Chelsea need a win against FC Nordsjaelland to stand any chance of staying in the Champions League
Last Updated: December 5, 2012 10:55am
Rafa Benitez: Knows victory over FC Nordsjaelland may not be enough for Chelsea in the Champions League
Chelsea know nothing less than a win will do against FC Nordsjaelland on Wednesday, but even that may not be enough to keep their UEFA Champions League dream alive.
The glory of Munich in May feels a long time ago for Chelsea as they face the ignominy of becoming the first ever holders of the competition to go out at the group stage.
Such is the perilous nature of the Blues' position, not even a win ensures safe package to the knockout stages.
They sit in third place in Group E on seven points, with Serie A outfit Juventus two points better off in second and Shakhtar Donetsk leading the pack on 10 points.
The Ukrainian champions have already qualified for the last 16 and need only a draw to hold on to top spot, a result that would also see Juve progress at Chelsea's expense, sending the Blues into the Europa League.
For Chelsea boss Rafa Benitez any sort of victory will do as he seeks to ease the pressure he has found himself under throughout his short tenure in charge.
The Spaniard has been booed by his own fans unhappy with his appointment and he has yet to pick up a victory since replacing Roberto Di Matteo last month.
Indeed the Blues have not won any of their last six games in all competitions, meaning the three points are still vital even if it fails to salvage their Champions League dream.
Chelsea
Rafa Benitez can call on defender David Luiz after the Brazilian missed last weekend's defeat at West Ham through suspension.
John Terry, Frank Lampard and Daniel Sturridge are all edging their way back to fitness but are not yet ready to be considered.
Lampard has not played since limping out of a Champions League clash with Shakhtar Donetsk in October while Sturridge has been out for more than two weeks with a hamstring problem.
Terry, meanwhile, has been out with the knee injury sustained against Liverpool in early November.
Nordsjaelland
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UEFA Champions League
Wed 5th Dec - Group E
Wed 5th Dec - Group F
Wed 5th Dec - Group G
Wed 5th Dec - Group H
Tables
UEFA Champions League Group A
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paris St Germain | 6 | 15 |
| 2 | FC Porto | 6 | 13 |
| 3 | Dynamo Kiev | 6 | 5 |
| 4 | Dinamo Zagreb | 6 | 1 |
UEFA Champions League Group B
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Schalke | 6 | 12 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 6 | 10 |
| 3 | Olympiakos FC | 6 | 9 |
| 4 | Montpellier | 6 | 2 |
UEFA Champions League Group C
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malaga | 6 | 12 |
| 2 | AC Milan | 6 | 8 |
| 3 | Zenit St. Petersburg | 6 | 7 |
| 4 | Anderlecht | 6 | 5 |
UEFA Champions League Group D
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Borussia Dortmund | 6 | 14 |
| 2 | Real Madrid | 6 | 11 |
| 3 | Ajax | 6 | 4 |
| 4 | Manchester City | 6 | 3 |
UEFA Champions League Group E
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Juventus | 6 | 12 |
| 2 | Shakhtar Donetsk | 6 | 10 |
| 3 | Chelsea | 6 | 10 |
| 4 | FC Nordsjaelland | 6 | 1 |
UEFA Champions League Group F
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bayern Munich | 6 | 13 |
| 2 | Valencia | 6 | 13 |
| 3 | BATE Borisov | 6 | 6 |
| 4 | Lille | 6 | 3 |
UEFA Champions League Group G
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barcelona | 6 | 13 |
| 2 | Celtic | 6 | 10 |
| 3 | Benfica | 6 | 8 |
| 4 | Spartak Moscow | 6 | 3 |
UEFA Champions League Group H
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester United | 6 | 12 |
| 2 | Galatasaray | 6 | 10 |
| 3 | CFR Cluj-Napoca | 6 | 10 |
| 4 | Braga | 6 | 3 |
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Chelsea duo Petr Cech and Gary Cahill blamed results against Juventus as the reason for the Blues becoming the first defending Champions League winners to fall at the group stage.
