Chelsea welcome Basel to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night, in the first European game of Jose Mourinho's second stint as head coach of the club.
Chelsea will hope to bounce back after a disappointing loss to Everton at the weekend. Mourinho's side fell to a 1-0 defeat at Goodison Park in what was their first loss of the season.
The Blues Premier League form since Mourinho's return has been far from exceptional. Two wins, a draw and a defeat mean the team has seven points after four games, their worst start to a league campaign in ten years. Luckily for the Portuguese manager, Chelsea fans idolise him and have yet to increase the pressure for results.
A win in the Champions League would ease any minor concerns over Chelsea's credentials this season. Mourinho insists that both he and the club are eager to win the competition again.
"It's normal that, if you win it once, you dream to win it twice," he said before the game. "That happened to me. And, when I won it the second time, I dreamed to win it a third time. That's the nature of football."
Mourinho was not at the helm when Chelsea won the tournament in 2012. However, his affection for the club means the victory still holds a special place in his heart.
"For me, the important thing is that Chelsea had a dream, and the dream came true by winning the Champions League," he added.
In Basel, they face a team whose playing style is familiar. The two sides met in the semi-final of the Europa League last seas on. Chelsea eventually managed to progress 5-2 on aggregate, but the tie was far less comfortable than the score line suggests.
The reigning Swiss league champions have enjoyed a promising start to this campaign. With seven games played Basel are third in the table, three points behind leaders Young Boys.
Although they eventually lost the Europa League tie last season, Basel were far from outplayed. In the first leg especially, the Swiss team dominated the game and possession for large periods. Chelsea needed a last minute goal from David Luiz to seal the win.
Team News
Chelsea: Jose Mourinho has no new injury troubles to worry about. The manager has also confirmed that Frank Lampard and Oscar will start, meaning Juan Mata will likely be on the bench.
Basel: Serey Die is unavailable due to a calf injury, while shoulder problems mean Mohamed Elneny will also not travel to England.
Where to Watch
Kick-off is at 12:15 am IST (Thursday, 19 September) and live coverage is available on Ten Action.
