adminBUCHAREST. — Chelsea will attempt to kick their Champions League soccer campaign into gear at the second attempt tonight when they visit Steaua Bucharest for their second Group E fixture.
The London club were stunned 2-1 by FC Basel in their first group outing and can ill afford further setbacks with a double-header against Schalke to come.
Chelsea last season became the first defending champions to be eliminated in the group phase and manager Jose Mourinho has described Tuesday’s match as “the game that we cannot lose”.
“Even a draw, probably, is not a good result for us, so now we have to prepare ourselves,” said the Portuguese, who is bidding to win the competition with a third different club.
“We have to get 12 points to be out of any danger, so if we lose there we still have four matches to play and we will have to win them all. We don’t want to put ourselves under so much pressure.”
Chelsea do not have fond memories of their last visit to Bucharest, however, having lost 1-0 to Steaua in the away leg of a Europa League last 16 tie in March before winning the second leg 3-1.
Centre-back Vlad Chiriches claimed Steaua’s goal at Stamford Bridge, but he has since left the Romanian capital for Tottenham Hotspur and was on the bench for his new side’s 1-1 draw at home to Chelsea on Saturday. — AFP.
Online Reporter