Wednesday

Chelsea open campaign against FC Basel

Mourinho led the Blues to two semi-final appearances during his first spell in charge at Stamford Bridge - only to come unstuck against Liverpool on each occasion.The Portuguese tactician has, however, landed European football's biggest prize with Porto and Inter Milan and is determined to repeat that success with Chelsea.The Blues were crowned kings of Europe in 2012, but became the first defending champions to fall at the group stage last season.Consolation came in the form of Europa League success, but Champions League involvement past Christmas is considered to be a must this time around.The draw has been relatively kind to Chelsea, with a standing in Group E placing them alongside Basel, Schalke and Steaua Bucharest.Basel are the reigning Swiss champions - having landed their domestic title four years in a row - and boast plenty of experience within their ranks.They do not hold fond memories from previous clashes with Chelsea, though, with the Blues having prevailed 5-2 on aggregate in the semi-finals of last season's Europa League.


Match Schedule: 

Competitor : Chelsea vs FC Basel
Series : Champions League
Play-Off :18:45 GMT, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2013
Stamford Bridge