Chelsea v Sporting background

Sporting Clube de Portugal climbed into second place in Group G on matchday five and are well placed to take the section's second qualifying spot behind Chelsea FC.

Match background

Chelsea
• Chelsea have won their last seven fixtures against Portuguese clubs, all by a single-goal margin. On matchday two former SL Benfica midfielder Nemanja Matić marked his return to Lisbon with the only goal of the game.

• Their previous victory came against Benfica in the 2013 UEFA Europa League final when Branislav Ivanović's header in the last minute of added time earned a 2-1 win at the Amsterdam ArenA.

• The 2012 UEFA Champions League winners made it to last season's semi-finals, beaten by Club Atlético de Madrid 3-1 at home after a 0-0 draw away.

• Chelsea are already assured of first place, making this the ninth time in their last 12 campaigns that the Blues have won their group. They qualified as runners-up in two other years, being eliminated in the group stage as holders in 2012/13. 

• José Mourinho lifted the UEFA Champions League with FC Porto (2004) and FC Internazionale Milano (2010) and is bidding to become the first coach to win the European Cup with three different teams.

Sporting
• Chelsea's win on 30 September ended Sporting's 16-match unbeaten home run in Europe. Their last visit to England resulted in a 3-2 defeat at Manchester City FC in the 2011/12 UEFA Europa League round of 16, although they still progressed after a 1-0 home win.

• Their four previous away games against Premier League sides have resulted in three defeats and a draw. 

• Sporting's 20 previous games against English sides have ended W9 D3 L8 (W2 D2 L6 in England).

• Sporting have won only once in their last 17 European away games, 2-0 at FC Zürich in that 2011/12 campaign. Their record in that run has been W1 D6 L10 and of their last seven group away games, six have been lost and one drawn.

• Should Schalke not win at Maribor, Sporting will reach the knockout rounds regardless of the Stamford Bridge outcome. 

Coach and player links
• Mourinho worked at Sporting as assistant to coach Bobby Robson for one and a half seasons between 1992 and 1993. He later became head coach at Benfica, leaving after a 3-0 home win over Sporting in 2001, and also coached UD Leiria and Porto, never losing a match against Sporting (W4 D2).

• Nani scored three goals in 13 appearances (W4 D4 L5) for Manchester United FC against Chelsea and converted a spot kick in the 2008 UEFA Champions League final in Moscow when United won 6-5 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. He scored the opening goal in the 2009 FA Community Shield, which ended 2-2 with Chelsea winning 4-1 on penalties, and finished on the winning side four times with five defeats.

• Ramires played for Benfica in 2009/10 and scored in the semi-final victory over Sporting in the Portuguese League Cup. Of his three matches against Sporting he was twice on the winning side with the other drawn.

• Matić also played for Benfica, who were unbeaten in his four appearances against Sporting (W3 D1).

• Diego Costa started his European career at FC Penafiel, on loan from SC Braga in 2006/07. He then played seven games in the Portuguese Liga for Braga before moving to Spain.

• André Schürrle scored Germany's first goal in a 2-1 win against Islam Slimani's Algeria in the last 16 of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

• Mohamed Salah and Rami Rabia play together for Egypt.

• Oscar scored all three goals as Brazil beat Cédric Soares' Portugal 3-2 after extra time in the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup final.

• Mouhamadou-Naby Sarr and Kurt Zouma were centre-back partners as France beat Uruguay in the 2013 U20 World Cup final.

Match facts

Chelsea
• Filipe Luís is a booking away from suspension.

• The Blues were 23 matches unbeaten (winning 17), matching the club record set during Mourinho's first spell at Stamford Bridge in 2007, before losing 2-1 at a Newcastle United FC side that ended with ten men on Saturday. The Blues had not lost since April's UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg defeat at home to Club Atlético de Madrid.

• The defeat ended Chelsea's 14-match unbeaten record in the Premier League in 2014/15, equalling their best start to the season set in the second division in 1925/26.

• All seven of Eden Hazard's goals this season have come at Stamford Bridge.

• Chelsea have scored in 21 of their 22 matches this season. The exception came on 29 November when they drew 0-0 at Sunderland AFC.

• Cesc Fàbregas reached ten assists in just 12 top-flight appearances this season; faster than any other player in a single Premier League campaign.

Sporting
• Cédric serves a one-game ban on matchday six. Maurício, João Mário and William Carvalho are all a booking away from suspension.

• Sporting have won their last four games in all competitions and are six matches unbeaten.

• André Carrillo scored one and set up the other two for Carlos Mané and substitute João Mário as Sporting won 3-1 at Boavista FC on Friday. Jonathan Silva struck a late own goal.

• Nani limped off with a thigh injury during the first half at Boavista.

• Slimani partnered Fredy Montero in attack for the first time this season on 29 November and both scored – Slimani twice – in a 3-0 home win against Vitória FC.

• Slimani has six goals in eight league starts this season.

• Héldon Ramos has been out with muscular problems sustained after scoring a late goal on 15 November as Cape Verde Islands beat Niger 3-1 to finish top of their section in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying.

• Sporting suffered a 3-0 loss at Vitória SC on 1 November – their heaviest defeat in nearly two years.

• Adrien Silva made his senior international debut as a second-half substitute in Portugal's 1-0 friendly win against Argentina at Old Trafford, Manchester on 18 November.

• Jonathan Silva made his Argentina debut as a substitute in a 2-1 friendly win against Croatia on 12 November.