PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: CHELSEA V ATLETICO MADRID

TALKING POINTS
Top slot in the Barclays Premier League may have been surrendered at the weekend. But the Blues are outright leaders in Group D of the Champions League going into back-to-back matches against the club currently lying 15th in Spain's Primera División.

Atlético have started the season poorly. They travel to London having failed to win in four domestic away trips, and with only one point on the Champions League board from a home draw with APOEL. They were booed off after that, too.

Their showing at Porto on Matchday 2 was poor enough, but their performance last weekend at Osasuna suggested deep-seated problems.

They lost 0-3 at Osasuna, increasing the pressure on Abel Resino eight months into his latest spell with Los Colchoneros (the Mattress-Makers).  

KEY STAT The Blues have suffered just one defeat in our last 17 Champions League matches.

With Chelsea's home record in Europe the Spanish face a difficult task to force their Champions League campaign back on track.

Their countrymen have a poor record in SW6 too. Only one of the 11 Spanish teams to have played at Stamford Bridge has left victorious: the Barcelona of 2006 that capitalised on Asier Del Horno's early dismissal for a foul on Lionel Messi (pictured below). Chelsea have remained unbeaten over 19 matches at the Bridge in this competition since that evening.

Never the less, when the Catalans struck that late equaliser in the semi-final here last season, it was as fatal as the matador's coup de grace.

In terms of results this is Chelsea's best start to the group stage since 2006/07, which began with three victories. Carlo Ancelotti will hope that overcoming an Iberian team we have never met competitively will set his team well on course for the final in their home town, Madrid, next May.

Victories tonight for Chelsea and Porto (at home to APOEL) would leave the Blues needing two points from the remaining three matches to qualify for the Round of 16 in the new year.

Our other opponents in Group D are in better form than the Rojiblancos, Atlético's other nickname.

APOEL returned to winning ways following our important 1-0 win in Cyprus three weeks ago, beating strugglers Ermis Aradippou 2-1 away, despite having a host of injuries. They are sixth in the Marfin Laiki Championship.

Elsewhere, Porto have now won their last three matches without conceding, the most recent being a 3-0 victory at Olhanense before the international break. They currently lie third in the Portuguese Liga, five adrift of leaders Braga.

Other Group D fixture
Wed 7.45pm Porto v APOEL

This season's Champions League features 18 domestic league champions, six runners-up, five third-placed finishers and three fourth-placed teams including Atlético.

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