Bayer Leverkusen vs Chelsea - Match Preview

Chelsea travel to Germany tonight to take on Bayer Leverkusen in a Champions League encounter where a result tonight will send them into the knockout stages. The Blues have only won one match in their last four games and manager Andre-Villas Boas has come under incredible scrutiny and many are starting to wonder whether he will make it to the end of the season as the boss at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea currently top the group with eight points attained from four matches, Leverkusen currently two points behind in second. Certainly if Chelsea don't qualify for the knockout phases you can guarantee Villas-Boas will be gone as Roman Abramovich's main agenda is to win the competition. To progress tonight they need to be aware of former midfielder Michael Ballack will be playing his 100th European tie and will be desperate to put one over his former side.

Team News

Pre-match talk today has been over Nicolas Anelka's future after speculation has emerged that he expects to leave in the transfer window in January and is close to agreeing a move to another club, perhaps a lucrative deal to join Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua He has not travelled to Germany tonight. Right full back Paulo Ferreira didn't travel either whilst striker Romelu Lukaku is ineligible after Chelsea couldn't find a place for him in their European squad. Michael Essien remains a long term absentee.

Line-ups from;

Chelsea (from): Cech, Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Alex, Cole, Luiz, Mikel, Romeu, Ramires, Lampard, Mata, Malouda, Meireles, McEachran, Torres, Drogba, Kalou, Sturridge, Turnbull, Hilario.