Chelsea and Galatasaray fight for the place in Top eight while Real Madrid take on Schalke as more of a Formality

Champions League: Chelsea v Galatasaray match preview

Similar faces will be returning to English soil as both Chelsea and Galatasary look to advance into the last eight of the inaugural competition. Former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini, who guided them to a Premier League title win in 2012, will be back in England for the first time since being replaced by Manuel Pellegrini at the start of this season.

While a Chelsea legend will be back in west London, as Didier Drogba will be looking to knock his former employers out of the Champions League. Drogba spent eight years at Chelsea after Jose Mourinho signed him from French outfit, Marseille. After a difficult start to his career in England’s top flight, Drogba went onto to win three Premier League titles and the Champions League.

With the tie currently 1-1 on aggregate, both teams will fancy their chances of advancing into the next stage. Chelsea currently sit top of the England’s top flight, but after last week’s defeat at Aston Villa, the Blues will struggle to hold onto top spot with the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City all having games in hand. Nevertheless, this was only Chelsea’s first league defeat since the 7th December (3-2 to Stoke City). Meanwhile, Galatasaray are five points behind rivals Fenerbahce in the Turkish Super League, and are unbeaten in their last 12 games in the league.  

KICK-OFF: Tuesday, 7:45pm

STATS

• Chelsea are unbeaten against Galatasaray (W2 D1), scoring seven goals and conceding only one.
• Chelsea are unbeaten in their last seven Champions League knock-out games (W4, D3).
• Chelsea have only conceded four goals in the Champions League this season, only Atletico Madrid have shipped fewer.
• Didier Drogba has scored more goals than any other player at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League (17).
• Galatasaray have conceded 15 goals in the Champions League this season, the highest tally among the 16 teams who have reached the knockout stages.
• Galatasaray have never won in England in eight trips in all competitions (D3 L5).

Champions League: Real Madrid v FC Schalke match preview

Only a miracle would see German side FC Schalke advance into the next stage of the Champions League. The German’s were taught a footballing lesson at the Veltins Arena, being humiliated 6-1, with Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronald and Gareth Bale helping themselves to two goals apiece to ensure The Merengues  had one foot into the last eight of the competition.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side sit pretty at the top of La Liga, three points ahead of second placed Atletico Madrid and have opened up a four point gap on Barcelona in third. After last week’s away win at Malaga in the league, Madrid extended their unbeaten run to an incredible 30 games. With the title in sights, Cristiano Ronaldo and co will be hoping to land their first Champions League title since 2002 and clinch their 10th overall.

Meanwhile, Jens Keller’s Schalke side are going steadily in the league, sitting third and one point behind fellow Champions League competitors and last year’s finalists Borussia Dortmund. The Germans qualified for the knockout stages in second placed, behind Chelsea and finishing ahead of Swiss champions FC Basel and Romanian outfit Steaua Bucharest. Dutch striker, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar will be returning to Real Madrid where he spent one season in 2009, making 20 appearances and scoring nine goals. However, his side will be playing merely for pride in this already settled tie.Ancelotti said in the build-up that he would be resting some of his regulars with  and Alvaro Morata and Jese would start up front alongside competition top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo.

KICK-OFF: Tuesday 7:45pm

STATS

• Real Madrid are one of only two teams still unbeaten in the Champions League this season, alongside Atletico Madrid.
• Real Madrid have won 13 of their last 15 Champions League games at the Santiago Bernabeu, drawing the other two. Barcelona are the last team to defeat the Merengues in Madrid (27 April 2011).
• Real Madrid have scored in each of their last 32 Champions League games, the longest run in the history of the competition. The last time they failed to find the net was against Barcelona on 27 April 2011 (0-2). They are the top scorers this season (26 goals).
• Each of Schalke’s seven goals in the Champions League this season have been scored in the second-half.
• Schalke have only scored one goal in three away games in the Champions League this season.
• Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has scored five goals in his last seven Champions League starts.