsea FC News.

What should I say.. hiring of Andre Villas Boas is proportional to Chelsea winning the Champions league, well thats what Roman Abramovich's mathematics said when he signed the 33yr old ex-Porto manager. Will we win the Champions league this year? I feel this question is being asked too soon. We need to look at it match by match and step by step because winning these matches is also important, considering where we will be standing when the draw for last 16 comes up.

With Valencia and  KRC GENK being the other two teams in the group we expect Chelsea to be on the top. But Valencia are a good team as well and they themselves will be targeting the 1st spot in group E. We need to make sure we win all our home matches for sure, and it starts with Bayer Leverkusen tonight.

Chelsea Team News

Fernando Torres should start this game after he was benched for the game against Sunderland with Daniel Sturridge taking his place. 

Didier Drogba will miss the European tie as he is still recovering from the head injury he sustained last month. Michael Essien is likely to be out until January after undergoing surgery on a knee injury he suffered in the first week of pre-season training.

David Luiz is fit and was on the bench against Sunderland but did not take part in the action at Stadium of Light. Another Brazilian Ramires is suspended for this game as he was sent off in the last game against Manchester United of Champions League 2010 campaign. 

John Obi Mikel and David Luiz could feature in the starting line-up tonight.

Bayer Leverkusen Team News

This match marks an emotional return for ex-Chelsea player Michael Ballack who joined Bayer Leverkusen in June 2010.

Lar Bender chances of playing this game are 50-50 according to the team coach Robin Dutt, after the player suffering a knee injury.

Tranquillo Barnetta will miss the tie after the player undergoing yet another operation on his right knee. First-choice goalkeeper René Adler has been sidelined since July after undergoing knee surgery in and reserve goalkeeper Fabian Giefer has not played since suffering concussion against Mainz on 7 August. 

Bastian Oczipka has a broken left ankle.

Probable Team Line-ups:

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Luiz, Terry, Ivanovic, Cole; Lampard, Juan Mata, Malouda, Meireles; Torres, Anelka

Bayer Leverkusen (4-5-1): Leno; Castro, Reinartz, Toprak, Schwaab; Balitsch, Rolfes, Renato Augusto, Ballack, Sam; Kiessling

Referee: Stéphane Lannoy

Chelsea manager Andre Villas Boas who guided Porto to Europa League success last year has made it pretty clear that this trophy is the toughest to win. And it all starts with the game against Bayer Leverkusen at Stamford Bridge tonight.

Andre Villas Boas on the UEFA Champions League and Group E:

"I think it's good to be in this top European competition, a competition that we have been determined to make one of our objectives throughout the seasons and we have not been far from achieving finals."

"We have been in one and want to progress all the way to the end. We have come about in a difficult group with Valencia, Leverkusen and the Belgian champions Genk and it's a fresh start to another season where the level is extremely high. We have to be up to the challenge."

"I think everybody knows the importance of this competition, it is the most difficult to win and if we compare it internationally there are a lot of good teams competing for one trophy. Motivation plays a big part in international football and the World Cup for sure, because the players are involved completely in that sole objective of trying to win it."

"The Champions League is more difficult because it is an "in between" competition, most of the top clubs compete in the national competitions domestically, so it is a more difficult task because it requires more of the players' talent and more of the manager's awareness to rotate a couple of them, keep everybody fresh, to motivate everybody in every single sense of every competition."

"The amount of top teams you have, it is even more visible this year with the amount of teams of quality and in-depth squads. Man City, Inter Milan will try to regain a trophy they lost, Real Madrid with the squad they have. There are so many in-depth squads that can go all the way in this competition."

"It is regular that the team who wins the Champions League normally wins their domestic title, so you really have to balance the amount of minutes the players have plus the recovery they should be allowed for the squad to be fresh in both competitions and take it all the way through. For that to happen you need the best available talent you can get, and there are a lot of teams that have these in-depth squads in Europe this season."

Andre Villas Boas on squad rotation:

"We'll just wait and see, it is very tight because most of them went away and a couple played 180 minutes, and then came back straight away with one-and-a-half days to play the Sunderland game, then two days to play this game."

"This has to play a part and you will see some changes tomorrow, and then of course we will have to address the rest of the four days after to make as wise a decision as possible for Old Trafford."

"We have four days to recover for the Old Trafford game. I think what will happen is that the international week passed by and the fact we didn't have a lot of time to work for the Sunderland game might take its toll on this game because we played Saturday and now we play Tuesday with only two days in between, so let's make wise decisions and hopefully we can make the right choices to win this game and take us to be up to the level of Sunday's game as well."

Andre Villas Boas on Didier Drogba's injury:

"Didier is away, he did some damage to his teeth when he fell to the ground and we decided to give him some days off to come back, everything is alright with his scan, he will be between Man United, Swansea and Fulham, but hopefully Man United."

Ballack back at Stamford Bridge: This game marks an emotional return for Michael Ballack who left Chelsea for Bayer on June 2010. Ballack had a good outing with Chelsea during his four year stay at Stamford Bridge winning a Premier League winners' medal, three FA Cup final victories and a League Cup success.

