A significant step forward in the season could be taken near the banks of the La Garonne tonight. Club historian Rick Glanvill and club statistician Paul Dutton prepare for an important Anglo-Gallic contest.

TALKING POINTS
The good news: victory for Luiz Felipe Scolari's side tonight will confirm progress to the Round of 16, maintaining Chelsea's proud record of qualifying from every Champions League group stage to date.

That would be the first away win abroad of this campaign, however, in contrast to our remarkable travels in the Barclays Premier League. In fact, Chelsea have not won in six European matches away from the Bridge; it is clearly time that changed!

Anything other than a win could leave Chelsea needing to see off CFR 1907 Cluj in the last match - and the Romanians managed a dogged 0-0 when we met at their place. Helpfully, Didier Drogba, star of Chelsea's most recent triumph in France four years ago, is available during his domestic ban. 

KEY STAT John Terry is likely to captain Chelsea for the 250th occasion on appearance number 374 for his club.

While a Drog-free Chelsea were labouring to overcome Newcastle's blanket defence at the Bridge on Saturday, Bordeaux were also drawing, 1-1 at home to fellow title aspirants Rennes, a side on a 13-match unbeaten run. They trailed for much of the game and benefited from a defensive misunderstanding to equalise midway through the second half and retain their unbeaten home record.

Girondins' goalie Mathieu Valverde had gifted Rennes their opener when his attempted clearance was blocked by a striker and Bordeaux struggled against the visitors' physicality. While Chelsea still top the English league, Bordeaux are now sixth, eight points behind Lyon.

Their manager Laurent Blanc's contract ends in June. The club's owners might not have been quite so desperate to keep their sought-after coach had early form in the Champions League, two straight defeats, persisted. They recovered to win the next pair of matches, home and away to Cluj, and now find themselves vying for progress to the knockout phase.

Chelsea's hugely disappointing defeat in Rome - and the manner of it - will also have increased the Bordeaux camp's belief, especially as they are just one point behind the Blues, and level with Roma; early surprise package Cluj are now a further two points off the pace.

The recent 1-3 scoreline in Rome, never mind the loss of points, could affect Chelsea's fortunes. Should the Blues finish the group stage on level points, Roma's superiority on aggregate over the two legs - 3-2 - would place them higher in the final standings. Bordeaux would have to overhaul Chelsea's 4-0 advantage to finish above the Londoners if final points are the same.

Girondins de Bordeaux are also known as 'les marines et blancs' - the navy-and-whites. Why, of all clubs, do they not play in claret?

As we know, the team that tops its group plays a second-placed club in the first knockout ties, and no opponent can be from the same country. As things stand, the Group A runner-up could face Barcelona, Manchester United, Arsenal, Inter, Atlético, Lyon or Juve.

The Group A winner could be matched with Sporting, Villarreal, Porto, Anorthosis, Liverpool, Bayern or Real Madrid, a more mixed batch.

When Chelsea managed only second place in 2005/6 (having shared Group G, ludicrously, with first-placed Liverpool), José Mourinho made light of the fact. However, we drew Barcelona in the Round of 16, lost 1-2 at home, and were knocked out.

Elsewhere in this competition, Mourinho faces another Chelsea connection. Having seen off Stamford Bridge predecessor Claudio Ranieri and Juve in the race for the Scudetto last weekend, his Inter side tonight aim to end the European challenge of Panathanaikos, managed by one of his successors on the Fulham Road, Henk Ten Cate.

Other Group A fixture
Wed 7.45pm - CFR Cluj v Roma

Champions League group A table

	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Chelsea	4	2	1	1	6	3	7
Roma	4	2	0	2	7	5	6
Bordeaux	4	2	0	2	4	8	6
CFR Cluj	4	1	1	2	3	4	4

TACTICAL BRIEF
Bordeaux's hefty recent injury list is shortening, but possibly not quickly enough for this game. Thirty-six-year-old keeper Ulrich Ramé, Gabriel Obertan, Matthieu Saunier and the highly promising Jussiê were all in line for a return to training this week.

