VS.

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RSC Anderlecht are already focusing on qualifying for the UEFA Cup after their chances of progressing beyond UEFA Champions League Group G expired on Matchday 4 but they may take heart from the prospect of entertaining last year's semi-finalists Chelsea FC, who are yet to score away from home in the pool.

Qualification hopes
• If Anderlecht are to salvage anything from this European campaign, they must defeat Chelsea and hope Real Betis Balompié lose against Liverpool FC, before defeating Betis in Spain on Matchday 6 to clinch a place in the UEFA Cup by finishing third.

• Chelsea had not conceded until Dani's solitary goal gave Betis victory in Spain on Matchday 4. But although a failure to return to winning ways in Brussels would take matters out of their hands, José Mourinho's side can book their place in the last 16 if they win and Betis fail to defeat Liverpool at Anfield.

Losing streak
• Anderlecht's losing streak in the competition now runs to a club record eleven games after the Belgian side followed up defeat in their final match of the 2003/04 season by losing all six group games last year and their first four of this campaign to claim an unwanted UEFA Champions League record.

• Chelsea inflicted the eighth of those defeats on Matchday 1, when a Frank Lampard goal earned the Premiership leaders a 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge.

• Anderlecht have already been defeated at home by English opposition this season, losing 1-0 against Liverpool, for whom Djibril Cissé was on target.

First pairing
• There was a possibility that these two sides might have met in the first European Champion Clubs' Cup competition; Anderlecht took part in the 1955/56 tournament, but the Football Association decided against letting Chelsea, the English champions, participate. Fifty years on, following Chelsea's only domestic league title since, the sides were paired together for the first time on the European stage.

Tough opposition
• Anderlecht have been drawn with English teams in two other UEFA Champions League group stages. Group G of the first group stage in 2000/01 pitted Anderlecht against Manchester United FC. The Old Trafford leg was won 5-1 by United thanks in part to an Andrew Cole hat-trick, but two goals from Tomasz Radzinski helped Anderlecht win the return game 2-1. Anderlecht topped the group and went on to meet Leeds United AFC, who won 2-1 at Elland Road and 4-1 in Brussels.

• The first tie between Anderlecht and an English club on the European stage was the 1956/57 European Champion Clubs' Cup preliminary tie against Manchester United, who followed a 2-0 first-leg success in Brussels with a 10-0 triumph in Manchester. The game was played at Maine Road, then home of Manchester City FC, and saw Dennis Viollet score four goals and Tommy Taylor three.

• Anderlecht have met English clubs in three UEFA finals, defeating West Ham United FC 4-2 in the 1975/76 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and overcoming Liverpool 4-3 on aggregate in the 1978 UEFA Super Cup. But Tottenham Hotspur FC prevailed on penalties after two 1-1 draws in the final of the 1984 UEFA Cup.

Away diffculties
• Chelsea have played in two previous ties against Belgian teams, in both instances against Club Brugge KV in the quarter-final of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, with the London club winning through despite losing the first leg without scoring on both occasions.

• The first tie took place in the 1970/71 competition when Chelsea overturned a 2-0 first-leg defeat with a 4-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to two goals from Peter Osgood, plus one each from Peter Houseman and Tommy Baldwin. Chelsea went on to defeat Real Madrid CF 2-1 in the replayed final.

• The second encounter in 1994/95 followed a similar pattern with Brugge winning the home leg 1-0 thanks to a Gert Verheyen goal; but Chelsea scoring twice in the first half of the return leg through Mark Stein and Paul Furlong. Chelsea were eliminated in the semi-finals by Real Zaragoza.

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Here is my line up for the match, is sure to be a cracker.

----------------------Cech-----------------------

Farreira----Gallas---------Terry----Del Horno

----Cole---Lampard-----Essien-------Duff----

------------Gudjohnsen---Crespo--------------

Reverting to the old 4-4-2 which saw us knock out Barcelona out of the first round of UCL last season.

I had a very bad feeling after the betis game that this one was going to be a draw 0-0.

But now suddenly I feel we will win easily.

Chelsea had some problems before the Newcastle game on saturday but anyway i think anything else than a Chelsea win like 2-0 would be a big surprise.
i can't see it happen that Chelsea should drop points against Anderlecht even they aren't a bad team but when Chelsea show their qualities then Anderlecht should have no chance.

Nineteen travel to Brussels
Tuesday, Nov 22, 2005
Chelsea have taken a squad of 19 players to Brussels for the away game at Anderlecht.

Out of the squad of 24, the five missing are goalkeeper Lenny Pidgeley who played in the reserves last night, Glen Johnson and Claude Makelele who were injured on Saturday against Newcastle, Arjen Robben who is just resuming full training following his injury at Real Betis, and Shaun Wright-Phillips who is suspended after three yellow cards in the competition.

