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New 2013/14 Chelsea Away Kit Revealed

2013-06-06T17:58:00.000+05:30

New 2013/14 Chelsea Away Kit

Chelsea and Adidas today revealed the upcoming 2013-14 Chelsea Away kit.

And the new kit looks good!!

The new away kit follows the most recently launched Chelsea home kit under the "IT'S BLUE, WHAT ELSE MATTERS" campaign.

This away will be worn in selected away fixtures in the upcoming 2013-14 season. The new design leads with white as the primary color, the sixth time a Chelsea away kit has featured this color scheme. The strip is a clear homage to the club's iconic white kits with blue and red trim during the 1960s.

The use of red makes a return with its first appearance on a kit since the 2010/11 season's home shirt.

Technology

The traditionally-styled white kit features the latest Adidas technologies to ensure that it gives the players an edge on the pitch:

Climacool - Adidas ClimaCool™ technology provides a mixture of heat and moisture controlling materials, ventilation channels and 3D fabrics to improve air flow to the skin in key heat zones.

What are your opinions about Chelsea’s new away shirt for the 2013-14 season? Let us know in the comments section below or send in your comments on our Facebook page.

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Jose Mourinho returns to Chelsea

2013-06-03T21:40:00.002+05:30

Jose Mourinho Returns

He is back!!! SPECIAL ONE Returns!! Jose back home!! Mourinho reunited with Chelsea!!!
Words are falling short, after nearly two and half months of speculation, rumors and gossips, but like any other Chelsea fan I am absolutely delighted to see Mourinho return back to Stamford Bridge.

Jose Mourinho has signed a four-year contract and will return to the club where he won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and two League Cups between 2004 and 2007.

We have been waiting and waiting and waiting, but today Jose Mourinho has made my day! It feels great to welcome him back to the Bridge, a home welcoming for a manager who carries Chelsea in his heart and this new beginning for him and Chelsea surely seems to bring excitement and expectation for the upcoming 2013-14 season.

Here is the exclusive interview of the Special One after joining Chelsea

On behalf of all the Chelsea fans worldwide, we would like to welcome Jose Mourinho to Chelsea and wish him All The Very Best for the season's to come.

Catch the full interview on Official Chelsea FC website.

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Guinness International Champions Cup

2013-06-01T15:42:00.001+05:30

Guinness International Champions Cup

The International Champions Cup in America marks the first competitive tournament in which Chelsea will be participating after the recently concluded EPL 2012-13 campaign and the triumphant Europa League.

The tournament begins on July 27 and will take place in Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco, Indianapolis and New York. All eight teams will play in Miami's Sun Life Stadium.

The International Champions Cup which starts on July 27th includes eight teams split in two groups with AC Milan, Inter and Valencia the other teams on our East side of the draw, and Real Madrid, Juventus, LA Galaxy and Everton making up the West side.

This will also mark the first competitive outing for Chelsea players but most importantly it will mark the entry of the new manager at Chelsea Football Club. Jose Mourinho seems to be the answer here and its all over the media that he is the Chosen One for Chelsea but for now its only to speculate until officially confirmed. But if he truly comes on board (announcement of which is expected in the next few days) then it will mark a return to Jose Mourinho to his formerly managed clubs Real Madrid and Inter Milan.

Everton will be the second English team in this competition, again a club who is still to announce their manager for upcoming season. Similar to Chelsea, Martinez (ex-Wigan manager) seems to the hot favorite to take this job but nothing is official yet. Inter, AC Milan and Juventus are the three Italian sides participating in this competition, with Inter and AC Milan in same group as Chelsea. LA Galaxy will be the sole MLS side representing American contingent in the International Champions Cup. The last two teams include Real Madrid and Valencia who will be playing their last domestic matches today on 1st June, which will conclude the 2012-13 La Liga campaign for both teams. It will also mark the last game in-charge for Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid.

Chelsea finished the season on a strong note by winning the Europa League in an emphatic manner and also sealing third spot in the English Premier League table thereby confirming automatic qualification in next season's Champions League.

It marked an end for Rafa Benitez who left Chelsea on a very good note and later joined Italian team Napoli. Benitez who was rumored to take on Everton as his managerial club decided to join Italian side Napoli where his first task will be to keep hold of Italian striker Cavani who seems bound to Manchester City.

On behalf of majority of the Chelsea fans worldwide, we would like to THANK Benitez for his valuable contribution and CONGRATULATE him for his new venture at Napoli.

Everton finished sixth in the Premier League and had to part ways with longtime Manager David Moyes who has recently joined Manchester United. David Moyes spent 10 years at the Toffes before his move to Manchester this season following Alex Ferguson's retirement. Just like Benitez, the first task at hand for Moyes will be keep hold of Rooney who has already handed over a transfer request and is on the wish list of Real Madrid, PSG and Chelsea.

Chelsea's participation in the Guinness International Champions Cup in America will begin when we meet Inter Milan at Indianapolis's Lucas Oil Stadium on August 1.

On August 4, we will travel to the MetLife Stadium, home of the New York Giants to meet either AC Milan or Valencia. Valencia, Milan, Chelsea and Inter will play the tournament's "eastern" semifinals at MetLife Stadium in New York on 4 August; Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, Everton and Juventus will contest the "western" semifinals at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on 3rd August.

All eight teams then descend on Miami, Florida, and the Sun Life Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins, for a two-day final festival. From August 6-7, four matches will be played where each first, second, third and fourth-placed team meet their corresponding opponents from the opposite group, with the finalists meeting at 9pm on Wednesday, August 7.

Guinness International Champions Cup Schedule

July 27 - Valencia v AC Milan - Mestalla Stadium, Valencia
July 31 - Everton v Juventus - AT&T Park, San Francisco
August 1 - Chelsea v Inter - Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis (8pm)
August 1 - Real Madrid v LA Galaxy, University of Phoenix Stadium, Phoenix
August 3 - West side semis - Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles
August 4 - East side semis - MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
August 6 - 7th place and 5th place matches - Sun Life Stadium, Miami
August 7 - 3rd place and 1st place matches - Sun Life Stadium, Miami

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Chelsea Europa League Champions

2013-05-16T21:11:00.000+05:30

Chelsea Europa League Champions

YES!! We are the Europa League Champions!! What a win!! Chelsea once again were crowned the European Champions and with that became the first team in the history to hold UEFA Champions League and Europa League trophy simultaneously.

Fernando Torres scored the opener, a wonderful solo goal, typical of his style. But Benfica hit back via a Cardozo penalty few minutes later and it seemed as if the game was going into extra-time but Branislav Ivonovic pounced with a fantastic header deep into injury time to give Chelsea a hard-fought but an emphatic win over Benfica and lift the EUROPA LEAGUE trophy.

It was a remarkable win that is worth watching hundreds of times. As predicted in my Benfica vs Chelsea match preview, things started on a slow note and it was Benfica who looked the most dangerous. They had some good exchanges and Chelsea were finding it hard to keep the ball in Benfica's half. Possession-wise as well Benfica held the upper hand and were looking to negate the influence of Mata and Lampard as much as possible.

Lampard though had his goal bound shot saved brilliantly by Benfica goalkeeper Artur, a swerving hit was palmed to safety by Artur's out-stretched hand as he misjudged the flight and swing Lampard generated off his shot. Benfica tried their best but couldn't get the lead they were looking for, as the first-half ended goalless at the amazing Amsterdam Arena.

Chelsea began the second-half on a much more attacking tempo and started to create chances of their own. Second-half got lively when Cardozo thought he had headed his side in front on 50th minute only for the linesman to flag him offside.

But at the stroke of an hour Fernando Torres struck for Chelsea with his vintage strike. Torres showed pace and body strength to escape the attentions of Ezequiel Garay and Luisao before rounding Artur to score from the tightest of angles. The goal did bring back the memories of his winner against Barcelona, which he had scored at Camp Nou in Chelsea's win in 2011-12 Champions League semi-final.

Although Chelsea couldn't hold on to the lead for that long, as Cesar Azpilicueta handled Eduardo Salvio's header and referee was quick to point to the penalty spot. And it was Benfica's leading goal scorer Cardozo who scored emphatically from the penalty spot to level the tie just ten minutes after Torres' opener.

Both teams now looked nervous as the game neared its end and it was that man again Cardozo who nearly gave Benifca the lead but it required superb acrobatic save from Cech to prevent Cardozo putting Benfica in front with nine minutes left, a full stretch by Cech to turn Cardozo's dipping 20-yard shot over the bar.

If that wasn't enough then it was our record goal-scorer Frank Lampard who came even closer with only three minutes left when his 20-yard drive beat Artur but bounced back out to safety off the bar. It was a superb curling effort by Frank Jr. and even he knew how important that could have been had his shot been a few inches lower.

And as the game was destined for extra-time, out came Ivanovic with a looping header off Mata's cross over stranded Artur. Ivanovic scored in the final minute of extra-time to send Chelsea fans wild around the stadium and all those watching worldwide. It was a fitting end to a thrilling encounter at Amsterdam Arena more so for Ivanovic who missed last season's Champions League final against Bayern.

