Chelsea vs Porto: Who are the men to fear... and why don't they care about former manager Jose Mourinho?
- Chelsea news: Click here for all the latest from Stamford Bridge
- Porto could knock Chelsea out of the Champions League on Wednesday
- Victory at Stamford Bridge would seal an early exit for Jose Mourinho
- Porto beat Chelsea 2-1 in the previous fixture in Portugal in September
- Yacine Brahimi and Giannelli Imbula starred as Porto took all three points
- Fans don't hold affection for Mourinho despite European triumphs at Porto
- See the latest news and results from the Champions League
They have been somewhat forgotten in the build-up, but Porto travel to Chelsea with everything to gain against former manager Jose Mourinho on Wednesday night.
Julen Lopetegui's team are the outsiders in the race to qualify from Champions League Group G, but a win would guarantee progress - in top spot - at the expense of under-fire Mourinho.
Knocking their former coach's nose out of joint won't be too much of a motivating factor, though. Mourinho is not widely revered at the Estadio do Dragao, despite delivering the club's only Champions League triumph of the modern era.
Porto train at Stamford Bridge ahead of what is set to be a must-win Champions League clash with Chelsea
Jose Mourinho comes up against his former employers on Wednesday night with both club's hopes on the line
Mourinho is not widely loved at Porto despite his achievement of bringing home the Champions League trophy
Porto are hoping for a repeat of their reverse fixture against Chelsea where they were 2-1 winners at home
Sir Bobby Robson and Andre Villas-Boas, the men whose statues accompany Mourinho's in the club museum, are more widely liked. Mourinho divides opinion after he did not join his players in celebrating their 2004 win with his mind already on a move to Chelsea.
He was jeered in some sections of the ground as Porto beat the Barclays Premier League champions 2-1 in the reverse fixture in September - a victory that will set the groundwork for the qualifying mission at Stamford Bridge.
Andre Andre and Maicon grabbed the goals that night, with Yacine Brahimi wreaking havoc on a Chelsea defence short on confidence.
After Saturday's embarrassing defeat by Bournemouth, the mindset is similar. Mourinho will pray his players are not frozen with nerves against sparky, rarely-beaten opposition.
Porto have lost just once this season in all competitions, although it did come in the last Champions League matchday against Dynamo Kiev. Chelsea, by contrast, have lost 10 if you include their Capital One Cup exit at Stoke City.
Brahimi is set to be a key threat again whichever member of Chelsea's recently-hapless backline he is tasked with taking on.
Yacine Brahimi is set to be a key threat again after he dominated Chelsea in the first meeting of the sides
Arsenal target Ruben Neves has a chance to impress in midfield against Chelsea's struggling stars
Former Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas will hope to stop his former manager's progress in London
Arsenal target Ruben Neves, the 18-year-old who already has 50 first-team appearances, and Giannelli Imbula can be a powerful midfield combination especially if put up against the struggling pairing of Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas.
Iker Casillas' quality between the sticks remains.
But for Porto, nerves could strike too. In his pre-match press conference Mourinho said: 'I think we are slightly favourites because of the way things happened.
'We were already prepared to reach this game like this. Porto were not prepared to reach this game like this.'
Porto coach Julen Lopetegui is also under big pressure with speculation he could lose his job in Portugal
Mourinho is also facing questions about his future after Chelsea's dreadful start to the new season
That much is true. The defeat by Dynamo came as a huge shock and Portuguese paper Publico Desporto bill this game as potentially being the 'end of the line for Mourinho or Lopetegui'.
But Porto's all-or-nothing mission in London remains. Chelsea have everything to fear from a team that will have little to lose.
Most watched Sport videos
- Stirring moment fans chant U-S-A at Sugar Bowl after NOLA terror attack
- Angel Reese flaunts her New Year's Eve gown in playful video
- John Daly hits golf ball across street and over building for 2025
- Caitlin Clark leaves Travis Kelce beaming with review of Eras Tour
- Saints coach Darren Rizzi responds to the New Orleans attack
- Hit in Texas-Arizona football game fails to be labelled as targeting
- NFL fashion designer Kristin Juszczyk announces MAJOR career move
- Dyche responds to Maupay taking shots at Everton on social media
- Louisiana official says ATF team is ready for Sugar Bowl
- Arteta says Arsenal in 'good mood' following win against Brentford
- ESPN cameras catch Jake Bates doing 'freaky' act on national TV
- Oldest living Olympic medal winner, Agnes Keleti, dies at age 103