Champions League Preview: MSK Zilina vs Chelsea

Freedom from expectations can be a dangerous thing, and while Slovakian champions MSK Zilina won't be anyone's tips to progress from what is otherwise a relatively strong group, that doesn't mean they don't have the ability to derail one or more of their rivals' campaigns over the course of their six-game lap of honour.

Yes, expectations will be low, but that doesn't mean former Czech international Pavel Hapal won't be telling his side they are good enough to get results. After all, they have some form in Europe — beating Aston Villa in the Europa League just under two years ago — and eight top-two finishes (five titles) in the last nine years ably demonstrates they are no strangers to success. They also beat the more vaunted Sparta Prague to get to the group stages, so cannot be underestimated.

The team itself is led by Robert Jez, an all-action midfielder who leads by example. The rest of the team is a mix of Slovak and Czech players, with Gambia forward Ceesay leading the line. While unlikely to start, Slovakian international Tomas Oravec is a frequent scorer of goals off the substitutes' bench.

Manager Hapal has said it will take a combination of "bravery and cheekiness" to come away with anything from their first game against Chelsea, an acknowledgment that his side face an uphill challenge. But with the game taking place at the Stadium Pod Dubnom — capacity just over 11,000 — the atmosphere will be somewhat unique and the world-renowned stars that visit will all have to be on the guard if they don't want to be caught out.

From one extreme to the other on Matchday 1 — while Zilina may have minimal expectations of even dropping down into the Europa League come December, Chelsea will be fervently hoping they are hoisting the trophy at Wembley come May.

Indeed, among the big boys perhaps only Real Madrid share the Blues' urgency and determination to win Europe's top club prize. It has been owner Roman Abramovich's target ever since his arrival in 2003, but has so far remained frustratingly elusive. And with many of the club's stars at the peak or even beyond it, a certain 'now or never' feel is beginning to surface around the current squad.

John Terry, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba et al were but a penalty kick away from winning the trophy in 2008, but with all three of them 30 or over their chances at redemption are growing ever slimmer. But with their apparent dominance over the rest of the Premier League already on display so far this season, it seems everything is clicking into place for a concerted title run.

Last season Carlo Ancelotti fell foul of Jose Mourinho's Inter in the last 16, an earlier than expected exit that the Italian still harbours certain regrets over. But he has an immediate shot at redemption this season and, with no Africa Cup of Nations and (hopefully) fewer injuries to contend with, will be confident of progressing further in the competition even if they are once again drawn with one of Europe's elite sooner than preferable.

With Spartak Moscow and Olympique Marseille the other two teams in the group, Chelsea face three unenviable away trips but should still be confident of topping the group. An opening win in Slovakia would be a welcome first step on that path.

TEAM NEWS

MSK Zilina

Hapal has few injury concerns, but will likely make some changes after landing a 2-1 win against Tatran Presov at the weekend. On that occasion he played a 4-4-2, but Oravec is likely to make way for another midfielder — possibly Saturday substitute Vittor — as Zilina put on understandable emphasis on defence.

The two sides actually met in the competition in 2002, where Chelsea progressed 5-0 on aggregate in the third qualifying round. An improvement on that eight years on would be welcomed by the home support, but even they might be harder to please than usual — having seen tickets for this home game marked up by over 1000 per cent in a somewhat cynical move as one of Europe's A-listers comes into town.

Possible starting XI: Krnac; Angelovic, Placek, Pecalka, Mraz; Poliacek, Jez, Vittor, Vladavic, Bello; Ceesay.

Chelsea

The Blues have certain issues across the pitch, with Frank Lampard still injured for the game, Didier Drogba suspended and Ashley Cole set to be rested. But John Terry is available after coming through the game against West Ham at the weekend.

Elsewhere, Ancelotti's squad has more than enough depth to cover the absentees, and even allow him to indulge in a little light rotation. Yury Zhirkov will replace Ashley Cole at left-back, while Ramires won't be given his European bow with the Blues as he continues to adjust to the team. Fellow summer signing Yossi Benayoun starts in his place.

Further forward, Drogba's absence simply paves the way for Florent Malouda to return to the first XI after the weekend rest, with Anelka playing up front and Daniel Sturridge supporting on the right.

Confirmed starting XI: Cech, Ivanovic, Terry, Alex, Zhirkov, Essien, Benayoun, Mikel, Sturridge, Malouda, Anelka.

PREDICTION

So many unknown variables will define this game's eventual scoreline, but one thing that should be almost taken as a certainty is that Chelsea will win. If the Stadium Pod Dubnom is packed, despite the inflated ticket prices, then the atmosphere could cause some difficulties to the visitors, but Zilina lack the requisite skill and experience at this level to keep Chelsea at bay for 90 minutes.