With that win Chelsea became the first team in the history to held Europa League and Champions League accolade's simultaneously

WE WILL LIKE TO THANK THE ENTIRE CHELSEA SQUAD AND MORE SO OUR MANAGER RAFA BENITEZ WHO HAS DONE A VERY GOOD JOB IN HIS SHORT STINT AS THE CHELSEA MANAGER. KUDOS TO BENITEZ!!

Goals and Match highlights

Frank Lampard after winning the Europa League

Fernando Torres after winning the Europa League

Branislav Ivanovic after winning the Europa League

Rafa Benitez after winning the Europa League

Montage of the Europa League Win

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Benfica v Chelsea - Match Preview

2013-05-14T23:16:00.001+05:30

Benfica v Chelsea

EUROPA LEAGUE FINAL

Date: Wednesday 15th May; Kick-Off: 19:45 GMT

Venue: Amsterdam Arena, Holland

Breaking team news: Benitez rules Eden Hazard out of the game. John Terry's fitness will be assessed tomorrow.

Its going to be a big big night for Chelsea at Amsterdam Arena as we gear up for the Europa League Final against Portuguese opponent Benfica. This final against Benfica will be the penultimate game of our 2012-13 campaign. And a Europa Cup will be a fitting cup glory that Chelsea players can enjoy after some grueling schedule of football fixtures which they had to endure in these last couple of months.

Chelsea have never tasted Europa League glory before and if we win then we will become the first ever team to win back-to-back European competitions (in reverse way), having won the UEFA Champions League last year. Jose Mourinho achieved the same feat when he managed Porto by winning the Europa Cup and then the Champions League in consecutive seasons. Chelsea could also become only the fourth team to lift all three of UEFA's major club trophies, after Juventus, Ajax and Bayern Munich; the European Cup Winner's Cup in 1970/71 & 1997/98 and the UEFA Champions League last year 2011/12.

Having already secured Champions League qualification for 2013-14 season Chelsea can now breathe easy and focus entirely on their clash against Benfica. A home game against Everton in the weekend will be our last game of the season. It will also mark the last game of the season for Rafa Benitez who will leave after the game at Stamford Bridge.

Benfica v Chelsea - Match Preview

Both Chelsea and Benfica wouldn't have thought of it coming to this when it all started for both teams in the UEFA Champions League this year. But both Chelsea and Benfica were knocked out at the group stages of the competition, Chelsea at the hands of Juve & Shakthar whereas Benfica at the hands of Barcelona & Celtic.

It was not that long time ago since we met Benfica, both teams faced each other in the knockout stage of last years UEFA Champions league. Although Chelsea came out on top and progressed to the semis, it was a hard fought match over the two legs. Chelsea who traveled to Benfica for the first leg, came out on top with a narrow 1-0 win courtesy of a goal by ex- Chelsea man Salomon Kalou.

With that scoreline and the second leg being at Stamford Bridge, it was thought that Chelsea will easily progress without much scare. But it proved to be otherwise, Chelsea did go ahead with a well taken penalty by Lampard but Javi Garcia equalised for Benfica late in the second half to set up a thrilling finish, one more goal and Benfica would have progressed at the expense of Chelsea. But another ex-Chelsea player Raul Meireles scored the winner in stoppage time to take Chelsea into the semi-finals of 2012-13 UEFA Champions League competition.

With Chelsea clearly aware of what problems Benfica can cause, this game again promises to be a close fought affair. And with the Europa Cup at stake it will be more fierce and competitive than the game that took place last year with both teams going all out for this single leg game.

Benfica come into this game on the back of a disastrous last-minute defeat to arch rivals Porto which could cost them their domestic title, incidentally this was their first loss since September. Kelvin (Porto) scored an injury-time goal as Porto won 2-1 to end Benfica's unbeaten domestic league season and go top heading into the final day. Benfica manager Jorge Jesus' ambition will certainly be to lift the Europa League cup but also to win the Portuguese SuperLiga (domestic league) where they are currently second in the table two points behind leaders FC Porto. So with one eye on the last day results in mind Jorge will definitely look to divert his players focus away from domestic competition to the Europa League finals come this Wednesday at Amsterdam Arena.

Chelsea on the other hand come into this fixture after having secured their Champions league status for next season. A hard fought 2-1 win against relegation contenders Aston Villa was the perfect result which Chelsea could have asked for before going into Wednesday's final. Frank Lampard brace in the second half was enough for Chelsea to secure 3rd position in the EPL table ahead of the last day fixture against Everton at home. The Blues have been on an incredible run off-late by going unbeaten in their last eight matches.

With those two goals Frank Lampard became Chelsea's all time leading goalscorer, the record previously being held by Bobby Tambling. Lampard matched the record number of 202 goals with his first strike and then went on to break the record with second strike late in the second half. Earlier it was Benteke who had given Aston Villa the lead in the first half. It was a memorable day for Frank Jr. who was under tremendous pressure to achieve this feat from the day he started to get close to the record. But with the record now past him and with league position secured, both Lampard and Chelsea can now concentrate solely on the Finals that take place on Wednesday night.

Chelsea and Benfica's route to the final of Europa League

Benfica striker Oscar Cardozo and Lima will be the men to watch out for as the pair have scored 44 goals between them. And with the talented Pablo Aimar and Nemanja Matic in the midfield Benfica do posses the attacking threat to muster Chelsea's defense. A point to note will be that Oscar Cardozo has scored in six of his team's last ten matches against English teams.

For Chelsea major concern is around the pair of John Terry and Eden Hazard , both of whom were injured during Chelsea's win over Aston Villa last weekend. Terry is suffering from a soar ankle whereas Hazard has an hamstring injury.

This game marks Rafa Benitez's last European game for Chelsea, Benitez has done a decent job since he took over from Di Matteo. He came into the club knowing that he was the Interim Manager and would be departing at the end of the season irrespective of the results he achieves. It all started off on a bad note for the former Reds manager, given his previous connections with Liverpool and his comments regarding Chelsea Football Club during his reign at Merseyside. A Europa League Cup will mark a fitting a farewell for Benitez, who himself will have this win as a silver lining on his CV.

Team News

Captain John Terry, Eden Hazard, John Obi Mikel and Bertrand all are part of the 25-man squad that has traveled to Holland to face Benfica in the Europa League final. Terry (ankle) and Hazard (hamstring) are serious doubts for this game but Terry will be part of the training the takes place on Tuesday at the Amsterdam Arena. Mikel (hip) and Bertrand (knee) who missed Chelsea's last four matches have also traveled with the squad. Demba Ba who is cup-tied also forms the part of the 25-man squad traveling to Holland.

Jorge Jesus has no injury concern ahead of the final at Amsterdam and will field his strongest side in-spite of the last day important domestic league fixture that could be the title decider. Cardoza will lead the attack along with Lima and Aimar. Salvio and Gaitan are expected to take the wide flanks with Matic in the central holding midfielder role. Despite their defeat against Porto, Jorge might be tempted to field the same defensive line-up for the finals.

Player and Manager Column

"Hazard will not be available. John still will try and see how he feels but we will decide tomorrow, Now it is not easy for him, obviously it is not the best injury but we will see today and tomorrow with the medical staff, and after we will decide."

"Jorge Jesus is a good manager, they are a good team and they have experience in Europe, In a final it is 50-50 and we will see what happens. We can make changes, they can make changes but in the end it depends on the players on the pitch."

"We can be ready but still something can change the game. It will be an interesting final for everyone, they have experience and hopefully we can use our experience too."

"A European final is massive. Maybe you can score an early goal and change, or concede three and have to change at half-time. You have to have confidence and belief you can do well. Your team has to have the same feeling, and you have to see what happens but it depends on the other team too."

"This is the final and I want to win. If we can do it I will be really proud because we worked so hard in difficult circumstances. You have to give credit to all the people involved, the staff and the players."

"We have been playing two games per week so every time, it doesn't matter the name of the opponent, we have had to deal with a small squad, injuries or suspensions, every game was difficult, so all of them."

"I cannot say this one or the other one. It doesn't matter how close to the final, they were all difficult and every game we played against very good teams, offensive teams with offensive mentalities. It was difficult for us to manage because sometimes we were coming from an important game and had an important game in two or three days, so to manage the squad and make decisions was difficult."

"If we win it will be easier for people to realise to be here at this stage of the competition means we have done a lot of things well."

"You can always improve, or make more mistakes. It is not an easy situation but we managed quite well. I think people realise now this is right. We have the feeling we have done a good job and hopefully we can do even better."

[courtesy:chelseafc.com]

"We're talking about the highest level of club football in the world and you can't have it your way every year, we were lucky enough to have a great run to the final last year and to win it, and this year we were disappointed to end up in the Europa League but the more we have been involved in it, the more we have grown to love it."

"The closer you get to a final the more you want to be in it, and we have realised this is a huge European final. We are very much looking forward to it and we want to win it."

"Every game and every year is different. We were underdogs in Munich and the game panned out in our favour for a lot of reasons, but I have been lucky enough to play a few finals and they are very particular games. Small things that happen, focus and concentration, dictate the game, and whether it was Munich last year or tomorrow, we need our utmost concentration because Benfica are a very good team, as Bayern Munich were."

