Schalke vs. Chelsea: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

Chelsea can book their place in the Champions League last 16 with a win—or perhaps a draw—against Schalke at the Veltins-Arena on Tuesday.

They will be facing up to the Blues' 2012 Champions League-winning manager Roberto Di Matteo who is now Schalke boss, with the Chelsea legend unlikely to do them any favours.

The German side themselves currently sit second in Group G behind Chelsea and would give themselves a terrific chance of qualifying for the knockout stages if they beat the Blues at home.

Read on for a full preview as Di Matteo takes on his former side as well as all the relevant television, scheduling and live streaming details for the encounter.

Date: Tuesday, Nov. 25

Time: 7:45 p.m. GMT, 2:45 p.m. ET

TV Info: Sky Sports 5 (UK), Fox Sports 2 (US)

Live Stream: Sky Go, Fox Soccer 2Go

Preview

Tom Dulat/Getty Images

Blues boss Jose Mourinho has insisted that the Di Matteo factor will play no part in distracting his team's focus for Tuesday's game, per Sky Sports:

"

It is Chelsea against Schalke, it is not me against Di Matteo. The group is easy to analyse. Any one of us can finish first, second or third. Obviously Sporting (Lisbon) and Maribor can finish fourth also, but we can finish first, second or third. To finish third and go to the Europa League should be something that would be against the evolution of this team.

"

Indeed, after two wins and two draws so far in their Champions League campaign, Chelsea would fall to second in their group if they lose to Schalke and would then likely have to avoid defeat against Sporting in the final pool match or else crash out of the competition.

However, a victory—or potentially a draw if Sporting can't beat Maribor—would confirm their passage through to the knockout stages with one match to spare.

Chelsea have looked imperious in the Premier League so far this season and are currently unbeaten after 12 matches, including Saturday's superb 2-0 victory over West Brom, per the BBC's Ian Dennis:

They have not been as convincing in Europe, though, and were restricted to a 1-1 draw when Schalke visited Stamford Bridge in September.

On that occasion, Chelsea looked sluggish and were perhaps guilty of complacency, a situation Mourinho is unlikely to allow a repeat of on Tuesday.

Tom Dulat/Getty Images

Furthermore, back in September, club top scorer Diego Costa was only a late substitute but should be available to start in Germany.

He has had a quite stunning start to his Chelsea career, per the Premier League, and along with Oscar, Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas, the Blues definitely have the quality to breach the Schalke defence and secure their qualification with a win:

Indeed, Di Matteo's men do not have the best of defensive records by any means, having conceded 17 Bundesliga goals in 12 games, per ESPN FC, and they come up against a potent attack on Tuesday.

However, they will be buoyed after Saturday's 3-2 win over second-placed Wolfsburg, although they did almost squander the 3-0 lead they had established in the opening 25 minutes of that game.

Concentration will be key if Schalke are to take something from Tuesday's game as Chelsea will pounce on any defensive lapses and punish them.

Di Matteo has a big task on his hands against his former club and, in all likelihood, he will not have anything to show for his encounter with the Blues as Mourinho should claim the victory.