The fourth round of Champions league group game fixtures commences tomorrow and it’s Di Matteo’s 8th Schalke game in charge. It is a very important Champions league against group leaders and former side (as both a player and a manager) Chelsea. Game kicks off at 19:45 GMT as per most Champions league games. This is Di Matteo’s first job back into management after the sacking he suffered in November2012, just 8 months after he architected Chelsea’s first glory in Europe’s elite competition. Di Matteo boasts an 100% home record with the Gelsenkirchen based club and hosts a Chelsea side in fine form attempting to keep Schalke’s dream of progressing to the last 16 much alive by avoiding defeat to the group leaders.
Source: chelseafc.com
Chelsea enter the fray looking to consolidate first place in the group and qualify for the last 16 with a win against Schalke. A defeat would be disastrous in terms of qualifying and would mean they’d be level on points with Schalke and if Sporting manage to secure a win against Maribor be just one point ahead of the Portuguese side. Chelsea are unbeaten in all competitions thus far and with the end of the November month edging nearer, look unstoppable. They travel to the Veltins arena having beaten West Brom comfortable 2-0 thanks to Diego Costa’s 11th league goal and magic man Eden Hazard. Jose Mourinho’s side look to be England’s only hope in the champions league yet again with City and Liverpool struggling to qualify and Arsenal set for a fight to finish 2nd if they lose to Dortmund whereas Chelsea would qualify with two draws.
Schalke lay 7th in the Bundesliga having just beaten league chasers Wolfsburg 3-2 thanks to an incredible first half display where they led 3-0 by the 25th minute. They’ve been inconsistent under Di Matteo’s stewardship whereby they won their first two games, then lost to Bayer Leverkusen away, won again against Ausburg, lost their next two and then finally winning against Wolfsburg. The game against Chelsea is one they cannot afford to lose if they want to maintain their dream of qualifying for the next round of the Champions league.
Mourinho has confirmed youngster Ake is the only absentee with the rest of the registered Champions league squad in contention to start tomorrow night’s game.
Predicted Chelsea team: Courtois, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Fabregas, Matic; Schurrle, Oscar, Hazard; Diego Costa.
Predicted score 2-1 Chelsea.
Kamal Sultan
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