"For all of us who had been involved with Chelsea for a long time, that was the big trophy we had missed out on. This is another outstanding one so all of us here, including the players who have just come to the club, want to win it."

"We are now fourth in the Premier League at least and we want third, and it will be defined in terms of the success of the season by how we get on tomorrow."

[courtesy:chelseafc.com]

"All the season has been difficult, but now is almost the end of the season and we have to do everything to finish the job off."

"It was very disappointing for us to go out of the Champions League. We tried to motivate ourselves to do our best in the Europa League. We're in the final and we're happy about that. We will do everything to try to win the trophy."

"It's going to be very hard. We will play against Benfica, a very good team. It's very important, another final for the club and another chance to win a trophy. It's very important for us as a group to get the chance to finish the season with a trophy."

"This is, for us, as a group, a great chance to try to finish the season with a trophy, which is very important for us, for the club, for the supporters. We're looking forward to that. You have to be just focused for this game. Finals are special games and we play against Benfica which is a very tough team. We have to be ready for it."

[courtesy:skysports.com]

"We have now the chance to win two European trophies in a row, which is not easy for any club and we will try to do it, It would be very, very nice. After winning the Champions League and FA Cup [last season], it would be really nice and I would be really pleased to win another trophy with Chelsea."

"It's been a long season in terms of the amount of games, but I think it's good. I'm really happy with the season personally, but it's not finished yet. It can be even better, if we win the title."

"The manager's trying to rotate the players, we're resting. It's been a pleasure for me. He's a top manager, he's tried his best. If we win the trophy it will be great for him and the team."

[courtesy:skysports.com]

"Everyone knows that I have Benfica in my heart, but when you start the game, you forget everything. I want to win with Chelsea, I want to win this title. When you play a final, you always play against big teams, big clubs. That's why Benfica are in the final, that's why Chelsea are in the final."

"It's an important final, an important competition, If you look at this season, we've lost three finals, so now we have a moment when we have another opportunity to win a title, a big title. It is important motivation. It will be a fantastic game against a historic team, so we need to win."

"Benfica have an amazing philosophy, With the ball they press high, so it is difficult when you play against them. When they press high you shouldn't leave any space [for them] to move the ball, so you need to be focused all the time. We need to be ready for all challenges."

[courtesy:uefa.com]

"Winning the Europa League would be a very important moment in the club's history, and for the players and staff. Getting to the final is a great achievement in itself but coming away victorious would be even greater. Benfica are always under pressure when they play and we know that in every competition we take part in, the aim is to get to the final and win."

"I know that Benfica's great moment in sporting history was in the 1960s. I was born in '54, but I know the history of the club because I have read about it and it is illustrated in photos at the training ground."

"They have David Luíz and Ramires, but I'm not forgetting about Paulo Ferreira and Hilário. That is an important thing to note, and we're happy to meet them in the final."

[courtesy:uefa.com]

"I know that it has been a long time since Benfica reached a European final, I know that they are a team with a lot of victories in the past. Now we have a chance to achieve that as well. So in terms of history, the time is now. It doesn't matter if you win two games here or three games there, it's all about how you play and what happens on the day [of the final]. You have to do well on that day and nothing else."

"You've been watching this since you were a child and now it is a reality and you've made it. I am very happy, because you dream about this as a child. Now that we are here, we want to win it, and I am sure it's the same for Chelsea."

[courtesy:uefa.com]

"I have a lot of affection for Benfica when they are playing in their own competitions, but on the pitch I am a Chelsea player and I don't want to think about Benfica or anybody else. Before the game you talk to everybody and joke with your friends, you wish them well because they are your opponents, but once you start playing your mind is only on winning the game, you don't remember anything else."

"In this final I will be doing everything I can for Chelsea to win, and it's easy to separate these feelings. Whoever is in your way, it doesn't matter. Of course I still have friends like Luisao, Maxi Pereira, Oscar Cardozo and Pablo Aimar. They're very good players and what I can tell you is they are a very good team, well organised and dangerous. They score goals, don't have a doubt about that."

"In a game like this you have to keep attention on all the 11 players. If you focus on one player who might give you trouble, one of the others could do something special and leave you in a difficult situation. No player wins anything alone, so we have to be at our best throughout the team. We must give them plenty of respect, which they deserve because a lot of them are internationals and they have been playing together a long time."

[courtesy:chelseafc.com]

Predictions

Predicting for the finals is never an easy task, let alone any other game. Any Cup final promises to be a tough game, with both sides eager not to give away any goal, so we can expect a defensive display from both teams at the start. I do expect both teams to score and the second half could get really interesting if either Benfica or Chelsea score in the first half. Given the experience I expect Chelsea to come out on top but by only a single goal margin

Scoreline: Benfica 1 Chelsea 2

Be the Manager

Be the team manager and select the team which you think should take on Benfica at Amsterdam Arena.

Share your team views in the comments section below or you can also visit our Chelsea FC Facebook page.

Also share your thoughts, opinions and views ahead of the game in Holland.

My Starting Line-up

So get ready for some pulsating action at Amsterdam Arena in Holland. Come on CHELSEA!!! KTBFFH.

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Team News - Aston Villa vs Chelsea

2013-05-11T16:53:00.002+05:30

Team News - Aston Villa vs Chelsea

Frank Lampard and Captain John Terry start the game against Villa, with Terry making his 550th appearance for the Blues.

Eden Hazard has passed the fitness test and is in the starting line-up at Villa Park.

Fernando Torres is replaced by Demba Ba up-front.

Aston Villa right-back Matthew Lowton has failed a fitness test so Eric Lichaj comes in.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech, Azpilicueta, Cahill, Terry (c), Cole, Ramires, Lampard, Moses, Mata, Hazard, Ba.

Subs: Turnbull, Ivan, D Luiz, Ake, Benayoun, Oscar, Torres

Aston Villa (4-3-3): Guzan; Lichaj, Vlaar (c), Baker, Bennett; Sylla, Westwood, Delph; Weimann, Benteke, Agbonlahor.

Subs: Given,Gardner, N'Zogbia, Williams, Holman, Bent, Bowery.

Referee: Lee Mason.

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Aston Villa vs Chelsea - Match Preview

2013-05-10T23:39:00.005+05:30

Aston Villa vs Chelsea

English Premier League

Date: Saturday, 11th May 2013; Kick Off: 12:45 GMT

Venue: Villa Park

The fight for the top four finish continues yet again and this time Chelsea travel to Villa Park to face a rejuvenated Aston Villa side. Both teams have picked up good form off late, which sees Chelsea closing in on the third spot in the Premier League table whereas Aston Villa with three wins and a draw out of their last five games have somewhat ensured their presence in 2013-14 EPL.

A win here for either side will confirm their respective status, for Chelsea a win will ensure they qualify for next season's UEFA Champions League whereas for Aston Villa a win will ensure that they stay in the top flight of football for yet another season.

So with just two games to go in this season's English Premier League, here are the remaining fixtures and current table positions with points.

Chelsea (3rd - 69 points) Arsenal (4th - 67 points) Spurs (5th - 66 points)

Aston Villa (a) Wigan (h) Stoke (a)

Everton (h) Newcastle (a) Sunderland (h)

Aston Villa vs Chelsea - Match Preview

Chelsea vs Aston Villa has always promised a lot of goals, this can be seen from the recent previous encounters in which both sides were involved. A 8-0 demolition by Chelsea on 23rd Dec 2012 at Stamford Bridge is game that will always haunt Villa and their supporters. It was a game that saw eight goals being scored by seven different Chelsea players, a record set by us. This equaled Chelsea's biggest-ever league win and this became Aston Villa's heaviest-ever league defeat.

Last four fixtures between these clubs saw 24 goals being scored with Chelsea winning two out of these four games and in process scoring 16 goals. Last time Chelsea traveled to Villa Park which was in March 2012, Chelsea came out on top with a thrilling 4-2 win over Villa. Flurry of goals in the last thirteen minutes of the game brought to an end one of the most exciting games of the season.

Chelsea come into this game with 2-2 draw against Spurs at Stamford Bridge, a game which Chelsea dominated for most of time and should have won it, had we been more clinical in front of the goal. Goals from Oscar and Ramires seemed to put Chelsea in the drivers seat for a confirmed top four finish but a late goal from Gylfi Sigurdsson meant that the fight for top four finish now will go down to the wire and could well be decided on 19th May, the final day of 2012-13 EPL campaign.

If the fight for top four finish is going down to the wire then the same can be said for the relegation battle. With Reading and QPR already relegated, only thing left now is which third team will join these two back in the Championship. And mathematically Aston Villa still could get dragged down but realistically its along shot. One point in last two games should be sufficient enough for Paul Lambert's side to stay up in the Premier League, though Aston Villa come into this game with some good confidence after 2-1 win over Norwich away from home. Gabriel Agbonlahor scored a last-minute winner as Aston Villa took a giant stride towards safety with a win that increases Norwich's relegation fears.