Ballack who turns 35 this month could be in contention to start this game but Bayer coach Robin Dutt has still not revealed whether the German superstar will feature for this tie. Whether he starts or not, he will receive a presentation from Chelsea before the game.


Michael Ballack on being drawn in the same group with Chelsea and his Chelsea career:

"When I first saw the draw I was really happy for me personally and for the club. For me personally it is a very big, very important match, but also for the club it was a very nice draw. I played at Chelsea for four years and it is very nice to be back in London for the first game in the Champions League."

"The presentation is a very nice gesture and it will be a very emotional moment for me tomorrow. There are still a few players there and some who left in the meantime who I am still friends with and whom I am still in touch with, and also a few of the staff."

"When I moved to Chelsea it was a big, big challenge and experience for me at the time to play with so many good players. If I look back I had a very good time. I feel always welcomed by the fans and the club. They treat me always very well and we had success."

"It could have been a few titles more, we missed a few chances, but we had some successes and I will remember this always and it is a big part of my career."

Michael Ballack on the game against Chelsea:

"It is just a game of football although we are aware there are some big names on the other side, we will have our chances. Chelsea have not started like last year but you can't start every year like last year. Especially in the last game against Sunderland they looked in a good shape, very strong and confident, so that makes it not easy for us."

"They have great individual players but as a team it is maybe not the worst thing to play them now because the season has just started, but we will know more after the game."

Bayer Coach Robin Dutt on the match and Champions League:

"I do think we actually have our chances here even if it will be fairly difficult. We are looking forward to this match. [Being back in the UEFA Champions League] is very important for all of us, players, managers and coaches. It is a very high level on the pitch and it reflects positively on the club our being in it."

"Keeping our emotions in check will be key. We have a lot of young and inexperienced players and for them it is really very special playing there tomorrow. We have respect for Chelsea, which is definitely necessary, but we are trying not to have too much. I think we can use our emotions to turn it into a positive energy for ourselves."

"I have already decided and I have told Michael but everyone will have to wait a bit longer to find out. He is very experienced and it would be foolish not to use that experience, and he has shown in the Bundesliga that he is in very good form, but I want to leave a bit of doubt for the opposing manager."

KEY STAT

In six attempts over 45 years no German side has ever won at Stamford Bridge.


Previous Meetings

This game marks the first competitive match between both sides. Chelsea have had good success against the German sides which have traveled to Stamford Bridge so far, with Chelsea winning for and drawing one.


CHELSEA Stats

Chelsea's home record against German teams
1965/66	TSV Munich 1860	W 1-0	Fairs Cup quarter-final
1999/00	Hertha Berlin	W 2-0	Champions League group stage
2003/04	VfB Stuttgart	D 0-0	Champions League round of 16
2004/05	Bayern Munich	W 4-2	Champions League quarter-final
2006/07	Werder Bremen	W 2-0	Champions League group stage
2007/08	Schalke	W 2-0	Champions League group stage

Chelsea's biggest home win in the Champions League19/10/2005 - Chelsea 4-0 Real Betis - group stage
16/09/2008 - Chelsea 4-0 Bordeaux - group stage
21/10/2009 - Chelsea 4-0 Atlético Madrid - group stage

Chelsea's last ten years in Europe2001/02 Uefa Cup - second round
2002/03 Uefa Cup - first round
2003/04 Champions League - semi-final
2004/05 Champions League - semi-final
2005/06 Champions League - round of 16
2006/07 Champions League - semi-final
2007/08 Champions League - runners-up
2008/09 Champions League - semi-final
2009/10 Champions League - round of 16
2010/11 Champions League - quarter-final


BAYER Stats

Bayer's away record against English teams
2001/02	Arsenal	L 1-4	Champions League second group stage
2001/02	Liverpool	L 0-1	Champions League quarter-final
2001/02	Manchester Utd	D 2-2	Champions League semi-final
2002/03	Manchester Utd	L 0-2	Champions League group stage
2002/03	Newcastle	L 1-3	Champions League second group stage
2004/05	Liverpool	L 1-3	Champions League round of 16
2006/07	Blackburn	D 0-0	Uefa Cup round of 32

Bayer's biggest away win in the Champions League20/03/2002 - Deportivo La Coruña 1-3 Leverkusen - second group stage

Ten-year European record2001/02 Champions League runners-up
2002/03 Champions League second group stage
2003/04 Did not qualify
2004/05 Champions League round of 16
2005/06 Uefa Cup - first round
2006/07 Uefa Cup quarter-finals
2007/08 Uefa Cup quarter-finals
2008/09 Did not qualify
2009/10 Did not qualify
2010/11 Europa League round of 16

So get ready for some pulsating action at Stamford Bridge. Come on CHELSEA!!! KTBFFH.

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Posted By Vishal Marathe to Chelsea FC News - Chelsea Football Club | The Chelsea FC at 9/13/2011 01:47:00 PM