For there part, the Blues have developed a recent habit of building up near-rugby scores against opposing teams, and could be in line to give the Slovakians a similar pasting. But with changes to the personnel and a certain sense of the unknown to contend with, a comfortable but not excessive win will still please Ancelotti more than enough.

SCORE: MSK Zilina 0 - 3 Chelsea

Martin Samuel: Abramovich's Real Goal At Chelsea Is To Make The Club Masters Of Europe

Carlo Ancelotti was not happy. He signalled for Didier Drogba to come to the touchline and much arm waving ensued. Ancelotti's complaint appeared to centre on the lack of urgency Drogba was displaying as Chelsea coasted to victory. Ancelotti's comments after the game confirmed his displeasure.

Having seen Manchester United surrender a two-goal lead at Everton in injury-time, he made it plain he had not instructed his players to take it easy at Upton Park, despite leading 2-0 after 18 minutes. That had been their decision.

While the inferior nature of the opposition was obvious - Chelsea won comfortably 3-1, even at training-ground pace - perhaps the performance was simply a confirmation of priorities at Stamford Bridge this season.

Most of Chelsea's players have been around the club long enough to know what the owner wants; and with the first Champions League fixture against MSK Zilina taking place in Slovakia on Wednesday night, they thought it wise to leave plenty in the tank.

Despite his love of European competition, Sir Alex Ferguson has always insisted that winning the league is the priority for Manchester United. An old-fashioned football man, he understands the rest stems from that.

Liverpool were the exception in 2005, contriving to be hopelessly inconsistent domestically yet relentless in Europe. In the last four seasons, however, the winners of the Champions League have combined their triumph with a domestic title.

Ancelotti no doubt shares Ferguson's opinion that one feeds the other, but he is not the loudest voice at his club. Roman Abramovich may be as chatty as Harpo Marx in public, but privately nobody at Chelsea is under any illusions about what he wants from this season.

It is no coincidence that his current choice of manager is a man who has won the European Cup four times, including twice as a player, nor that last season's failure to overcome Inter Milan was followed by a summer clear-out of players perceived to have under-achieved, including Michael Ballack, Joe Cole, Deco and Ricardo Carvalho.

Winning the league was not enough to save them, in Abramovich's view.

For a team that has never lifted the Champions League trophy, Chelsea have become the team to beat for aspiring conquerors of Europe. In five of the last six seasons, the club that has knocked them out has gone on to win the competition.

Inter Milan in 2010, Barcelona in 2009, Manchester United in 2008, Barcelona in 2006 and Liverpool in 2005. Only in 2007, when Chelsea succumbed to Liverpool again at the semi-final stage but AC Milan won the final, did they lose to less than the eventual champions of Europe.

It is a remarkable record, but one they would give anything to avoid maintaining this season.

Chelsea's group this time is no breeze. It includes the champions of France, Marseille, the little known Zilina and an arduous trip to play Spartak Moscow, but for a team of such calibre anything less than top spot would be disappointing.

Winning the group would at least guarantee the advantage of playing at home in the second leg of the last 16, although that proved no insurance against the resilience of Inter Mi lan in the last campaign.

That loss over two legs should worry Chelsea most of all, as it represents one of the few times the club has been eliminated from Europe without cause for complaint.

Against Barcelona in 2009 they were the victims of a terrifyingly abysmal refereeing performance by Tom Henning Ovrebo (one of UEFA's many Over-Promoted Useless Scandinavian Officials), and in Moscow in 2008 they were the better team against Manchester United before John Terry's fateful penalty miss.

Preceding this is a litany of ghost goals, bitterly disputed red cards, enemies of football and even the bizarre tactical choices of Claudio Ranieri against Monaco, which date back to another semi-final debacle in 2004.

Some believe these were the years in which Chelsea should have been champions of Europe, and the ship has now sailed. It is said Ancelotti's squad is advanced in age and will no longer be a match for Barcelona or a Real Madrid team galvanised by the arrival of Jose Mourinho. AC Milan are tipped to be useful again, too.

Yet the claims of Chelsea's rivals sound overplayed. For all the oceans of ink sucked dry to eulogise Barcelona, they were beaten fair and square by Inter Milan last season and it took a travesty of sporting justice to put them in the final the year before.

Real Madrid, AC Milan and Inter Milan are works in progress under new managers, while Manchester United were undoubtedly stronger before the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo and Bayern Munich were incredibly lucky to overcome them last season.

