Galatasaray - Match Preview

[Strike 7,218]

In a fixture anticipated for over two months now, Chelsea travel to Turkey to face Didier Drogba and Galatasaray in the first leg of the Round of 16 stage on Wednesday. Having been eliminated in the group stage last season, this is Chelsea's first Champions League knockout stage game since that famous night in Munich.

Didier Drogba, who arrived at Chelsea along with Mourinho in 2004, went onto have a succesful 8 years at the club culminating with the winning penalty in the Champions League final. Drogba left the club shortly after, first to China and then to Galatasaray last January. This is the first time he is facing the club that made him famous, adding an intriguing sub-plot to this Champions League knockout tie.

Date: Wednesday, 26 February 2014, 19:45 GMT
Venue: Türk Telekom Arena, Istanbul

Opposition: Since taking over at the end of September, Roberto Mancini has only suffered 2 defeats in the league. They are currently sitting 2nd 4 points behind rivals Fenerbahce. Galatasaray are currently on an 8-game unbeaten run and prepared for Wednesday's visit of Chelsea with a 1-0 win over Besiktas on Saturday

In the Champions League, Galatasaray struggled to replicate their league form but won the crucial game on Matchday Six against Juventus in dramatic fashion to qualify for the Round of 16. The game was initially abandoned around the 30-minute mark owing to bad weather and was replayed a day later when Wesley Sneijder scored a late winner to send the Turkish side through.

Chelsea: Chelsea head into the first leg in Turkey in good spirits after a late win over Everton at the weekend preserved their place at the top of the Premier League. It was a welcome boost to Chelsea as the draw at West Brom and the loss at Man City in the cup before that had stalled the momentum picked up over last 2 months.

In the Champions League, Chelsea have had a mixed bag of results with impressive wins over Schalke and equally abject losses against Basel. The Blues only topped the group on the final matchday with the 1-0 win over Steaua Bucharest.

Previous meetings (in Champions League)
28/09/99 Chelsea 1-0 Galatasaray (Petrescu)
20/10/99 Galatasaray 0-5 Chelsea (Flo x 2, Zola, Wise, Ambrosetti)

Team News
Galatasaray: Aydin Yilmaz is out with a long term injury but Hamit Altintop and Aurelien Chedjou are set to return for this game. Altintop was in the squad for the weekend game at Besiktas having overcome a back problem while Chedjou is back in training after recovering from a groin strain.

Chelsea: Manager Mourinho had some worrying news for Chelsea fans over the weekend. 4 players - Mikel, David Luiz, Oscar and Ramires are all carrying minor injuries heading into this game. With January signing Nemanja Matic ineligible for this game, Chelsea look short in the midfield position. Mohamed Salah, another January signing is also ineligible having played for Basel in the group stage. Marco van Ginkel is the only other absentee

News filtered in yesterday that Luiz and Mikel had both travelled in a 22-man squad to Turkey

Possible Lineups
Galatasaray - (3-5-2) Musler- Semih Kaya, Ceyhun Gulselam, Chedjou - Eboue, Melo, Selçuk Inan, Sneijder, Telles - Burak, Drogba

Chelsea - (4-2-3-1) Cech- Ivanovic Cahill Terry Azpilicueta- Luiz Lampard - Ramires Willian Hazard - Eto'o

Players to watch
Didier Drogba - Champions League knockout games used to bring the best (and the worst) of Didier Drogba.

Eden Hazard - Chelsea's top-scorer this season but this is his first ever Champions League knockout game

Stats and Facts
- Galatasaray have won 3, drawn 3 and lost just 2 of their 8 home matches against English teams in the Champions League. The Turkish's side last home defeat to an English opposition was against Chelsea in 1999 as they suffered a 5-0 humiliation in Istanbul.
- Chelsea have won 2 and lost 1 of their 3 Champions League away matches against Turkish oppositions and they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Galatasaray's bitter rivals Fenerbahce in their last trip to Turkey in 2008.
- Roberto Mancini has won 6 and lost 4 of his 11 matches against Chelsea (D1) - with Lazio and Manchester City - in all competitions.
- Jose Mourinho is unbeaten against Roberton Mancini in 4 meetings - W2 D2.
- Galatasaray have lost just 1 of their last 19 matches in all competition. They are also unbeaten in their last 16 home games (W13 D3).
- Although they reached the second group stage in 2000/01 and again the following year, Galatasaray's only previous experience of the round of 16 came last year when they beat FC Schalke 04 4-3 on aggregate.
- Chelsea's next draw in UEFA competition will be their 50th.
- Chelsea have kept 8 cleansheets in their last 11 matches.
- John Obi Mikel is 1 yellow card away from suspension

Odds
Galatasaray 3/1; Draw 23/10; Chelsea 19/20

TV and Internet Coverage
United Kingdom - Sky Sports 1/HD
United States - Fox Sports 1 USA
Middle East - BeIn Sport
Brazil - ESPN Play Latin America
Australia - SBS One Australia
For other additional countries, click here.

There should be many match streams that can be found online if your local sports channels are not broadcasting the game or if you happen to be busy and cannot catch the game live, follow TalkChelsea on Twitter as it would provide live match commentary on the action.

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[Jase 43,479]

*bump*

[CHOULO19 24,332]

I'm not sure they will go with 3 at the back against us. Actually, I hope they do. They don't have proper wing backs, we'll kill them with pace down the wings.

[Mohammed Seif 1,451]

I'm not sure they will go with 3 at the back against us. Actually, I hope they do. They don't have proper wing backs, we'll kill them with pace down the wings.

But if they crowd the midfield it might get quiet tricky. Are Luiz and Mikel definitely out or are they good to go?

[CHOULO19 24,332]

But if they crowd the midfield it might get quiet tricky. Are Luiz and Mikel definitely out or are they good to go?

Depends on what our approach will be. I doubt we'll play with a very high block away from home.

Don't know yet about Luiz and Mikel, or even Oscar and Ramires because no one asked Jose about the team news in the PC