What: Champions League Round of 16 – Second leg
Who: Chelsea (1) vs Galatasaray (1) – (First leg scores in brackets)
When: Tuesday 18th March 2014, at 19:45 UK Time
Where: Stamford Bridge, London, England
Home Comforts
Chelsea will return to the comforts of their Stamford Bridge ground on Tuesday night to contest a crucial Champions League Round of 16 second leg against Galatasaray. The Londoners were left seething after a 1-0 weekend defeat to Aston Villa in the Premier League which saw two of their players sent off as well as manager Jose Mourinho being sent to the stands. It was a result that could have a big bearing on the outcome of the title race, but now Chelsea must concentrate on Europe as the Turkish giants come to town.
Mourinho will be wary of the threat Chelsea’s opponents offer knowing first-hand the qualities of players such as Didier Drogba and Wesley Sneijder, the Portuguese commenting on the Ivorian: “Is he the same player at 36 years old as he was at 26? Nobody is, but he is certainly still one of the best strikers in the world.”
Galatasaray will also have an extra 24 hours of rest having played their latest league match on Friday. That is something that Mourinho noted and believes that English clubs are being held back in Europe due to television scheduling.
"If we played on Friday night, it makes a difference to who? It'd be a full house, the same", said Mourinho. "If it was the only match on TV, the [audience] share would be fantastic. Would it be good for Chelsea? Yes. Would it be good for English football? Yes."
Underdogs Have Hope
Galatasaray come to London with little pressure or expectation on their shoulders to advance to the next round of the tournament. The Turkish club will be the big underdogs and many would deem it a shock if they were able to knockout Chelsea. That said, the first leg showed that Galatasaray can stand toe to toe with the Blues.
Fernando Torres’ 9th minute goal in the first leg suggested that Chelsea would waltz through the tie, but Aurelien Chedjou's equaliser means that Roberto Mancini’s men have a fighting chance in the return. The Turkish side are coming off a disappointing 0-0 draw with midtable Karabukspor on Friday. That result could be crucial in Mancini’s team winning back-to-back Turkish Super Lig titles as they now sit five points behind city rivals Fenerbahce who also have a game in hand.
The story on Tuesday night will be very much about Drogba’s return to his former club. He stated this week that he believes it will be a special night going back to his former stomping ground.
“I hope that Galatasaray qualify. It will be difficult. But I think that regarding the welcome, I think I'm allowed to say that I will receive a warm welcome, because I know Chelsea's fans and our relationship is really special. It will be great to see them again, I am looking forward to it”, said the Ivory Coast striker.
Recent form
Chelsea:
Fulham 1-3 Chelsea (01/03; Premier League)
Chelsea 4-0 Tottenham (08/03; Premier League)
Aston Villa 1-0 Chelsea (15/03; Premier League)
Galatasaray:
Caykur Rizespor 1-1 Galatasaray (02/03; Turkish Super Lig)
Galatasaray 6-1 Akhisar Belediye (08/03; Turkish Super Lig)
Karabukspor 0-0 Galatasaray (14/03; Turkish Super Lig)
Key absences
Chelsea: Ashley Cole; David Luiz, Marco van Ginkel
Galatasaray: Aydin Yilmaz; Gokhan Zan; Emre Colak
Players to watch
Chelsea – Eden Hazard: The Belgian has had a fine season by all accounts, though Chelsea need him now more than ever. With a set of forwards who have had trouble finding the net all season, Hazard’s goals have been one of the main reasons that Chelsea have found success at home and in Europe. The prevailing wisdom is that if Chelsea are to challenge for the Premier League and Champions League then Hazard will have to keep supplying the goals.
Galatasaray – Didier Drogba: The prodigal son returns to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening. Drogba spent eight seasons with Chelsea and won everything possible with the club. The Ivorian international is seeing out his career in Turkey, but will always be remembered for his exploits with the Londoners. Though he is in the latter stages of a glittering career, he still possesses the goalscoring ability to make a difference.
Match Prediction
Galatasaray may find inspiration in Aston Villa’s exploits at the weekend. Though Chelsea went into that match full of momentum Villa held firm and claimed a big victory. Galatasaray will enter the match as big underdogs but they possess the individual quality to pose a big threat on the night. Chelsea are still the Premier League table-toppers but it will be interesting to see what impact this past weekend’s defeat will have on the title race and their season in general. The Blues will have to switch gears now and refocus on Europe. With Drogba returning it should be a special night at the Bridge with Chelsea having enough class to see off the Turkish side. Chelsea 2-0 Galatasaray.
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