In our September encounter the Girondins had no answer to the probing of Deco (suspended tonight following his red card in Italy) or the incisiveness of José Bosingwa, and it was the right-back's cross that kick-started the win, allowing Frank Lampard to head home.

Joe Cole, hardly the tallest squad member, also stole in ahead of the visitors' defence to flick Chelsea's second. In the French league Bordeaux are known for their attacking prowess, but in London they were more conservative than usual and still far too open to hold out. They looked short on confidence, misplaced passes and made little of their second half possession.

Blanc started with a 4-2-3-1 formation with Moroccan striker Marouane Chamakh alone upfront and Fernando and Alou Diarra given defensive roles in a five-man midfield, yet his side lost the battle for the centre with their Chelsea counterparts.

However, that is the line-up the manager often favours - it earned the spoils twice against Cluj - and he may deploy it again tonight, even if the personnel are given slightly different roles than before.

He knows Chelsea always play for a win, and that even sitting back can produce a 4-0 drubbing. When needs be, Blanc has also been known to play two out-and-out forwards at Stade Chaban-Delmas, as he did on Saturday against Rennes, with four in a diamond midfield behind it.

If that is the case, Chamakh will be joined by the greater goal threat of Argentinean Fernando Cavenaghi, who has maintained his consistency, hitting the net in six of his 11 games for Bordeaux in all competitions since our win at the Bridge.

Yoann Gourcuff will rove behind, attempting to win possession high up the pitch and create scoring opportunities. As we discovered in the London game, he is behind most of Bordeaux's set plays and likes a shot from distance.

With just two games remaining, and a visit to Rome on the final night of the group phase, Blanc may feel that this is his best chance to set up passage to next year's knockout ties. The resurgent Romans face Cluj in Romania tonight, an eminently winnable game, and a draw with the group leaders at this stage could make it a long 90 minutes in the Eternal City in two weeks' time.

Chelsea have kept clean sheets in eight of our last nine games and the return of Petr Cech, Michael Ballack, Ashley Cole and Joe Cole in Saturday's game has further bolstered the squad after a tough few weeks injury-wise.

WE HAVE HISTORY
Our two sides met for the group opener back in September at the Bridge, and it ended 4-0 to the Blues. Veteran Bordelais keeper Ulrich Ramé, who will probably start after a recent injury, made several important interventions to keep the score manageable before two goals in the closing ten minutes left a scoreline more reflective of the home side's dominance.

Chelsea's most recent match in France was against Paris Saint-Germain in September 2004, and it ended in a comfortable 3-0 win. That evening also saw the emergence of Didier Drogba as a force for Chelsea. Booed all night in the France capital, he scored twice after John Terry's opener and celebrated amusingly.

Former Blues defender Bernard Lambourde was signed from Bordeaux in 1997. He is chiefly remembered at Chelsea for his two winners in 1999/2000, at Boro and, even more enjoyably, Spurs.

Girondins' goalie Ramé was a teammate in the Euro 2000 France squad of Chelsea legends Marcel Desailly and Frank Leboeuf, as well as his current manager Blanc, and dangerous opponent tonight, Nicolas Anelka.

Laurent Blanc, Bordeaux's manager since June 2007, has played against Chelsea on three occasions for Manchester United. He won one (3-0), lost one (0-3) and drew one (2-2) in his spell at Old Trafford between 2001 and 2002.

Laurent holds the record as the oldest player to score in the Champions League aged 36, 339 days, having found the net for Man Utd in their 3-2 defeat of Olympiacos in 2002.