As for dark horses, it is 13 years since the Champions League was won by a club that had not previously lifted the European Cup (Borussia Dortmund in 1997, Chelsea would be the first club to do it this century), so this is not a competition for outsiders.
The conclusion, then, is that there is no single outstanding team in Europe and Chelsea have as much to recommend them, if not more.

So can they win it? Most certainly, yes. Will they win it? A cautious yes to that, too.

The pillars of the team, Drogba, John Terry, Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard, remain undiminished, while Ancelotti has quietly transformed Florent Malouda into one of the most potent midfield players in the country. He talks of Michael Essien, returned from injury, as if he is a new player, while the acquisition of Ramires is a shrewd one. The Brazilian gives Chelsea increasing midfield options, able to go box to box yet with the capability to be a wiry ball-winner in the Claude Makelele mode.

It also helps that Chelsea have enjoyed a fortuitous start with their opening four Premier League games, West Bromwich Albion, Wigan Athletic, Stoke City and West Ham United, a relative cakewalk.

Having looked unconvincing in the summer friendly tournaments, they have been allowed to play themselves into form, and are now brushing opponents aside without reaching top gear, as happened at Upton Park.

Even their first Champions League game, MSK Zilina away, is hardly the test it could have been, while Sunday brings the visit of Blackpool.

Liverpool was made to hit the ground running against Arsenal, before travelling to Manchester City and visiting a Turkish outpost to face Trabzonspor. By comparison, Chelsea have been stress-free for a month, as they mount the latest attempt to deliver the prize Abramovich values above all.

This single-mindedness may cause Ancelotti more frustration on the touchline, but he will come to realize it is for a good cause; not least in maintaining his continued employment, which another boring old league title win may no longer guarantee.

Petr Cech Convinced Chelsea Can Win The Champions League This Season

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech is relishing the beginning of the Blues' Champions League campaign and is sure that this could be the season the side finally brings the trophy to Stamford Bridge.

The domestic Double winners face MSK Zilina this evening in the first game in their group and Cech is clearly confident ahead of the clash.

"We are coming here in a very good mood. We have been playing very well recently and we are ready to go in the Champions League," Cech told reporters.

"Last year we won the Double which is a great achievement but we couldn't progress in the Champions League, that's the way it is.

"The previous seasons we have always been in the semi-final and once in the final, but we all believe that this time is going to be the breakthrough. We all believe before every season that we can go all the way and win it."

Cech believes that Carlo Ancelotti's side has all the ingredients in place to win the competition, with quality and experience combining with a fierce work ethic.

"I believe that because of the work I can see every day at the training ground, starting with the manager and finishing with all the people working for the club," he added.

"We always have the quality in the team and we have a great team spirit. That is the start and now we need to have the good performances on the pitch. We always have a good start.

"We know we have what it takes."

Ancelotti Says Yuri Zhirkov Won't Be Leaving Stamford Bridge

Carlo Ancelotti has insisted that Russian international Yuri Zhirkov will not be leaving Chelsea, despite rumours linking him with a move back to Russia.

The left-sided player was signed from CSKA Moscow a year ago for a fee just short of £20million. Zhirkov made seventeen appearances for Chelsea last season, but only due to the absence of an injured Ashley Cole.

Given his limited first-team opportunities, it had been suggested that Zhirkov would leave Stamford Bridge. However, Blues boss Ancelotti is hearing none of it.

"I don't need to speak with him about the future," said Ancelotti, who will start with Zhirkov against MSK Zilina in the Champions League this evening.

"That is because his future is here with Chelsea. He is a good player.

"He knows in this club, in the top teams, there is a lot of competition to play and for this reason, he has to improve.

"But I think that he will have the possibility to play a lot of games this year, because we are involved in a lot of competitions. We need to have all the players fit and ready to play."

Chelsea Open Contract Talks With Gael Kakuta

Chelsea has begun talks with France Under-19 star Gael Kakuta over a new contract to secure his long-term future at the club.

Kakuta's current deal runs out at the end of the season, but coach Carlo Ancelotti wants to keep him at Stamford Bridge and a five-year extension is close to being agreed.

The 19-year-old made the headlines for the wrong reasons last season after Fifa accused Chelsea of inducing him to break his contract with Lens when they signed him in 2007.

Chelsea was banned from making any signings for two transfer windows only for Fifa's decision to be overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in February.

Ancelotti sees Kakuta, who was named player of the tournament after helping France win the European Under-19 Championships this summer, as key to his plans for the squad.

He said: "Now he is first team, he will have the same opportunity as the other players and he deserves to play because he trained well, he is focused and concentrated. He will play and we now have to consider him not a young player but a player in the first team."

