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Tuesday 15 September 2009, UEFA Champions League, Group Stage, Stamford Bridge, West London - 7:45 PM kick-off

Chelsea host Porto in their opening Champions League fixture of the 2009/10 campaign.

Only a last-minute goal for Andres Iniesta denied Chelsea a second consecutive Champions League Final meeting with Manchester United last-term, and the disappointment of that evening at Stamford Bridge - which saw a number of incredibly strong penalty appeals waved away by referee Tom Henning Ovrebo - will no doubt still be playing on the minds of the Chelsea players, including Didier Drogba and José Bosingwa, who received bans from UEFA for their appeals to the referee. A disgrace though it may have been, Chelsea were nonetheless knocked out of Europe in an unimaginably cruel and unjust way.

Chelsea began their Champions League campaign last term against FC Girondins de Bordeaux, who would go on to become the Champions of France. The Champions of Portugal stand between Chelsea and three points in their opening fixture this season, and it has been a summer of transition for the Portuguese side. Though they beat Leixões S.C. 4-1 in their last league match, they have lost many of their stars players, including Lisandro Lopez to Lyon and Luis Oscar "Lucho" Gonzalez to Marseille, whilst holding defender Ahly Cissokho has also joined Lopez at Lyon. However, the club have spent €4 million on Falcao who appears to be a bargain buy; netting four goals in as many Liga Sagres matches for the Portuguese Supercup winners.

Chelsea will be without Drogba and Bosingwa - the latter a former Porto man - on Tuesday evening, so Branislav Ivanovic and Juliano Belletti will battle it out to start at right-back. Nicolas Anelka will more-than-likely lead the line for the hosts, whilst Deco and Paulo Ferreira both look like they will miss the chance to play against their former employers.

Alex is still struggling with a niggling injury and Joe Cole is short on match fitness, but Chelsea will hope their imperious home form in European competition will see them to victory in Group D, which will also see APOEL Nicosia face Atlético de Madrid.

The last time Chelsea played FC Porto, they emerged 2-1 winners thanks to goals from Arjen Robben and Michael Ballack, which cancelled out Ricardo Quaresma's opening goal to give Chelsea an aggregate win in the 2006/07 Round of 16 knock-out fixture. The first leg saw Andrei Shevchenko equalise after Raul Meireless had scored for the home side, and two years beforehand, Chelsea had beaten Porto 3-1 at Stamford Bridge but lost 2-1 away at the Dragao in the 2004/05 group stages - both seasons the two clubs have met in Europe, Chelsea have faced heart-breaking semi final losses against Liverpool.

Can the Blues continue their wonderful start to the season and make it seven victories from as many matches?

KTBFFH.