Why the Blues will make it through their group.
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Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is likely to have been rubbing his hands together with glee following a Champions League draw that handed them the relatively simple task of a group including FC Schalke, Sporting Lisbon and Maribor.
With the Blues having been posed no problems by German side Schalke last season, Sporting having little recent pedigree in the competition and Slovenian minnows Maribor newcomers to this stage, the Blues will feel that they have enough to progress comfortably.
Here are five reasons why:
The arrival of vast amounts of Champions League experience
Many of Chelsea’s summer signings have arrived from Atletico Madrid, with the Spanish side having shocked the footballing world by making it to the final of the 2013/14 Champions League final and coming within seconds of beating local rivals Real in Lisbon. The likes of Filipe Luis and Diego Costa add recent and successful Champions League experience to the Chelsea side, whilst goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois almost counts as a new signing. Cesc Fabregas isn’t a stranger to continental competition, either.
The second seed were dispatched with ease last season
The second strongest team in the group, according to the seedings at least, are German Bundesliga outfit FC Schalke – who the Blues will feel confident of beating home and away having comfortably dispatched them in last season’s competition. The German side also qualified from the group alongside Chelsea last season before being hammered against Real Madrid in the knockout stages.
Maribor should be guaranteed points
Chelsea will feel confident of picking up six points against Maribor, the Slovenian group stage debutants who saw off Celtic in the play-off round to secure a fairytale qualification and matches against big boys such as Chelsea. Maribor have pulled up few trees in the Europa League in recent years, however, and benefited from Celtic’s reinstatement to the Champions League – the Blues should be confident of swatting them aside home and away.
Sporting Lisbon could lose their best player
Third seeds in the group, Sporting Lisbon, enjoyed a superb campaign in the Portuguese Primera Liga last season, but have lost manager Leonardo Jardim to AS Monaco and defender Marcos Rojo to Manchester United since then. With central midfielder William Carvalho also seemingly set for the exit, potentially to either Manchester United or Arsenal, the Lisbon side are likely to have seen their side torn apart by the time their Champions League campaign kicks off.
Mourinho doesn’t get knocked out in the group stage
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is a Champions League veteran now, and has successfully navigated the group stage of the competition during his time at FC Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and on his return to Stamford Bridge. It would be a huge surprise if the Portuguese manager slipped up this year having been given such a favourable draw.