Chelsea look to steal a march

With Chelsea FC and FC Schalke 04 having secured their first victories of the campaign on Matchday 2, a keen contest is expected at Stamford Bridge in a group where just a point separates the leading three sides.

• After starting with a disappointing home draw against Rosenborg BK, and all the ramifications and uncertainty that followed the departure of manager José Mourinho, Chelsea were badly in need of the boost that came with their 2-1 away win at Valencia CF, courtesy of an Emiliano Moretti own goal and Didier Drogba's strike. Schalke had begun with a 1-0 home defeat by the Spanish team before showing improved form with a 2-0 win in Trondheim.

• The Rosenborg draw was a surprise because Chelsea have a formidable home record in the competition and in their previous nine group stage games had dropped only four points. However, it did follow a pattern of visitors taking the lead at Stamford Bridge, this being the third time in the last four UEFA Champions League home fixtures, although on each occasion Chelsea have hit back to earn at least a draw.

• Chelsea and Schalke have never met in European competition but for the London club, facing German opponents is almost a regular occurrence in a UEFA Champions League season. It is the fourth time in the last five campaigns that it has happened and the second successive year they have contested a group stage fixture with a club from that country.

• The last four fixtures between teams from the Bundesliga and Chelsea have followed a similar pattern, with the home side coming out on top each time. But Chelsea will feel confident going into this double-header with Schalke (the teams meet again at the Arena AufSchalke on Matchday 4) because looking at the encounters on a home-and-away basis, they have had the better overall results.

• In 2004/05 FC Bayern München were their quarter-final opponents in a high-scoring affair. Chelsea won 4-2 at home in a game which saw Michael Ballack score against his present club from the penalty spot. Bayern got a measure of revenge in the return with a 3-2 win in which Claudio Pizarro, who joined Ballack at Stamford Bridge, scored their third.

• Twelve months ago Werder Bremen were their opponents in Group A, Chelsea winning the home game 2-0 – Ballack and Michael Essien were on the scoresheet – with Bremen gaining the upper hand in the return 1-0.

• Their first ever meeting with a German team in Europe came in the 1997/98 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final when Gianfranco Zola's goal in Stockholm was enough to defeat VfB Stuttgart and give Chelsea the trophy for a second time.

• Schalke, who are hoping to improve on their two previous group finishes of fourth and third, will be in a better frame of mind for the trip to London after their win in Norway. Second-half strikes from Jermaine Jones and Kevin Kuranyi gave them all three points.

• They have played three games in England in UEFA club competition, losing twice and drawing 2-2 away to Wolverhampton Wanderers FC in the 1958/59 European Champion Clubs' Cup first round. They lost 5-1 at Maine Road in the 1969/70 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup semi-finals against Manchester City FC and 3-2 away to Arsenal FC in the 2001/02 UEFA Champions League first group stage. Against all three opponents, Schalke won the home games.