Chelsea and Valencia meet with progress at stake

A first defeat of the campaign has put Chelsea FC in jeopardy of missing out on the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds for the first time since 2002/03 as Valencia CF visit Stamford Bridge.

• An away win or a scoring draw would be enough to take the visitors through. Chelsea are in this position having lost the lead at Bayer 04 Leverkusen on matchday five, ultimately succumbing 2-1; the same night, Valencia put seven goals without reply past KRC Genk, Roberto Soldado scoring a 26-minute hat-trick, to join Chelsea on eight points, one behind Leverkusen.

• It was a late Soldado penalty that earned Valencia a 1-1 draw on matchday two in the teams' fifth fixture since April 2007. Frank Lampard had put Chelsea in front.

• The game came after Chelsea's opening-day win against Leverkusen, while the two matches with Genk yielded a 5-0 home victory and another 1-1 away draw.

• Valencia began with a goalless draw at Genk and, having drawn at Chelsea, lost 2-1 to Leverkusen before reviving their campaign with a 3-1 win at home to the Bundesliga club.

Previous meetings
• Both the previous meetings between the teams at Stamford Bridge ended level, 1-1 in the 2006/07 UEFA Champions League quarter-final and 0-0 in the following season's group stage. With Chelsea winning both away games 2-1, the London club are unbeaten in the five matches between the sides.

• The lineups in the most recent meeting at Stamford Bridge on 11 December 2007 were:
Chelsea: Čech, Ferreira (Belletti 72), Ben Haim, Terry, Bridge, Wright-Phillips, Essien, Lampard, Kalou, Pizarro, Shevchenko (Makelele 46).
Valencia: Cañizares, Sunny, Albiol, Marchena, Helguera, Miguel (Fernandes 65), Vicente (Mata 75), Moretti, Silva, Villa (Arizmendi 50), Morientes.

• Chelsea are undefeated against Spanish opponents, home and away, in 12 competitive fixtures since a 2-1 reverse at Stamford Bridge against FC Barcelona in the 2005/06 UEFA Champions League round of 16. That was their one and only setback against Spanish opponents on home soil; their record is W7 D4 L1.

• Two significant victories against Spanish opponents came on neutral soil. Chelsea played Real Madrid CF in the 1970/71 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final in Athens, prevailing in the replay 2-1 after a 1-1 draw. The teams also met in the 1998 UEFA Super Cup in Monaco, Chelsea winning 1-0.

• Valencia have drawn on each of their last four visits to England, the last 12 months ago when Pablo Hernández put the visitors ahead in a group stage fixture at Manchester United FC which ended 1-1.

• In a total of 14 visits to England for European ties they have drawn no less than nine, with one victory − 1-0 at Liverpool FC in the 2002/03 UEFA Champions League first group stage − and four defeats.

• Valencia owed their first two European trophies – the 1979/80 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and the UEFA Super Cup the following season – to victories against English opposition. They overcame Arsenal FC in the first instance following a penalty shoot-out, and then triumphed on away goals against Nottingham Forest FC.

Team ties
• Nurtured at Madrid's youth academy, Mata joined Valencia in 2007, scoring 45 times in 172 appearances before moving to Chelsea in August. The FIFA World Cup winner with Spain made his UEFA Champions League debut in Valencia's goalless draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 11 December 2007.

• Fernando Torres scored two goals in eight encounters against Valencia while at Club Atlético de Madrid and was sent off in the Rojiblancos' 1-0 home Liga defeat on 9 September 2006.

• Ramires and Jonas – making his international debut – appeared as Brazil secured a 2-0 friendly victory against Scotland on 27 March 2011.

• Adil Rami and Florent Malouda are international team-mates for France while Nicolas Anelka and Jérémy Mathieu have also represented Les Bleus.

• Anelka scored twice in 19 Liga appearances for Madrid in 1999/2000.

• Daniel Parejo made 18 appearances for Queens Park Rangers FC while on loan from Madrid between August and December 2008.