Kakuta came on as a substitute against West Ham on Saturday and is expected to be named on the bench again for their opening Champions League game at MSK Zilina tonight.

It is the first time the Slovakian champions have qualified for the group phase of the competition, but coach Pavel Hapal has warned Chelsea not to expect an easy match.

He said: "It's a great challenge for me and I'm really looking forward to it. On the other hand, we won't sell ourselves short. We want to show our supporters quality football and we'd like to get some points from our meeting with Chelsea.

"We obviously respect our opponents; they're a really big club. Chelsea is obviously superior to us, but football is about 11 players playing against 11 players and we want to walk off with our heads high after the match."

John Terry: I'll Die Unhappy If Chelsea Don't End European Pain

John Terry today admitted he will die an unhappy man if he ends his career without winning the Champions League with Chelsea.

Carlo Ancelotti's side begins this season's campaign at MSK Zilina, which was the first side Chelsea faced after Roman Abramovich bought the club seven years ago.

Terry is the only member of the team that beat the Slovakian champions in a two-legged qualifier in 2003 who will start for the Blues tonight.

Since making his debut in the competition back then, the 29-year-old has suffered heartache having played in four semi-final defeats, as well as missing the penalty which would have won the club the trophy against Manchester United in 2008.

Terry suffered more frustration last season after the club were beaten by eventual winners Inter Milan to crash out at the last-16 stage for only the second time in their history.

They went onto win their third Premier League title in six years but the Chelsea captain is still frustrated at having failed to claim European football's biggest prize yet.

He hopes for better fortune this season and told Chelsea TV: "Until we win that trophy I'm not going to die a happy man, that's a fact. I realize now that going out of the competition last season made us stronger in the League.

"But I will never give up hope of winning that trophy. I owe it to every Chelsea fan because of what happened in the final in Moscow two years ago. I still hold that as a big responsibility, I let the fans, players and the club down by missing the penalty.

"It would be nice if we did get a penalty or something like that when we should. Last season against Inter, Salomon Kalou should have had one home and away.

"We were almost perfect in the group stages but then in the knockout phase you only need to have two bad days and you're out. We didn't play as well as we should have done out there or at home. We should always fancy ourselves to score at home but we didn't. We just weren't good enough.

"But one year on, with the squad of players that we have, we are good enough to go all the way. You just need that bit of luck."

Chelsea allowed experienced quintet Michael Ballack, Joe Cole, Juliano Belletti, Deco and Ricardo Carvalho to leave this summer and only replaced them with Yossi Benayoun, who will start his first game for the Blues tonight, and Brazil midfielder Ramires.
But goalkeeper Petr Cech is adamant Chelsea are not a weaker side from the one that reached the Champions League semi-final in 2009.

"We will see if we are better but we hope this time will be the breakthrough," said Cech.

"What gives me the belief this season will be different is the work I can see every day on the training ground, starting with the manager and finishing with everyone who works for the club.

"We are coming into the game with Zilina in a very good mood because we have been playing very well recently. We are raring to go in the Champions League campaign. We are ready and want to start with a win."

But Carlo Ancelotti has told his players they must learn from their exit to Inter Milan and toughen up if they want to taste success at Wembley in May.

The Chelsea boss said: "We have to stay focused and play well against Zilina. Our aim is to start well and win this group but it will not be easy. Every team has quality and it is an important game for Zilina."

Malouda: The Beautiful Competition

We step into the unknown in Slovakia this evening, but Florent Malouda believes it is such trips that make the Champions League so exciting.

It is our eighth successive season in Europe's premier club competition but tonight is a debut for MSK Zilina, the Slovakian champions who progressed past Sparta Prague to reach the groups for the first time.

It is unusual these days to play completely new opposition, but Malouda pointed out it has also happened in the last two campaigns.

'In the past when you think about Cluj, when we first played them they were new, and last year we played APOEL Nicosia, so it can happen,' the Frenchman said. 'That's the Champions League, now there are so many countries involved that it is exciting. It is original, that's the beauty of this competition.

'It is always a danger for a big team like us to go there, if you're not completely focused you can have big disappointments, so we shouldn't go there thinking it is going to be easy. We have to be really concentrated throughout the game.'

Of course the scouts will have been busying their reports for Carlo Ancelotti since the group stage draw was made in late August, and Malouda believes the tempo of the game will be an important factor in deciding its outcome.

'Now with the videos and all the games on TV you can find out almost everything about the opposition, all the teams know the way we play,' he suggested.

'I think the difference will be the pace of the game. If we can control the pace then it will be good for us but if we go there and start slow and sloppy it will turn to their advantage, that's the first thing we have to do.'