Biggest news for Aston Villa fans this week was that of captain Stiliyan Petrov who announced his retirement last week. The reason being his on-going fight against acute leukemia, its been more than a year when he was diagnosed with this condition. It was revealed in August that Petrov was in remission after four months of chemotherapy.

And as mark of honor, Petrov will lead his Villa team-mates out on the field in Villa Park before the game against Chelsea.

Our best wishes with Petrov and hope he achieves full recovery and gets back to his love for football.

So given the last few encounters between Chelsea and Villa, this again promises to be a high-scoring game. Who will come out more relieved out of this game? Can Chelsea do the double over Aston Villa?, well only time will tell.

Team News

As confirmed by Benitez, Frank Lampard looks all set to start this game and would be looking to equal Bobby Tambling's record of 202 goals. Eden Hazard (calf) and Victor Moses (leg) are doubtful for the game against Villa, Hazard who came off in the second half against Spurs will be assessed before the game. Mikel who has returned to training could find himself on the bench but Ryan Bertrand is still not available. Oriol Romeu is in contention following his long-term absence with a knee problem. Ba and Terry should start as well.

Aston Villa right-back Matthew Lowton is a doubt with a thigh strain. Lowton was forced off in the 2-1 win over Norwich, and he could join Ciaran Clark and Karim El Ahmadi on the sidelines. Richard Dunne, Marc Albrighton, Gary Gardner and Chris Herd are the long-term absentees.

Watch this space for latest team line-ups

Player and Manager Column

Coming soon

Predictions

As mentioned earlier, last four games 24 goals scored; out of which 16 had the name of some or the other Chelsea player written on it. So this again promises to be a cracker of a game! GOALS GALORE!!!

Scoreline: Aston Villa 1 Chelsea 4

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My Starting Line-up

So get ready for some pulsating action at Stamford Bridge. Come on CHELSEA!!! KTBFFH.

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Goals - Chelsea 2 Tottenham 2

2013-05-09T09:57:00.002+05:30

Goals - Chelsea 2 Tottenham 2

Both teams secured a point each as they played out a thrilling 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge. As predicted this was one of the crucial London derby's that both clubs have played but none could come out on top.

Chelsea began strong and took the lead in the 10th minute via Oscar, he nodded in at the far post after Gary Cahill had flicked on Juan Mata's corner. But Emmanuel Adebayor levelled the scoreline with a solo effort which was the result of a swift counter-attack by Spurs off a Chelsea corner.

As half time approached Oscar, Torres and Ramires were involved in a one-two before the latter poked home off a well placed lay-off from Torres. It looked as if that goal was enough for Chelsea to see out the game but a late strike from Gylfi Sigurdsson just 10 minutes before the end made sure that both teams secured a point each in the race for top four which still hangs in the balance.

Anyways, if you missed last-night's game then don't worry; here are the goals from yesterdays 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge.

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Team News - Chelsea vs Spurs

2013-05-08T23:49:00.000+05:30

Team News - Chelsea vs Spurs

Fernando Torres starts for Chelsea as Rafa Benitez makes three changes to the side that beat Manchester United at Old Trafford few days ago. Chelsea vice-captain Frank Lampard is on the bench for this one. Gary Cahill and Ivanovic will form the central defensive pair for Chelsea. And Oscar replaces Victor Moses.

Andre Villas Boas also makes three changes to the side that beat Southampton at White Hart Lane. Mousa Dembele missing out through injury. Scott Parker comes back into the central midfield area for this game. Holtby starts in place of Client Dempsey with Adebayor preferred to Defoe up-front.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech, Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Cahill, Cole, Ramires, David Luiz, Oscar, Mata, Hazard, Torres.

Subs: Turnbull, Terry, Lampard, Ake, Moses, Benayoun, Ba.

Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3-1): Lloris, Walker, Dawson, Vertonghen, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Huddlestone, Parker, Holtby, Adebayor, Bale

Subs: Friedel, Caulker, Naughton, Carroll, Dempsey, Sigurdsson, Defoe

Referee: Mike Dean

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Chelsea vs Tottenham - Match Preview

2013-05-08T12:18:00.001+05:30

Chelsea vs Tottenham

English Premier League
Date: Wednesday, 8th May 2013; Kick-Off: 19:45 GMT
Venue: Stamford Bridge

Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur - A Big London Derby - Its not an understatement when I say that this could well be the BIGGEST game of the season so far for Chelsea!! Given the repercussions or the advantages of a win here are huge!! Both teams need a victory to cement their place in the next season's UEFA Champions League. A game that will define the future of each club in terms of a top four finish and the coveted Champions League spot.

The talk of Jose Mourinho returning to Chelsea seems to be picking up pace with Benitez dropping a hint that he will soon join Chelsea. I think this will continue till the season ends. The need of the hour is different for us, the focus of attention has to be Benitez and Chelsea players and not Mourinho. Yes we love him and want to see him back but this is all for next season. The topic of 'Special One' should not succeed the real matter of importance today for Chelsea Football Club which is wining our last four games in all competitions.

In Arsenal we have the third team fighting along with Chelsea and Spurs to secure the third and fourth position in the EPL table. And is it stands, Chelsea are currently in third place with 68 points having played 35 games. Spurs have played the same number of games and are fifth in the table with 65 points. Having played a game extra as compared to Chelsea and Tottenham, Arsenal stand fourth in the table with 67 points. Though Chelsea are just four points behind Manchester City, the Eastlanders seem to have secured their second position given the fact that they are playing two out of their three games at Etihad Stadium and that too against West Brom and Norwich. So its a straight fight between Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs for third and fourth position in the English Premier League table.

Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur - Match Preview

Its a straight math here, If Chelsea win then we will definitely qualify for 2013-14 UEFA Champions League. As for Spurs a loss will most probably end their dream of Champions League football next season. A draw wont harm Chelsea either but a win is something that will get rid of the nervousness and anxiety that Chelsea fans have been feeling for the last month or so. It all had began when Benitez arrived at Chelsea and it seemed like we might slip-up in the race for top four given the fact that we were involved in so many competitions, not to forget the fixture pile-up we had at the start of the April month. But come mid-May and we find ourselves in a better position then what we were before. Yes we went out of FA Cup at hands of the Manchester City but we have put on a good show with some good wins and a place in the finals of the Europa League.

Rafa Benitez has done a good job during this one month period and it was reflected when he received the 'Barclay's Manager of the Month' award. And personally speaking its time everyone accepts and appreciates the fact that he has done a good job, but its a job half-done. Securing top four finish is the utmost criteria for Chelsea Football Club and a Europa League Cup would be the icing on the cake (something which Benitez has stressed upon quite a few times in this last few weeks). Come May-end we will get the clear picture.

This game marks the return of Andre Villas Boas, who as a Spur's manager has had a good season so far. AVB never looked settled at Chelsea but the same cannot be said in his case as a Spur's manager. He has molded the team that can cause jitters in the usual top four of Premier League. The return of AVB to Chelsea would hardly be the talking point come Wednesday as he never had the liking of the Chelsea fans but for AVB it could be a point-to-prove scenario, a jilted love-affair of sorts. The game also marks the return of Scott Parker who was one the best recruits by Chelsea.

Chelsea come into this game with one of the best victories of this season, a 1-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford. Few thought Chelsea could pull-off a win against the red-half of Manchester but Juan Mata just proved them wrong. Mata scored a late winner for Chelsea which strengthened our grip on third position in the EPL table.

Meanwhile, at White hart Lane it was another left-footer, the PFA player of the year award winner Gareth Bale who scored a dramatic late winner against his old club Southampton that ensured they are still alive in the fight for top four.

Spurs have never won at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League, while Chelsea on the other hand would be looking to a double over Spurs. A thrilling 4-2 over Spurs earlier in October saw Chelsea secure all three points at White Hart Lane. Chelsea's record at Stamford Bridge against Spurs gives a good reading, with 16 wins and 9 draws of the 25 games played. But this could be the biggest of all London derby's and with such high stakes on the line we can definitely expect some fireworks on Wednesday night.

Team News

Chelsea will have Eden Hazard available for this game after missing the game against Manchester United due to calf injury. Both John Obi Mikel (hip) and Ryan Bertrand (knee) are out of this one due to injuries but Oriol Romeu is in contention following a long-term knee problem and could find himself on the bench.

Tottenham will asses the fitness of Aaron Lennon after he was forced off due a tight hamstring he picked up in the game against Southampton. Dembele who was also substituted for that game due to muscle problem should be available. Midfielder Sandro (knee), Younes Kaboul (thigh) and William Gallas (calf) are unavailable.

Player and Manager Column

Rafa Benitez ahead of the game against Tottenham

AVB ahead of the game against Chelsea

Predictions

This surely promises to be a cracker of a game. Stakes are high!! Records on the line!! Manager and player comebacks!! Both teams have had some high scoring games against each other so far. And with such attacking line-ups you could expect the same again. But this time around I will go for a comfortable victory for Chelsea.

Scoreline: Chelsea 3 Tottenham 1

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My Staring Line-Up

So get ready for some pulsating action at Stamford Bridge. Come on CHELSEA!!! KTBFFH.

