Chelsea and Jose Mourinho will want to east the considerable pressure they are feeling at the moment with victory over FC Porto and a place in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League.
The Blues' stuttering campaign hit another low at the weekend when English Premier League debutants AFC Bournemouth beat them at Stamford Bridge, and if Chelsea fail to do the needful on Wednesday in the Champions League against Porto, Mourinho's position as the manager will be in doubt.
"I know at the moment it looks like winning the Europa League is an easier way to be in the Champions League next season than to finish in the top four [of the Premier League]," Mourinho said. "But there is another possibility which is to win the Champions League.
"It is obviously harder than winning the Europa League but it is the competition where we are. We want to play in the Champions League and play the best teams, and for that we need to win."
Chelsea, who only have Radamel Falcao missing through injury, only need a draw to progress to the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League, but a win will ensure their place as the group winners, so essential to avoid the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Porto, who have the same points as Chelsea at 10, need to win to ensure their place, because if Dynamo Kyiv beat Maccabi Tel Aviv, a three-way tie could come in if the match at Stamford Bridge ends level, with the Portuguese side then the unlucky team.
Mourinho, though, is taking this Matchday 6 game against the team he has won the Champions League title with as a straight knockout.
"It is another Champions League game but one with the difference that I play against a team from my country, a team I worked with for a few years, and one with the difference that this is the group phase but because of the results so far, it is transformed to be a knockout phase," Mourinho added.
"That is because normally Dynamo win their game, so from Porto and Chelsea, one team will go to the Europa League."
Since Porto, without striker Dani Osvaldo for this game, can only guarantee their place in the round of 16 with victory, there is little doubt that the Portuguese side will go for the three points.
"We would like to make history because Porto have never won in England, and to do that we need to have the perfect game," Porto manager Julen Lopetegui, whose side beat Chelsea 2-1 in the reverse fixture, said. "We are coming here to play good football against very good opponents and we will have to be at our best.
"I don't give any weight to Chelsea's struggles domestically -- these are two very different competitions. Chelsea are a fantastic team with a fantastic manager and players. But our players believe we can give them a game."
Where to Watch Live
Chelsea vs Porto is set to begin at 7.45 pm local time (1.15 am IST, 3.45 pm ET). Ten Sports will broadcast the UEFA Champions League match live in India, while the game at Stamford Bridge can also be watched via live streaming online on Ten Sports Live.
Viewers in the UK can watch the match live on BT Sport 2, with Watch BT Sport and the BT Sport App being the online live stream options. Sport TV1 will broadcast the Champions League game live in Portugal.
Watch Chelsea vs FC Porto live in the US live on Fox Sports in the US, while the live stream option is on FoxSoccer2Go.
The Champions League game will be shown live in North Africa, Middle East, Australia, Spain, France, Indonesia and Thailand on Bein Sports, while the online live streaming option is on Bein Sports Connect.