The other teams in Group F are French champions Marseille and Russian runners-up Spartak Moscow, both of whom are expected to provide stiff competition. Malouda is already looking forward to facing the side from his homeland at Stamford Bridge in a fortnight's time.

'Marseille will be a difficult one because if you look at the recent years the French teams have done well in the Champions League,' he said. 'Last year they had two teams in the last eight. It is big for them, they were champions last year and were waiting a long time, so they will want a good start.

'They won't want to come to Stamford Bridge and lose 4-0 like Bordeaux did two years ago. I can tell you it will be difficult in both games. Over there it is a big atmosphere but we are used to that.

'For all the teams in the group we are at the beginning and we all want to finish first, so we have to get the points.'

Giles Smith Midweek View

Imagine if Chelsea suddenly announced, out of nowhere, that the club's next manager was definitely going to be English. No exact date on the appointment, and no names specifically, but this much already decided: that whoever it was, and whenever it was, the next person through the door of the gaffer's office at Cobham would be an Englishman, with a valid UK passport and a native grasp of English swear words.

You'd be pretty confused, wouldn't you? You'd certainly struggle to see the logic. Why make this peculiarly narrow decision, you'd want to ask yourself? Why, against the backdrop of an unignorable history of success in English football for foreign coaches, impose this entirely arbitrary restriction on the running of the club when no rule or law (either in football or in the European regulations on employment) insists that you do so? Why go out of your way to shackle yourself, completely voluntarily?

And then you would mournfully shuffle through the likely candidates, and the decision would get no easier to understand. In fact, it would start to look devastating - possibly even suicidal.

Roy Hodgson? Well, maybe that would be OK, in fact. A good manager and an intelligent and likeable man - almost everybody says as much. But, even so, based on his record, and even allowing for the unlikely possibility of a highly fruitful forthcoming period at Liverpool, would he really represent a step on from the present incumbent, when the time comes? Probably not.

Harry Redknapp, then? Hmm.

'Big' Sam Allardyce? I don't think so, really, do you?

Stuart Pearce? No.

Steve McClaren? Well, he's clearly a lot better than a lot of people once gave him credit for, and all power to him for achieving a major turn-around in his fortunes after that nasty business with the umbrella. But would anyone round here genuinely be breaking out in spots and a fever of anticipation at the thought of him being next up after Mr. Ancelotti?

Neil Warnock? Now you're just being satirical.

But, of course, a situation in which the club comes right out and declares that it will choose its next manager off the English-only menu isn't going to happen. And it isn't going to happen primarily because Chelsea aren't stupid. And this has got nothing to do - let's be clear - with any entrenched bias against the idea of an English manager, or with any strong feelings for or against the current catalogue.

It has solely to do, rather, with the club's sensible desire to pursue the best available person at the time, based on his record and aptitude, rather than on his passport. And the best candidate may, indeed, turn out to be English, come the moment when Mr Ancelotti decides that he has had enough (assuming and hoping that's a good few years off). But why tie yourself to the notion when you don't need to?

Yet this is precisely what the FA have decided to do with England. The next England manager, after Fabio Capello, will be English, they have already said - and this despite the fact that it may be two years at least before Capello leaves, so who knows what may happen between now and then? And the idea seems to have gone down rather well, not least among those managers who (wouldn't you know it?) happen to be English. (Redknapp and Allardyce, in particular, sound hugely enthusiastic about the prospect.)

Madness. It's like removing yourself from the driving seat and lashing yourself to the bumper instead. What a good thing it is that clubs aren't run like this.

Some people have noted the flying start that our team has made to the defence of its title this year and somewhat grudgingly pointed out that, impressive though these first four performances have been, the club has had a relatively soft opening to the season, fixture-wise, so nothing too much ought to be inferred.

Rubbish. What these people need to remember is the basic truth behind the old cliché: there are no easy games at this level. Apart from West Ham, obviously.

Same goes for our Champions League group: slightly soft, people are saying, in advance. But is there anything soft about away games in Slovakia and Russia? We're about to find out, I guess, starting tonight. For what it's worth, though, my feeling about the Champions League is the same as my feeling about the Premier League: no easy games. Apart from West Ham.

Incidentally, one final thing: did you notice the eerie parallel between our game on Saturday and Manchester United's at Everton? In both cases the score line was 1-3 when the fourth official held up the board for time added on.

Spooky coincidence, no? The difference, of course, was that, in our match, it was still 1-3 when the final whistle went, whereas in United's, strangely enough, it wasn't. But just for a moment there, we and United were matching each other in the title race, blow for blow. And people say the Premier League isn't as tightly competitive this season.