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Chelsea’s time to shine in Europe?

CHELSEA play host to French champions Marseille tonight at Stamford Bridge after a superb 4-1 win over Slovenians MSK Zilina in Matchday One. Missing the suspended Didier Drogba, the Premier league winners strolled to victory easily.

Marseille

Marseille will provide a much stiffer test tonight for Carlo Ancelotti’s side, with ex-Chelsea favourite Didier Deschamps the manager at Stade Velodrome. The Ligue One winners possess quality in players like Andre-Pierre Gignac, Loic Remy, Steve Mandanda, Lucho Gonzalez and Benoit Cheyrou.

If Chelsea are to win this competition, and let’s face it that’s what Roman Abramovich wants from his investment, they will have to defeat sides of Marseille’s calibre.

After an absolutely beautiful start to their Premier League defence, scoring 21 goals and conceding one, they lost their 100% record on Saturday. They suffered their first league defeat of the season when they went down 1-0 at Manchester City, but manager Carlo Ancelotti is not concerned by the blip.

Ancelotti

“I haven’t asked the players for a reaction. We just have to play our football,” said the Italian boss.”
“We have to pay attention and get the points from this game. It is an important game for us to go to the top of the group.”

With MSK Zilina and Spartak Moscow completing Group F, Chelsea are odds-on to make it out of the group as winners and march on in the competition. But the aforementioned desire to finally lift the Champions League trophy is sure to spur the players and supporters on even more.

Terry

The Moscow 2008 Final was painful for the Londoners. To travel all the way to Russia, for their fans to go to so much hassle acquiring VISAs and travel/accommodation etc only to see the team lose on penalties beggars belief.

The Manchester United team that did lift the trophy that night is a much greater one than it is now in my opinion. With the loss of Ronaldo, United seem to have lost a spark to their play. Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid will take time to get used to their new manager’s cautious tactics, and Inter Milan just won’t be the same after the Portuguese’s departure.

For me, that leaves the amazing FC Barcelona in Chelsea’s way. The Catalan giants are by far and away the best team in the world. No one can argue against the flair, skill and most of all work ethic of Pep Guardiola’s team.

What a final that would be, eh? Lionel Messi, Xavi and David Villa up against Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and John Terry for what has become the most prestigious trophy on the planet. Chelsea’s task here is absolutely huge. There are so many teams that could upset them.

However, I just think the Blues have what it takes. With the experience and genius of Carlo Ancelotti managing them, I believe 2010 is Chelsea’s year to lift the European Cup.

With Wembley being awarded the host of this year’s final, it may well be destiny for Chelsea to become European kings.

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