Chelsea vs. Schalke: 3 Key Issues That Will Shape Champions League Game

Chelsea welcome Schalke to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday to kick off their Champions League campaign in Group G. The two sides were drawn together at this stage of last year’s competition, with the Blues recording 3-0 wins at home and away.

"We still have a score to settle with Chelsea as we lost both matches to them last season," Schalke sporting director Horst Heldt told UEFA after the draw in August.

Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho told the official Chelsea website that the group is “more difficult than people think.”

This opening game is likely to set the tone for each club’s European campaign, with three key factors shaping the tie.

News taken from UEFA.com unless otherwise noted. 

Form

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

Schalke have picked up one point from their opening three Bundesliga matches. A 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich was sandwiched between defeats to Hannover 96 and Borussia Monchengladbach, all after a defeat in the first round of the DFB-Pokal.

A good result in their first Champions League group game would allow the Royal Blues to kick-start their season, but they will have to be at their very best to stand a chance at Stamford Bridge.

In contrast to Schalke, Chelsea are on a fine run of form as the only Premier League side with maximum points from the first four games. Diego Costa’s hat-trick against Swansea City at the weekend took his tally for the season so far to seven, while fellow new signing Cesc Fabregas has notched six assists.

Despite their prolific goalscoring form, the Blues have conceded six goals, and Schalke could find a way to exploit their defence. 

Fitness

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Chelsea’s reliance on Costa for goals could be put to the test on Wednesday. He has already suffered two injury scares since joining the club, and with a trip to Manchester City on the cards for next Sunday, he could start this game on the bench.

Loic Remy’s debut goal when he replaced Costa against Swansea City proved that he is capable of leading the line, and there are no other significant concerns for the home side ahead of this tie.

Schalke will be without key players at either end of the pitch. Centre-half Joel Matip and forward Jefferson Farfan have both been ruled out of the group opener. With five other first-team players on the long-term sick beds, Schalke will likely struggle to field their strongest side. 

Formation

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Schalke generally line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation but could switch to a 4-3-3 to try to counter Chelsea’s attacking threat. That switch would free up Julian Draxler and Sidney Sam to try to find a way through from wide positions, although they are likely to have more luck through the middle.

Chelsea are also accustomed to a 4-2-3-1 but have come unstuck playing a high pressing line in their last two fixtures. With several players arriving late to pre-season due to World Cup participation, it will take a little while longer for them to jell and avoid leaving easily exploitable gaps in the midfield area. 

Conclusion

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Although this is only the first of six games, Chelsea’s shocking group-stage exit in 2012-13 showed that it is best to get off to a good start.

There is no such thing as an easy game in the Champions League, but it is hard to see anything other than a comfortable Chelsea win in west London on Wednesday night.