Chelsea warned to pay attention

Chelsea FC have already beaten FC Porto and APOEL FC in UEFA Champions League Group D and a third victory, against Club Atlético de Madrid on Wednesday, would move them to the verge of the knockout rounds. Carlo Ancelotti, however, has cause for concern. Not only is the Chelsea manager worried about their defending from set-pieces after twice conceding from corners in Saturday's defeat at Aston Villa FC; he must also consider the threat of Sergio Agüero and Diego Forlán as Atlético attempt to improve on their single-point haul so far.

Carlo Ancelotti, Chelsea manager
We have worked on this particular situation [set-pieces]. It is difficult to train for set-plays, it's like the difficulty in training for a penalty, because the situation changes. It's different, but we work and we have to improve. You can play a good match, like against Aston Villa, but if you don't pay attention for six seconds at a set-play you can get a bad result. We played well and on Tuesday we have to continue to do that and win. We want first place in the group and have a great opportunity of achieving it. We can play better in the Champions League but at the moment it is important to win, because we want to play our best in March and April when the matches are very important. [Atlético] haven't done well this season but they have excellent quality. Agüero and Forlán are dangerous forwards – we have to pay attention because Agüero has fantastic quality and can settle a match.

Abel Resino, Atlético coach
It's a big motivation to play against a team like Chelsea. We all know we're in a bad situation and we really need to turn it round. It reminds me of the time we lost to Santander and then managed to turn things around. It's easy to talk negatively but it's all about trying to turn this situation around. We're being punished too much for the way we are playing. We only need two results for the team to relax and start playing football, and that's what we're trying to get. We can win, there's a possibility of us doing that. We're in bad shape but we're working hard. Our problem has been that our strikers are not getting the chance to put the ball in the net. We've shown in two games – one in Greece [against Panathiniakos FC in the play-offs], the other in Spain [against APOEL] – that we can beat anyone on our day.

Weekend results
• 17/10/2009 Aston Villa FC 2-1 Chelsea
(Dunne 32, Collins 52; Drogba 15)

• Ancelotti's side suffered a second successive Premier League away defeat to concede first place to Manchester United FC.

• Chelsea's perfect start to the Premier League season had ended with a 3-1 loss at Wigan Athletic FC on 26 September, Ancelotti tasting defeat for the first time since arriving in London. They had earlier claimed eight straight victories in all competitions and, before the Villa reverse, seemed to have got back on track by beating APOEL and Liverpool FC.

• 18/10/2009 CA Osasuna 3-0 Atlético
(Pandiani 4 27, Aranda 30)

• Atlético have taken six points from their opening seven Liga games, one less than at this stage in 1999/2000 when they were relegated. It represents their worst start to a top-flight campaign since 1994/95.

• Abel Resino's charges have conceded two or more goals in seven of their eleven games this term.

Team news
Chelsea
Out: Alex (groin), John Mikel Obi (ankle), Michael Ballack (ankle), Bosingwa (knee)
Doubtful: none
Suspended: Didier Drogba
Misses next match if booked: none

• José Bosingwa limped off after 69 minutes at Villa Park after suffering an injury to his left knee.

Atlético
Out: Mariano Pernía (broken collarbone), Ignacio Camacho (hip), Juan Valera (left adductor), Roberto (thigh)
Doubtful: none
Suspended: none
Misses next match if booked: Paulo Assunção

• Forlán was rested against Osasuna after complaining of fatigue and muscular pain, but Luis Perea (ankle) and Sergio Asenjo (thigh) shook off knocks to start. Raúl García appeared as a second-half substitute – his first outing since breaking a toe on day one of the season.

Background
• The clubs have never met in a competitive fixture but Chelsea will be encouraged by the fact that only once in eleven matches have they lost at home to Spanish visitors.

• That defeat came in the 2005/06 UEFA Champions League first knockout round when FC Barcelona won 2-1. Last season a 1-1 draw against the same opposition in the English capital proved enough for the visitors to reach the final on away goals – Andrés Iniesta hitting the all-important equaliser in the third minute of added time.

• Atlético have prevailed just once in eight away games against English teams, seeing off Leicester City FC 2-0 in the 1997/98 UEFA Cup first round.

• Chelsea's narrow victory over Porto on Matchday 1 extended their unbeaten run at home in the competition to 19 matches, since that Barcelona triumph in February 2006.

Did you know?
Atlético's Matchday 2 setback at Porto was their first away loss in the UEFA Champions League proper, the side having collected three wins and four draws from their seven preceding outings.