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Goals - Manchester United 0 Chelsea 1

2013-05-06T11:44:00.002+05:30

Goals - Manchester United 0 Chelsea 1

Chelsea secured a crucial 1-0 away at Old Trafford against Manchester United. A win that was the need of the hour for Chelsea after both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur secured a narrow win in their quest for the coveted top four Champions League qualification.

A deflected shot by Mata off Jones saw Chelsea secure all three points and regain third spot in the League table, and as the table stands Chelsea are now one point ahead of Arsenal and three ahead of Tottenham with Arsenal having played an extra game.

Anyways, if you missed last-night's game then don't worry; here is he goal from yesterdays 1-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford.

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Goals Highlights Chelsea 3 FC Basel 1

2013-05-03T10:17:00.002+05:30

Goals and Highlights Chelsea 3 FC Basel 1

A brilliant second half display saw Chelsea score three goals in nine minutes at Stamford Bridge in the Europa League semi-final clash against FC Basel. A 5-2 aggregate scoreline saw Chelsea march into the Finals of the Europa League campaign where they will face Portuguese side Benfica. A superb showdown is all set for in Amsterdam, the venue for this season's Europa League Final.

Chelsea went a goal down in the first half after Mohamed Salah scored for Basel in the first half stoppage time. Chelsea played well in the first 45 minutes with Lampard hitting the post early on but it was Basel who shocked the home side with a crucial away goal which saw the tie leveled at 2-2.

But Chelsea soon stormed out of the blocks early in the second half, Torres scoring just five minutes after the restart. A fantastic run by Hazard saw him lay down the ball for Lampard who's left footed strike was well saved by Basel goalkeeper but his parried effort was put in by a well placed Fernando Torres who scored his 20th goal of the season for Chelsea.

Two minutes latter it was that man VICTOR MOSES, well he just cant stop scoring in the Europa League, can he?. A good one-two with Fernando Torres saw Moses score a close range goal to make it four goals in six Europa league matches. His initial effort deflected off a Basel defender which saw Sommer (Basel goalkeeper) out of position and Moses scored off the rebound and put Chelsea well in course of consecutive European Finals.

If that wasn't enough then we have David Luiz, who rounded off a fantastic night for Chelsea with yet another brilliant 30-yard strike. This time it was a curled effort from David Luiz, a ball laid-off by Super Frankie saw David Luiz curl a superb left footer straight in the top right corner. Its now turning out to be his specialty after similar kind of goal he scored against Fulham in the Premier League.

Anyways, if you missed last-night's game then don't worry; here are the Goals and match highlights from yesterdays 3-1 win over FC Basel at Stamford Bridge..

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Team News - Chelsea vs FC Basel

2013-05-02T23:39:00.002+05:30

Team News - Chelsea vs FC Basel - Europa League

Frank Lampard captains the side in absence of John Terry who is among the subs for the match against Basel.

Ivanovic and Gary Cahill form the central defensive partnership . Ryan Bertrand replaces suspended Ashley Cole at left-back.

David Luiz again finds himself in a more attacking role in the midfield.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech; Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Cahill, Bertrand; D Luiz, Lampard (c); Ramires, Hazard, Moses; Torres.

Subs: Turnball, Ferriera, Terry, Ake, Oscar, Benayoun, Mata.

FC Basel (4-2-3-1): Sommer; Steinhofer, Schär, Sauro, Voser; Elneny, F Frei; Salah, Serey Die, Stocker; Streller (c).

Subs: Vailati , Marcelo Diaz, Ajeti , Park Joo Ho, D Degen, Cabral, Zoua.

Referee: Jonas Eriksson

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The World Cup’s Influence on Chelsea’s Team Spirit

2013-04-29T17:17:00.000+05:30

Only a year left for the upcoming World Championship that will take place in Brazil from the 12th of June till the 13th of July.

The entire world of football and especially the players are starting to get prepared for this important event. The only problem is that playing for two teams at the same time is not always that easy. As Ian Blackshaw, an international sports law expert said: "There's always been tension between playing for your club and your country".

This counts especially for Chelsea FC because the club exists of players from more than 10 different nationalities and during the World Cup 2014 most of them will play for different national teams. Especially Ramires, Oscar and David Luiz playing for Brazil the host country 2014 will get prepared well. But also other Chelsea players take the upcoming event serious and will have special training sessions. And as players start to focus on their position in the national team and get trained in different ways it is not that easy to keep Chelsea’s cohesion together. The players still train and play with each other as always but the closer it gets to the World Cup the awareness of being competitors in Brazil is rising.

The possibility to play against another Chelsea team colleague during the World Cup is pretty high as most of the Chelsea players are star players of their national teams. When betting on the performance of Chelsea FC just before or after the World Cup it is a good idea to use the Stan James promo code because they may not play together as usual.

For instance in 2009 when Guus Hiddink trained Chelsea and the Russian National team at the same time his contract was not extended because the club realized that a trainer definitely needs to focus on one team. Sure Chelsea is not able to do that with its players but in fact of course it’s hard for the club to keep the team spirit while players are caught between two stools – the club and their country.

The very fact that the World Cup is always associated with intense emotions we can wait in suspense to see what will happen. Somehow it works out but for the club itself it is important to be aware of the fact that Chelsea’s team spirit might be in danger before, during and after the World Cup and arrangements need to be made.

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Goals and Highlights Chelsea 2 Swansea 0

2013-04-29T10:19:00.004+05:30

Goals and Highlights Chelsea 2 Swansea 0

Yet another win for Chelsea as the race towards the top 4 spot seems to go down to the wire. First half strikes from Oscar and Lampard sealed a comprehensive win for Chelsea. With Tottenham and Arsenal both securing just one point from their respective draws against Wigan and Manchester United, this will be considered as very crucial three points for Chelsea.

Two strikes in space of 3 minutes late in the first half saw Chelsea beat Swansea convincingly and move to third spot in the EPL table. Oscar opened the scoring with a low cross-shot after being picked out by substitute Frank Lampard, before Lampard himself converting from the penalty spot after Juan Mata was brought down by a clumsy challenge from Britton.

With that penalty Frank Lampard has now scored 201 goals for the Blues one short of Bobby Tamblin's record of 202.

Anyways, if you missed the game then don't worry; here are the Match highlights and goals from yesterdays 2-0 win over Swansea at Stamford Bridge..

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Goals Highlights Post Match Reactions

2013-04-26T23:21:00.004+05:30

Goals Highlights - Basel 1 Chelsea 2

Rafa Benitez Post Match Interview

David Luiz Post Match Interview

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Team News - FC Basel vs Chelsea

2013-04-25T23:46:00.001+05:30

Team News - FC Basel vs Chelsea

Ashley Cole returns to the starting line-up following his recovery from hamstring injury. Cole is partnered by Terry, Ivanovic and Azpilicueta in defence

David Luiz starts in the midfield alongside Ramires and Lampard with Torres, Moses and Hazard as wide players

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech; Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Terry(c), Cole; Ramires, Luiz, Lampard; Moses, Hazard, Torres.

Subs: Turnbull, Cahill, Bertrand, Mikel, Benayoun, Oscar, Mata

FC Basel (4-2-3-1): Sommer; P Degen, Schär, Dragovic, Park Joo Ho; Elneny, F Frei; Salah, Serey Die, Stocker; Streller (c).

Subs: Vailati ,Marcelo Diaz, Sauro, D Degen, Zoua, Cabral, Steinhofer.

Referee: Pavel Kralovec

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FC Basel v Chelsea - Match Preview

2013-04-25T10:09:00.002+05:30

FC Basel v Chelsea

Europa League - Semi Final 1st Leg

Date: Thursday 25th April, Kick-Off: 20:00 GMT

Venue: St. Jakob-Park, Basel

Its back to Europa League this Thursday when Chelsea take on FC Basel in the 1st leg of Europa League Semi Final at St. Jakob-Park in Switzerland.

Chelsea come into this game after a disappointing draw against Liverpool, a game which was marred by one of the biggest sporting controversies of all time. Luiz Suarez had bitten Ivanovic's arm which referee failed to notice, this disgraceful deed by Suarez which went unnoticed saw Chelsea give away a win when Suarez scored in the 7th minute of extra time. It was the biggest talking point of the match where Chelsea fans and Benitez were left fuming at the referee for not taking any action against Suarez even after Ivanovic had shown the bite mark just after the incident. And to make matters worse six minutes of added time was extended to the 7th minute for no particular reason and it was in the 7th minute that Liverpool equalized through Suarez.

Luis Suarez - A Disgrace

Chelsea now are placed 4th in the table, 1 point behind Arsenal and one point above 5th place Tottenham. And with some tricky fixtures in line, a finish to top 4 and the vital Champions League spot is getting tougher.

But for now the focus shifts to the Europa League and we should let go of the injustice that happened at Anfield and concentrate on the task ahead against Basel. Not to forget that this is our only chance of Silverware this season and its one of the trophies which Chelsea have never won before.

