What we face in Porto

[Alee. 182]

Written by ChelseaBoi

Disappointment at Moscow, the Goal that never was and poor refereeing decisions against Liverpool. Chelsea have surely been the unluckiest club in the competition. Having reached the semi finals no less then five times in the last Six years, we are still without the accolade of europe's best club. But this could yet be our year. With the obstacles facing John Terry and his men, it would not surprise me to see the best of Chelsea Football Club during the campaign which starts against Porto later tonight. The club has faced a transfer ban which i am sure we are all familiar by now. Adding to that Didier Drogba and Jose Bosingwa are unavailable for the clash later today because of their reactions against Barcelona last season. We need to be up to the task against Porto.

John Terry has issued a rallying cry to the players and asked the fans to get behind the team against Porto tonight, for this will surely be astern test for Carlo Ancelotti as he faces his first European match while managing Chelsea. Gifted with a group we will be expected to top,we should be vary of the threats group members Porto and Atletico Madrid pose. Without Drogba (Suspension), Bosingwa (Suspension), Deco(Calf), Alex (Groin), Paulo Ferreira, Joe Cole and Yuri Zhirkov (all knee) we face a stern test in the form of Porto.

FC Porto will be confident of advancing from the group phase yet again after being edged out 3-2 on aggregate by Manchester United last season in the Quarter Finals. They are like Chelsea, unbeaten in their Domestic league so far. However they will be without Lisandro Lopez and Lucho Gonzalez who left the Portuguese club over the summer. They still however have some very decent players in the form of Hulk, who gave John Terry a run for his money.

That being said, it would be shocking to see Chelsea come away with anything but three points from this Champions League group stage encounter. Even if Carlo Ancelotti has been forced to call on the likes of Sturridge, Hutchinson, Borini and Bruma into the squad. We have a strong first team, with Kalou and Anelka expected to start at top and Ivanovic as cover for Bosingwa. KTBFFH.

My Prediction: Chelsea 2 - 0 FC Porto.