Ballack wary of No1 billing

With the acquisitions of Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko in the summer, many observers believe this is Chelsea FC's year - the campaign where the superior force in England stretch their wings and finally dominate on the continent as well.

Shevchenko goal
Although Shevchenko has struggled to rediscover the striking prowess that made him such a potent force for AC Milan, his opening goal against PFC Levski Sofia was another sign that he is getting things together. The low strike, hit with the outside of his right foot into the far corner, was his 57th in UEFA club competition taking him past Raúl González and Eusébio on the all-time scorer's list, second only to FC Bayern München striker Gerd Müller on 62. With Shaun Wright-Phillips also on target late in the game, Chelsea eased through as group winners.

Tough call
Ballack, meanwhile, continues to impress with his thoughtful authority in midfield. That is where he is most comfortable. Being challenged to make predictions about Chelsea's destiny in this season's competition leaves him less at ease. "At this moment it's difficult to say how far we can go," he said. "We have had a good result in winning the group because it was difficult - [FC] Barcelona are strong and Werder Bremen are also a very good team. We are happy to finish top and to be in the next round. Now we will wait to see who we must face. We'll take it step by step. The UEFA Champions League is such a difficult competition that it's not good to talk now about our targets and the possibility of getting to the final."

Arsenal next
With an exhausting schedule in England, with potential silverware glistening at them from four directions, Chelsea are glad to be able to put the UEFA Champions League on the back burner for a few weeks. Retaining their Premiership title now becomes the priority and they will be looking to eat into Manchester United FC's lead at the top which could stretch to nine points before Sunday afternoon when they take on London rivals Arsenal FC at Stamford Bridge. "For us every game is difficult and important and the game with Arsenal especially so," added Ballack. "We can't afford to be only looking at the UEFA Champions League."