FC Basel v Chelsea - Match Preview

Europa League has reached its penultimate stages where the semi-final line ups sees Chelsea take on FC Basel whereas Fenerbache taking on Benfica in the other semi-final clash. Chelsea crawled through to the semi-finals of the Europa League after winning 5-4 on aggregate against Rubin Kazan in the quarter finals.

Basel on the other hand got rid of our English counterpart Tottenham Hotspur in the other quarter final which ended in a penalty shootout which saw Basel win 4-1 on spot kicks after two 2-2 draws.

Chelsea do have the upper hand as they will be playing 2nd leg at home but a decent second leg can only make them the favorites to reach the finals in Amsterdam Arena. Both teams have never met each other before.

FC Basel are defending Swiss League champions and are well managed by their 38 year old coach Murat Yakin. Basel carry with them a good home record in this seasons Europa League, having played six matches since the start of the group stage, they are unbeaten in those six games with four wins and two draws.

Chelsea on the other hand have lost their last two away fixtures in the UEFA Europa League, and four of their past five European away games. FC St Gallen is the only Swiss side which Chelsea have faced before and this was in the first round of 2000/01 UEFA Cup when Chelsea lost the game 2-1 on aggregate. So the records are not in Chelsea's favor but another record that is against Basel is that never has been a Swiss side part of the finals of any European competition.

European Records

FC Basel

European semi-final record: None

Last semi-final appearance: None

This season: W4 D6 L2 F16 A10

Top scorer: Marco Streller 4

Chelsea

European semi-final record: Won 4 Lost 6

Last semi-final appearance: 2011/12 (Champions League, won 3-2 v Barcelona)

This season: W3 D1 L2 F10 A7

Top scorer: Fernando Torres 4

Team News

Its good news for Chelsea and their fans as both Ashely Cole (hamstring) and Cahill (knee) have recovered from their injuries and have traveled to Switzerland to face FC Basel. Cole has recovered from a hamstring strain suffered in the home game against Manchester United on 1 April. Cahill underwent a minor knee operation on 30 March.

Demba Ba is cup tied once again so it will be Fernando Torres who will lead the attacking force. Oscar continues to recover from a mild groin strain suffered against Liverpool. With one eye on the game against Swansea this weekend Benitez would definitely make changes to the side that will face Basel on Thursday.

Watch this space for latest team line-ups

Player and Manager Talk

Fernando Torres on the UEFA Europa League

"We have a young squad and we need to learn winning ways, and this is a very good way. It is not the Champions League but it is the Europa League. Now we're in the semi-finals, everyone can see we want to win, and the team, I think, is happy."

"The competition is helping the team a lot, because it is giving us a lot of satisfaction – not like in the Premier League this season, and we lost the semi-final of the FA Cup, so we were also close. But the Europa League is keeping us in a good mood and thinking it could be a good season."

Petr Cech on the UEFA Europa League

"We are in a position where we fight for everything, we have a lot of pressure playing in the Europa League because we obviously want to win it."

"Every league game we are in the fight for the top four places and it's very tight there."

Frank Lampard on the UEFA Europa League

"The club needs to win silverware; it's a club that's been involved around silverware for many a year. When you get used to that, it makes you hungrier to keep wanting to do it."

"We've not maligned by the Europa League; I don't think the players, the club and the management have, the minute you drop out of the Champions League and come into it, of course there's disappointment, but the minute you start playing the games, you've got a determination to try to get as far as you can. We've had that all along."

Basel Coach Murat Yakin on the semi-final draw against Chelsea

"Fenerbahçe would obviously have been a special draw for me, but now we simply have to find a way to prevail against Chelsea. Chelsea are the best team left in the competition, but there is no reason to feel upset or afraid of this draw. I've never been to the Stamford Bridge and I'm looking forward to playing there."

Rafa Benitez on the semi-final draw against Basel and the opponents themselves

"Every one of the teams left could be difficult, but Basel is not too far away so maybe it is a good option. We know Basel have a great atmosphere in their stadium St. Jakob-Park, so it will be interesting. They are an offensive team who play with intensity, a good team who did well against Tottenham."

"We have had good teams in the Europa League, Basel is in the semi-final and deserve to be there. They've worked very hard, have played well, and are well organised. They press well and play good counter-attack. They have good players with pace and ability so we will have to do really well if we want to win."

"Philipp Degen was my player [at Liverpool] and is a good professional, a worker and enjoys playing football. They have some good young players and others with more experience."

"Both are here and will train today. They are fine, Obviously fatigue when you play so many games and travel around Europe is a key factor to consider. I praise my staff because we try to manage the squad in the best way possible. Still the team is [playing] good games and we have fresh legs in some players. We have to rotate, change and manage players."

Benitez on Fernando Torres

"The main thing we have seen is he has more confidence, especially at the beginning when he was scoring goals,When he hasn't scored too much he has lost some confidence, but he is doing his specific programme for his strength. He is sharper now and has scored some goals so is more confident. We will see if he can carry on tomorrow."

[source: uefa.com & chelseafc.com]

Predictions

As mentioned above in our preview, Basel haven't lost a home game in Europa League this time around and Chelsea on the other hand have lost their last two away games. And with one eye on the weekends clash with Swansea in mind I will go for a scored draw.

Scoreline: FC Basel 1 Chelsea 1

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My starting line up

So get ready for some pulsating action at St Jacob's Park. Come on CHELSEA!!! KTBFFH.

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Liverpool vs Chelsea - Match Preview

2013-04-20T19:43:00.003+05:30

Liverpool vs Chelsea

English Premier League
Date: Sunday 21st April 2013; Kick-Off: 16:00 GMT
Venue: Anfield

The fight for the top four finish continues as Chelsea travels to Merseyside to take on Liverpool in a Super Sunday clash. With six games left in this season's English Premier League; Chelsea along with Arsenal, Tottenham and Everton (Yes!! Everton have creeped into the top four scuffle, due to their current good run of form) continue their fight to finish in top 4 to ensure qualification in next season's UEFA Champions League.

This game marks the return of ex-managers and players across both clubs. Fernando Torres and Rafa Benitez mark their return to Anfield, both of whom were once one of the dear ones for Liverpool and their faithful fans. Benitez though is still very much liked by the Kops but its hard to believe Torres will receive the same warm reception.

Brendon Rodgers is also well known to Chelsea supporters when he managed Chelsea's youth and reserve sides and learned well under the watchful eye of Jose Mourinho. Glen Johnson and Daniel Sturridge (Ex-Chelsea players) and Benayoun (ex-Liverpool player) who form part of the associated players involved with both clubs.

Liverpool vs Chelsea - Match Preview

We are currently sitting 3rd in the EPL table, one point ahead of Arsenal (who have played an extra game), two points ahead of Tottenham (same number of games as Chelsea) and five points ahead of Everton (who also have played an extra game). Arsenal who play Fulham away on Saturday could climb to third spot if they were to win at the Craven Cottage. Tottenham host Manchester City on Sunday but theirs is an early kick-off, so by the time our game against Liverpool kicks-off we will have a good idea of where our competitors would stand in the EPL table. Yes there are many permutations and combinations possible but its a little too early to get into those mathematics of football.

I have already mentioned about our current position in the table and what we stand to achieve or lose with every win and loss. But speaking for Liverpool its really hard to say what they will achieve. They currently sit 7th in the table with 50 points of 33 games, six points behind 6th place Everton and six points ahead of 8th place West Brom. Considering the immense rivalry between the arch enemies, Liverpool would be having only one goal in mind, that is to finish above Everton.

Next season's Europa League is pretty much confirmed for Liverpool (unless they fall like a pack of cards in their next five games). Liverpool's season has pretty much been the same, always start as hot favorites to win the League but as time goes by and reality sinks in, its a top four finish is what is being targeted and by the time the EPL campaign nears its end, the criteria changes, that is to beat Everton in the points table.

Chelsea came out good in their last game against Fulham with a comprehensive 3-0 win at Craven Cottage, all three goals came from centre-backs. A stunner from David Luiz plus a headed brace from John Terry gave us only our second away victory of 2013. The goals tally for Chelsea defenders in all competitions this season now stands at 27 with seven for Branislav Ivanovic, six each for Terry and Gary Cahill, David Luiz with five, Ryan Bertrand two and Ashley Cole one. Liverpool on the other hand had to endure two successive 0-0 draws against West Ham at home and Reading way.

The obvious focus of attention will be "FERNANDO TORRES- The MASK MAN" who makes only his second return to Anfield since his £50 million to Chelsea. And also Rafa Benitez, who spent six years at Anfield and was very much liked by the Liverpool fans during his time at Anfield.

Torres is one of the in-form players for Chelsea and would definitely be looking to continue his goal scoring prowess at Anfield which in itself will be a massive confidence booster. There will be jeers and boos from the Liverpool fans and they would try everything in their books to unsettle Torres.

