Mourinho sets Chelsea sights high

José Mourinho did not deny that he was entering his first UEFA Champions League campaign since his return to Chelsea FC with the aim to win the competition, but he had a healthy fear of FC Basel 1893, whose coach Murat Yakin is hoping for an improvement on last season's UEFA Europa League semi-final defeat by the London club.

Chelsea
José Mourinho, manager
Last season Chelsea went outside its natural habitat, which is the Champions League, and we don't want to do that again. From my experience when you start with a victory from the group stage, normally it's a good step in the direction of qualifying.

I'm very, very happy to be back and fighting for my club, of course as a professional because I always did that in every club, but also in a different emotional way because it's my club – it's the club I like the most.

With Basel, at the first look people think 'Not so difficult'. I just remember two years ago: Manchester United out, and Basel through. Last year: Tottenham out, and Basel through. So they're a difficult team.

If you win [the UEFA Champions League] once you dream to win it twice. It's the same with me: I won it twice – I dream to win it for a third time. But I have to focus not in the past but in the future. I want to win for the third time – I want Chelsea to win for the second time.

Weekend result
Saturday: Everton FC 1-0 Chelsea (Naismith 45+1)
Čech; Ivanović, Luiz, Terry, Cole (Torres 69); Mikel; Ramires; Hazard, Mata (Lampard 57), Schürrle (Oscar 57); Eto'o.

• Chelsea fell to their first domestic defeat since Mourinho's return despite a debut for new signing Samuel Eto'o.

Team news
Mourinho has a full squad to choose from, saying at the pre-match press conference: "No injuries at all – everybody is fit."

Basel
Murat Yakin, coach
It's nice to be here [again]. From the two games against Chelsea we showed what our limits are back then, and perhaps the result wasn't meant to be. But this is a new game and we are going to go out and give our best.

You want to look forward and see what you can achieve in the future. Yes, it was disappointing to lose against Chelsea in the semi-final last season, but our main thing is to look ahead at these matches and to do as well as possible from these six games.

Of course we want to go through and play in this competition after the winter break, but let's see. We gained a lot of experience from last season. We'll be playing for second place, we have Schalke and Steaua in the group too; obviously Chelsea are the clear favourites, but let's see after these first two games.

This is a new game: statistics don't interest me. Chelsea have a new manager and some new players and we've also changed a few things. But there's nothing nicer for our boys; we want to go out there, play in a clever way and be positive. 

Weekend result
Saturday: FC Münsingen 0-1 Basel (Delgado 55p)
Vailati; P Degen, Sauro, Ajeti, Safari; D Degen, Xhaka, Delgado (Sio 82), Andrist; Streller (Frei 72), Pak.

• Basel moved into the Swiss Cup last 16 but it was not easy against third-tier opponents. As the game went on Basel stepped it up but only scored via Matías Delgado's penalty.

Team news
Yakin confirmed that Serey Die (calf) and Mohamed Elneny (shoulder) will miss the match at Stamford Bridge.

Match fact
• The teams met in last season's UEFA Europa League semi-finals, Chelsea winning 5-2 on aggregate on their way to lifting the trophy. Basel were thus denied the opportunity to become the first Swiss side to make it to the final of a major UEFA club tournament.