Thus the squad is: Cech, Cudicini, Gallas, Ferreira, Gérémi, Carvalho, Terry, Huth, Del Horno, Bridge, Gudjohnsen, Essien, Diarra, Lampard, J Cole, Crespo, Drogba, C Cole and Duff.

Chelsea are training at the stadium this evening after Anderlecht have had their training session.

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Only Duff and Cole as our wingers so its going to be tough if they fail to click as we will not have any options on the bench like we usually do.

There are 3 strikers + Gudjohnsen going !!!!

Just read its going to be Duff's centenary match for us !!!!
Cmon duffers !! get a goal or 2 and heres to a hundered more matches with CFC

Duff shall score, he is due since his last goal in the UCL came against Barcelona. Drogs is back, good time to be, better not get a red card. Makalele is out for three weeks which is confirmed, but Essien will fill that void easily. Should be a decent match from Chelsea, 2-0 or higher. Maybe Anderlecht can sneak one in of the sake of being at home.

I hope we have a solid match, maybe popping in a few goals to their nill, so we can end this shocking away ucl form that we are in the moment. But i rekon we should be able to get past them with ease. well atleast we should, hope for a good game

Interesting to see that Mourinho didn't even go with 3 wingers, going with only two seems strange, and it's even stranger due to the fact that we always play wide men with the 1 up front. Obviously looking to play more down the centre of the pitch, with 2 starting strikers.

I'm sure the whole squad will do Duff proud and bring back a 2 or 3-0 win to the bridge.

Well I guess he didnt have much choice ... Robben is injured I guess ( or I hope its injury and not a fall out with Mourinho) and SWP is suspended for this game.

Here is the team :

------------------------ Cech--------------------

Gallas-------- J Terry-----------Ricardo Carvalho-----Del Horno

----------------------- M Essien-------------------------------------

-------------Eidur-------------------Lamps-------------------

J Cole-------------------Crespo-----------------Duff

Subs:
Cudicini, Carlton Cole, Geremi, Drogba, Diarra, Huth, Ferreira

Good to see Crespo start once again

1-0 crespo

2-0 carvalho

chelsea will win this 3-0 i think

Great start for Chelsea !! Things looking really comfortable. ATM Anderlecht can hardly touch the ball. Chelsea really just passing about beautifully.

Great finish by Carvalho. Crespo is quality is always. Thats what I like abt him .. 1 chance 1 goal on most ocassions.

2-0 Chelsea are walking it. I said it will be 3-0 i think now it could be more

maybe 6-1

As much as I hate watching this because it is boring the shite out of me we are playing fantastic keep ball, especially straight after we has scored the two goals, the last thing we needed was to give them a sniff on goal with the home fans behind them.

I'm also glad we are starting to play Crespo now, he has been given the chance and to me he has already proved that he is more clinical than Drogba, actually I think we all knew this even though Crespo wernt playing, roll on round two...

I still think Lyon are going to win the whole thing outright...

crespo misses
almost a goal

when geremi came on in the 2nd half, he nearly set up too goals, with two great long balls, they where actually pretty good passes.

Should have been 4-0 really, crusing in an away game, we sure have changed. This group will definately belong to us with a win against Liverpool. Excellent performance. Anyone else think Carvalho will be our defensive top scorer this season?

What do you mean he misses ?? ..... He is better and more experienced than most of his team mate in Chelsea.

Just for your information let he update you, Crespo has reached the Champoins league finals 4 times for 4 different teams !!!!!

He doesn't have to prove anything to anyone......Chelsea has a great team but one egoistical son of a b****

manager in Jose Morinhio.

Chelsea played well and dominated the game. The 2 goals they scored were of good quality but i felt they could have added a 3rd after Lampard hit the post.

The most impressive performers are probably Essien,Duff,Crespo and even Geremi. He played well and was a crucial part in many of the Chelsea counter-attacks after he came on. Lampard had a unusually quiet night for most of the game. Diarra shows potential but i feel he is still needs a season or 2 to become a first team member.

However, i was disappointed with the Chelsea defence. Yes,Terry and Carvalho played well. But i was more concerned with the rest of the defence. On more than 1 occasion, Anderlecht players match to round or turn fast Chelsea players and get to the by-line. It was only due to the failure of Anderlecht to play in a good final ball( and also because of the defending of Carvalho and Terry) that Anderlecht didnt trouble Cech with those chances.

It was a good solid performance from Chelsea.They dominated preceedings and controlled most of the possesion. If we can keep up this level of performance, a 2-0 or 3-0 win against Portsmourth seems likely.

i didnt say crespo is bad
but i said he misses
what i meant by it is
he missed the target ( he almost scored)
but ddidnt

just seen the goals. 2 fantastic finishes

not suprised with the result.
the goals were nice. Congrats for qualification

chelsea made it to the round of 16
and theyre gonna beat liverpool at december