Back to the match between Liverpool and Chelsea - Well last season when Chelsea came to Anfield they had a harrowing time as they were beaten 4-1, but in the last 10 meetings (in all competitions) between the two sides its been all even with both sides winning four each with two draws. In the reverse fixture this season when Liverpool visited Stamford Bridge the game ended in a 1-1 draw with Suarez scoring the equalizer after John terry had headed Chelsea in front. Liverpool are looking to extend their unbeaten Premier League run against Chelsea to six games

The man Chelsea should watch out for is Luiz Suarez who heads this season's goals tally with 22 goals. He along with Coutinho are the in-form players for Liverpool. The likes of Luiz, Terry and Ivanovic will need to be on their toes if they have to stop these two players.

Chelsea on the other hand will be looking at their own midfield trio of Mata, Hazard and Oscar to deliver the goods for Chelsea. With Benitez's rotation policy its difficult to say whether he will pick Ba or Torres for this one. Well whatever the side, this promises to be one cracker of a game at Anfield. Both teams will be going all out for a win, given whats in store for them if they win this tie.

Team News

Chelsea welcome back Ashely Cole (hamstring) and Gary Cahill (knee), both of whom returned to training. Cole could get a start with Cahill on bench but final decision on Cole will be taken as late as Sunday. Marko Marin also is nearing to full recovery and could be on the bench for Chelsea. Romeu (knee) is the only long term absentee for Benitez who would again look to rotate the squad to ensure player fitness.

Liverpool remain without Fabio Borini (shoulder), Joe Allen (shoulder) and Martin Kelly (knee), who are all ruled out for the rest of the season. Raheem Sterling (thigh) faces a late fitness test after missing Liverpool's last two games.

Watch this space for latest team line-ups

Player and Manager Talk

John Terry ahead of the game against Liverpool

On Champions League Qualification and upcoming fixtures

"It's a must for the football club; for the supporters, for the club moving forward and maybe new signings in the summer, we're obviously in the semi-finals of the Europa League but realistically we want to be playing Champions League football, that's what it's about for this football club. The players that have come here in the last couple of years, that's what they want as well."

"It's a tough run-in and it starts with Liverpool away at the weekend, and we face Manchester United away a couple of weeks after that. It's a busy schedule because we play on a Thursday [in the Europa League] and I think we have about four games in 10 days or something like that, but we've got the squad, the manager's rotating and everybody's playing a part."

On Liverpool Manager Brendon Rodgers

"He's a great manager and was brilliant for myself and the other players, I can only speak highly of him, when Jose Mourinho was here he was always around. There were a couple of occasions when I was left out of the side or injured and he'd pull me to one side. He made a nice little video of me scoring goals, making tackles and had a 15-20 minute chat."

"At the time it was something nobody had ever done, and it just goes to show his man-management skills. Little things like that, as a player, give you a boost when you're down, and he was a real gentleman as well. He fed off Jose and learnt an awful lot, but you could see he always had it in him to go on. He had a great rapport with the players around the training ground on a daily basis and he speaks different languages which obviously helped."

On Fixture pile-up

"For us as a group of players, when the games are coming thick and fast I think that's when we're at our best, it is a lot of games, but when you're playing you don't really get a chance to think about anything else. You don't train too much, so you lose that side of it, which you can then put into the games."

"It's difficult to balance, but from my point of view I prefer to play two or three games a week, otherwise you get long, drawn out weeks and you end up doing a couple of days of running and feel just as tired."

[source: chelseafc.com]

Predictions

Again a tough one to call! On current form Chelsea look strong but win against Fulham was just our 2nd away win of 2013 so this is definitely not a walk-in-the-park. Liverpool have played two goalless draws in their last couple of games, so this tells me defense of both sides will be hard to breakdown. But the attacking force on both sides is much more capable of doing the damage.

Scoreline: Liverpool 1 Chelsea 3

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Chelsea 2013-14 New Home Kit Revealed

2013-04-19T10:40:00.000+05:30

Chelsea 2013-14 New Home Kit

"IT'S BLUE, WHAT ELSE MATTERS"

Finally its out!! Chelsea and Adidas today revealed the upcoming 2013-14 Chelsea Home kit.

And the new kit looks good!!

The new Chelsea home kit features a v-neck with white trim, the Adidas three stripes running halfway down the sleeve and features the latest Adidas technologies such as Climacool and TechFit.

TechFit™ - Designed to help improve speed, endurance and awareness, TechFit stabilizes muscles and focuses energy. This helps players to generate explosive acceleration and deliver maximum power output.

Climacool - Adidas ClimaCool™ technology provides a mixture of heat and moisture controlling materials, ventilation channels and 3D fabrics to improve air flow to the skin in key heat zones.

Fortnight ago, Adidas had launched a behind-the-scenes video of the unveiling of new Chelsea kit. The video received a good response from Chelsea fans around the world with the Official Adidas YT Channel recording more than 1.5M hits. A video where we saw John Terry, Juan Mata, Cech and many other Chelsea stars being covered in Blue paint for Adidas' "Its Blue, What Else Matters" campaign.

So this is how the new kit looks like

Chelsea players Petr Cech, Oscar, Fernando Torres, Juan Mata, David Luiz and Gary Cahill during the Official Launch of our new Chelsea Home kit for 2013-14 season.

What are your opinions about Chelsea’s new home shirt for the 2013-14 season? Let us know in the comments section below or send in your comments on our Facebook page.

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Goals Highlights Fulham 0 Chelsea 3

2013-04-18T10:15:00.001+05:30

Goals Highlights Fulham 0 Chelsea 3

It was a local derby to remember for Chelsea!!! An emphatic 3-0 win over Fulham saw us jump back to the 3rd spot in the Premier league table.

Amazing long-distance stunner from David Luiz plus a brace by skipper John Terry ensured Chelsea all three points at Craven Cottage.

Chelsea were never threatened by the strike force of Fulham and gave a fantastic performance irrespective of the fixture pile-up. Benitez's squad rotation allowed us to have fresh legs in form of John Terry who was not only the cornerstone of our defence but also of our goal prowess.

Anyways, if you missed the game then don't worry; here are the Match highlights and goals from yesterdays 3-0 win against Fulham at Craven Cottage.

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Fulham vs Chelsea - Match Preview

2013-04-17T14:57:00.000+05:30

Fulham vs Chelsea

(English Premier League)

Date: Wednesday 17th April, 2013; Kick-Off: 20:00 GMT
Venue: Craven Cottage

Chelsea make a short trip to Craven Cottage to meet their neighbors Fulham tonight in the West London Derby.

For Chelsea its back to the fight to the top four finish in the Premier League table, after being knocked out of the FA Cup Semi Final against Manchester City. Chelsea lost 2-1 at Wembley but were undone by some harsh decisions by the referee. A poor first half was overshadowed by a spirited fightback against City which saw us giving them some hard time at the back. But we need to move on now!

Chelsea are currently 4th in the EPL table, two points behind Arsenal and on level with Tottenham but Arsenal have played 2 extra games and Tottenham have played a game extra as compared to Chelsea. Fulham on the other hand are sitting on 10th position and have achieved the magical 40 points mark which could keep them safe from relegation battle.

Fulham vs Chelsea - Match Preview

Over the number of years both teams have played some fierce West London Derby's but Chelsea have not lost in last 14 matches against Fulham in all competitions. Chelsea would very much like to keep this record going on for yet another season, because more than Fulham its us who require this derby win.

With not much to play for, Martin Jol and his men wont go all out for this one. Only thing on their minds would be to do best and be in top 10 and avoid relegation. Whereas Chelsea are fighting for top slots for next years UEFA Champions league qualification. But HOLD ON, its a DERBY game; so Fulham fans would definitely would want another win irrespective of their current Premier league status.

As for Chelsea, we cannot lose heart after the FA CUP exit as we have played some good football in the last few weeks. Given the cramped-up schedule in which Chelsea were involved we can say that we have had a good run and even in the match against City we played some good football. We still are very much involved in the Europa League and is the only Silverware option left for Chelsea to chase this season so we should definitely go all out for it.

Well coming back to the Premier League, below is the pictorial representation of Fulham vs Chelsea Derby's stats till date.

Fulham vs Chelsea Recent Encounters

Fulham v Chelsea head-to-head record

Team News

Chelsea again will be without the services of Ashley Cole (hamstring) and Gary Cahill (knee), but both are nearing to fitness. Marko Marin is nursing a thigh injury but its nothing serious.Lampard and Terry who were on the bench for the FA Cup Semi Final should get the start for this game. Romeu is the long-term absentee due to injury.

The game against Chelsea could come a little too early for ex-Chelsea midfielder Damien Duff who sustained a groin injury in the last game against Aston Villa. Another ex-Chelsea player Steve Sidwell serves the last game of his three-match suspension and most probably would be deputized by Kieran Richardson. Mahamadou Diarra, and Ashkan Dejagah will also be out with injury.

With the weekend clash against Liverpool in back of his mind, Benitez might be tempted to rest the likes of Mata and Hazard for this game.

Team line-ups to follow soon

Player and Manager Talk

Benitez Press Conference ahead of the game against Fulham

Predictions

Its a tough one to call. Chelsea have been involved in so many games of late and I fear the fatigue might take its toll and Chelsea wont be able to play the free-flowing football in each and every game. Expect this to be a scrappy affair and Chelsea to come out on top.

Berbatov to score for Fulham, whereas Torres and Hazard to score for Chelsea.

