Chelsea v Steaua Bucharest: Champions League match preview
A look ahead to tonight's Champions League fixture at Stamford Bridge
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Your support makes all the difference.Despite losing to Basel in Chelsea's last Champions League match, Jose Mourinho's team will face off against Steaua Bucharest in the knowledge that they have already qualified for the last 16 of the competition. First place in Group E is still up for grabs and Chelsea will be looking to recover from their 3-2 loss to Stoke at the weekend, where Mourinho later declared his team were now “in trouble”.
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A win for the Blues will guarantee them first place in their group, however should Chelsea lose they will finish second while a draw would leave them top as long as Basel do not win at FC Schalke. Steaua will finish bottom of the group, regardless of results. The Romanian club have not won for 22 games in the UEFA Champions League, their last victory coming against FC Dynamo Kyiv in 2006. Steaua's draw against Shalke in November equalled the longest Champions League run without a win.
KICK-OFF: Wednesday, 7.45pm
PAST MEETINGS.
Steaua Bucharest 0 Chelsea 4 (Ramires (2), Georgievski (og), Lampard ), Champions League, Group Stage, October 2013
Chelsea 3 (Mata, Terry, Torres) Steaua Bucharest 1(Chiricheş), Europa League, Knock-out stage, March 2013
Steaua Bucharest 1 (Rusescu) Chelsea 0, Europa League, Knock-out stage, March 2013
STATS:
Chelsea have qualified for the knockout stage of the Champions League for the 11th time in their history.
Romanian sides have won at English soil only twice in European competition: Universitatea Craiova beat Leeds United at Elland Road in the UEFA Cup in November 1979, while CFR Cluj had the better of Manchester United at Old Trafford in December 2012 in Champions League.
Chelsea have shared only one draw over their last 19 European games, and won three of the last four.
Steaua have drawn their last three Champions League games.
ODDS:
Chelsea to win: 1.2
Steaua Bucharest to win: 15.0
Draw: 6.0
TV: Live on Sky Sports 3 at 7.45pm, highlights on Sky Sports 2 at 10.00pm
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