Chelsea vs Bayer Leverkusen: Complete Preview, Live Stream and TV Schedule

Bayer Leverkusen will travel to London, England, to take on Chelsea for their first game in the 2011 Champions League Group.

Bayer Leverkusen enters the group stages as the third-seeded team in the group, while Chelsea is the favorite to place first in the group.

Where: Stamford Bridge

When: September 13th, 2:45 P.M. Eastern Time

Watch: Fox Soccer Plus (USA), Setanta Sports 1 (UK, Germany), Sky Sports 2 (UK), Sportsnet One (Canada)

Live Stream: Sky Sports (UK), Fox Soccer TV (USA), UEFA (International)

Biggest Storyline: Michael Ballack's Return to Stamford Bridge

Was there any doubt this wouldn't be the storyline heading into this match? The only thing putting a damper on this is the fact that Ballack has not yet solidified a spot in the starting lineup for Leverkusen.

According to ESPN, head coach Robin Dutt won't release which players will or won't be in the starting 11.

"

I was very happy with Michael Ballack and he was particularly active last night, but I still don't know whether he will play on Tuesday in Chelsea.

Many players will be fit for Tuesday and I am not going to reveal my team now anyway. The Chelsea game is going to be totally different to this one.

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Key Player to Watch for Chelsea: Frank Lampard

Lampard is the focus of the midfield for Chelsea and has more goals from the midfield than any other player in club history.

He has a powerful shot, and is one of the best passers the game has ever seen. He has disappointed with the English National Team multiple times, but his performance with his club side has been phenomenal since arriving in 2001.

Key Player to Watch for Bayer Leverkusen: Sidney Sam

Sam has been a big part of Leverkusen's recent success as he has been a goal-scoring machine. He is tied for the lead in goals on the team this year in the Bundesliga.

Sam is a very versatile player that can play both striker and midfield for this team. He is solid with the ball on his feet and has a terrific strike.

Key Matchup: Midfield vs. Midfield

Possessing the ball is going to be extremely important in this game, especially for Leverkusen. If Chelsea dominates possession, the German club will have no shot at upending the Blues.

If Leverkusen is to leave London with a point, they are going to need to control the ball in the midfield.

What They're Saying:

Chelsea has hopes of lifting the European trophy this year, but they are focused on taking it one match at a time. Andre Villas-Boas spoke with Sky Sports about his team's goals in the Champions League.

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If you take the European trophy, of course it is a dream to everybody, but it's the most difficult trophy to win when you see the level of the other European teams as they are and it's going to be a massive challenge again.

We just have to go step by step on it. We have two days to rest only before the Leverkusen game with Bayer having one day extra to rest, and we have to focus on getting the first three points before going to Valencia.

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According to UEFA's official website, history is not on Leverkusen's side for their match with Chelsea.

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Leverkusen, in the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 2004/05, have not won in their seven visits to England. They gained a draw last time out, 0-0 at Blackburn Rovers FC in the 2006/07 UEFA Cup group stage, but lost five of the previous six games. The German side have only won two of 15 fixtures with English sides, losing nine.

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Final Score

Chelsea 2
Bayer Leverkusen 1