Scoreline: Fulham 1 Chelsea 2

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Team News - Chelsea vs Manchester City

2013-04-14T20:17:00.001+05:30

Team News - Chelsea vs Manchester City

Rafa Benitez makes changes to the sqaud that took on Rubin Kazan earlier this week by opting to leave Frank Lampard and John Terry on the bench for the semi-final clash against Manchester City.

Ivanovic will partner Luiz in center back position while Demba Ba comes in place of Torres for this game.

Manchester City are without David Silva who could not pass the late fitness test and Mancini has oped to leave goalkeeper Joe Hart and will be replaced by no.2 Pantolimon.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech; Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, David Luiz, Bertrand; Ramires, Mikel; Hazard, Mata, Oscar; Ba.

Subs: Turnbull, Terry, Ake, Lampard, Benayoun, Moses, Torres..

Manchester City: Pantilimon, Zabaleta, Clichy, Kompany, Nastasic, Barry, Milner, Y Toure, Nasri, Aguero, Tevez

Subs: Hart, K Toure, Lescott, Kolarov, Garcia, Sinclair, Dzeko

Referee: Chris Foy

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Chelsea vs Manchester City - FA Cup - Preview

2013-04-13T18:33:00.000+05:30

Chelsea v Manchester City

(FA Cup - Semi Final)
Date: Sunday 14th April, 2013; Kick-Off: 16:00 GMT
Venue: Wembley Stadium

Super Sunday is back!!! And its Chelsea vs Manchester City in he FA Cup Semi-Final at Wembley Stadium.

Its the current FA Cup holders against the reigning English Premier League Champions, and what a game this promises to be.

With EPL title out of sight for Mancini and his men, Manchester City would be desperate to land some Silverware this season. Even after defeating Manchester United at Old Trafford (LOL for the same :D) Man City are still 12 points behind the league leaders and have slender hopes of retaining their premiership crown.

Chelsea on the other hand have a lot to play for coming to the end of the season. An FA Cup Semi Final tomorrow followed by Europa League Semi Final against Basel plus the fight for the top 4 finish in Premier League for the coveted 2013-14 Champions League qualification. Benitez will be having quite a busy next one and a half months; not to forget our Chelsea squad who already have endured through this busy patch of games.

Chelsea v Manchester City - Match Preview

Both teams head into the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley with the prize for the victors is the place in the 2012-13 FA Cup Final. The winners of this game will be favorites to lift the 2012-13 trophy as their FA Cup Final opponents will be either Millwall or Wigan who play their semi-final fixture later today.

Both these teams have lifted the FA Cup recently with Chelsea in 2012 and Man City a season earlier. So both have the experience of playing in the semi-finals which are always held at the magnificent Wembley Arena.

Chelsea FA Cup Winners 2012

Chelsea were the winners of the FA Cup last year when they defeated Liverpool 2-1 at Wembley and have 7 FA Cup's in their name.

Manchester City FA Cup Winners 2011

Manchester City were the FA Cup winners in 2011 when they defeated Stoke City 1-0 at Wembley Arena. Man City have won the FA Cup 5 times till now.

Both teams come into this game with crucial accolades in the past few days; with Chelsea securing a place in the Europa League Semi-Finals and Manchester City doing a Old Trafford Double over their city rival United. Though Manchester City did have a decent break ahead of this game and will have definitely some fresh legs compared to Chelsea who had a hard fought game against Rubin Kazan in Moscow few days earlier.

Manchester City have had a far easy passage to the semi-finals of FA Cup having played just four games. They won all of them having scored 13 goals in the process and conceding Nil which is a very good run till now. Chelsea on the other hand had to play two more games because of the replays against Brentford and lately against Manchester United in the quarters. In this time Chelsea netted in 16 goals and conceded 5.

Chelsea vs Manchester City: Road to Wembley

Third round: Southampton 1-5 Chelsea; Manchester City 3-0 Watford

Fourth round: Brentford 2-2 Chelsea (replay: 4-0); Stoke 0-1 Manchester City

Fifth round: Middlesbrough 0-2 Chelsea; Manchester City 4-0 Leeds

Quarter-final: Manchester United 2-2 Chelsea (replay: 1-0); Manchester City 5-0 Barnsley

Team News

Ashley Cole (hamstring) and Gary Cahill (knee) are set to miss the clash against Manchester City due to lack of fitness, while midfielder Oriol Romeu will be on the sidelines until the end of the season.

Demba Ba remains a major doubt after picking up an injury in the 2-1 win over Sunderland. Torres might get the start given his current form and Demba Ba's fitness issues. Benitez will definitely bring on the likes of Mata, Hazard, Oscar and Ivanovic all of whom were on the bench against Rubin Kazan in the Europa League quarter final.

David Silva is a major doubt for this one after suffering a hamstring injury in the 2-1 derby win over Manchester United. Although Mancini has confirmed that he will give late fitness test for the Spaniard ahead of tomorrows game. Sergio Aguero looks all set to start this game after coming on as a sub and scoring the winner against Manchester United. Aguero was out with a knee injury and still ain't 100 percent fit.

Maicon (hamstring) and Rodwell (knee) are on team’s long-term injury list and will definitely miss the game.

Team line-ups to follow soon

Player and Manager Talk

Rafa Benitez ahead of the game against Manchester City

"We know where we are at the moment, We are in the semi-final of the FA Cup, another one in the Europa League and third in the league table. They will have a bit of an advantage but hopefully we will have some fresh legs for the game."

"It's always different if you play two games a week and you have players that are injured or tired, it's more difficult. We knew that if we were successful we'd have to play more games, and we want to keep playing games until the end."

"We still have a lot of games, but we have to manage, that's why we can play players like Ake or Ferreira. If we can manage and use the squad it will be fantastic."

"They have a strong squad, very good players on the pitch and very good players on the bench, People talk about Chelsea and how we can pick two teams that will be the same, but we know it's a young team. If you look at City, they have players available in every position who know their job, they have talent and experience. The problem is they have so many options; they can play Tevez, Aguero, Dzeko or even Yaya Toure higher up, also in wide areas they can play Nasri or Milner."

"We will play against a very good team on Sunday with a good manager, and it will be tough for us. Every game you want to win and you have to take risks when you make decisions, You might want to play a certain player, but if it goes well it's down to the rotation policy and if it doesn't you've made a mistake. At the moment we are doing fine, and hopefully we can go until the end."

"It's something you have to do and you have to explain to them that they have to be on their toes and they need to be ready. It's the only way if you want to compete in every competition and succeed. Some players always want to play, and others, if they know they have a big game coming up, are happy to be rested."

"I always say it depends on positions, because in certain positions you can cope with the intensity, but other players can't cope with two games in a row. I don't have a problem with it but it doesn't matter what I think, the stadium doesn't matter, what matters is that we are in the semi-final. "

"Chelsea won it last year, so we know what an important competition it is for the club and for everybody in England. If we finish in the top three and win one or both of the competitions we will be really pleased and proud."

[Source: ChelseaFC]

Frank Lampard ahead of the game against Manchester City

"I'm sure they'd rather have stayed in the Champions League or Europa League, which brought them a more confident and successful season than they've had, so I think they'll be on a high from their last result in the league but other than that it's an even start for two good teams."

"If they're at their best and we're below our best they'll probably win the game, and vice-versa, you're talking about two very good teams and I've got a lot of respect for them. It will be a good match, especially if both teams are at their best."

"I've seen some people be quite negative about them this year because they set a level last year. It's been difficult this year for a lot of teams because Man United have been very consistent in the league and pulled away, but Man City are a top football team."

"There are a few key threats. Tevez is a fantastic player, I love his energy and his quality, he's always a threat and he's done it against us a few times. Aguero, with what he did the other night, his speed off the mark and his ability, they have them all over, Silva, Toure, so you can't isolate Tevez but he is a fantastic player."

"I've had success there with England and Chelsea, but every game is different, we've had a lot of great finals at Wembley and elsewhere. The FA Cup is a tournament that's been pretty good for us. Nobody is an automatic selection though because there are lots of games and the manager is changing it regularly. I'm like everyone else, I want to play every game but it's not possible."

[Source: ChelseaFC]

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Goals highlights Rubin Kazan 3 Chelsea 2

2013-04-12T10:21:00.005+05:30

Goals highlights Rubin Kazan 3 Chelsea 2

Chelsea march into the semi-finals of the Europa League despite losing to Rubin Kazan 3-2 in Moscow. A fantastic first-half display by Chelsea was marked by a wonderful chipped goal by Fernando Torres early in the first half. At the end of the first half Chelsea were leading by a goal to nil and 4-1 ahead on aggregate.

But a poor second half display by Chelsea saw Rubin Kazan score three goals and make numerous other chances despite Chelsea adding a second in the form of Moses. Chelsea made it hard for themselves in the latter stages of the game but ensured a semi-final berth against either Benfica, Fenerbache or Basel by winning the two legs 5-4 on aggregate.

Anyways, if you missed the game then don't worry; here are the Match highlights and goals from yesterdays 3-2 loss against Rubin Kazan at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.

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