Chelsea's only other encounter against Bordeaux was in this season's Champions League.
Chelsea 4 Bordeaux 0
Tuesday September 16th 2008 at Stamford Bridge
Referee Peter Vink (Holland)
Crowd 39,635

Chelsea Cech  Bosingwa    Carvalho       Terry (c)          A Cole  Mikel      J Cole            Deco       Lampard           Malouda  Anelka  Substitutes Ballack for Deco (60), Belletti for J Cole (73) Kalou for Malouda (83)  Scorers Lampard 13, J Cole 29, Malouda 81, Anelka 90+1  Booked Deco Chamakh Wendel          Gourcuff              Gouffran            Fernando   Diarra Placente          Diawara       Planus              Jurietti  Ramé (c)  Bordeaux  Substitute Obertan for Gouffran (65), Cavenaghi for Chamakh (65) Ducasse for Fernando (73)  Booked None

Bordeaux's heaviest ever Champions League defeat.ordeaux's heaviest ever Champions League defeat.

Chelsea's biggest away win in the Champions League
20/10/1999 Galatasaray 0-5 Chelsea First group stage

Bordeaux's biggest home win in the Champions League
22/11/2006 Bordeaux 3-1 Galatasaray Group stage

CHELSEA STATS
This season is our seventh appearance in the Champions League. We have been finalists in 2007/08, semi-finalists in 2003/04, 2004/05 and 2006/07, quarter-finalists in 1999/2000 and the last 16 in 2005/06.

Chelsea's last five years in Europe
2003/04 Champions League - semi-finals
2004/05 Champions League - semi-finals
2005/06 Champions League - round of 16
2006/07 Champions League - semi-finals
2007/08 Champions League - runners-up

Chelsea's overall record in European competition is played 147, won 78, drawn 39, lost 30. This is our 12th season in succession in Europe.

Chelsea have played 75 games in the Champions League proper (excluding qualifying games). We have won 37, drawn 22 and lost 16.

It is two days short of one year since Chelsea last won away in the Champions League. Since that 4-0 win in Rosenborg on November 28th 2007, we have drawn at Olympiacos, Liverpool and CFR Cluj and lost at Fenerbahçe and Roma.

Chelsea's away record against French teams

1999/00	Marseille	L 0-1 Champions League second group stage
2003/04	Monaco	L 1-3 Champions League semi-final
2004/05	Paris SG	W 3-0 Champions League group stage

Chelsea's last six Premier League games

Oct 26	Liverpool H	L 0-1
Oct 29	Hull A	W 3-0
Nov 1	Sunderland H	W 5-0
Nov 9	Blackburn A	W 2-0
Nov 15	WBA A	W 3-0
Nov 22	Newcastle H	D 0-0

2008/09 Champions League results

Sep 16	Bordeaux H	W 4-0
Oct 1	CFR Cluj A	D 0-0
Oct 22	Roma H	W 1-0
Nov 4	Roma A	L 1-3

2008/09 Champions League appearances
Bosingwa 4, Cech 4, Lampard 4, Malouda 4, Mikel 4, Terry 4, Anelka 3+1, Bridge 3, Deco 3, Kalou 2+2, Alex 2, Carvalho 2, J Cole 2, Ballack 1+1, Drogba 1+1, A Cole 1, Belletti 0+4, Di Santo 0+2, Ferreira 0+1.

2008/09 Champions League goals
Terry 2, Anelka 1, J Cole 1, Lampard 1, Malouda 1.


MILESTONES
If John Terry scores he will become our all-time highest scoring defender with 35. JT's next game will see him move ahead of Charlie Cooke's appearance record of 373 into 12th on our all-time list.

Alex, if selected, will make his 50th Chelsea appearance in all competitions.

BORDEAUX STATS
Major honours
French League Champions (5)
1950, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1999

French Cup winners (3)
1941, 1986, 1987

French League Cup winners (2)
2002, 2007

Champions Trophy (2)
1986, 2008

Their biggest European triumph was reaching the Uefa Cup final in 1996 with a side that featured Christophe Dugarry, Bixente Lizararu and Zinedine Zidane. Having disposed of AC Milan in the quarter finals they lost in the final to Bayern Munich 1-5 on aggregate.

Bordeaux qualified for the Champions League as runners-up of Ligue 1, four points behind Champions Lyon and 13 points ahead of third placed Marseille.

Bordeaux's last five years in Europe
2003/04 Uefa Cup - quarter-finals
2004/05 Did not qualify
2005/06 Did not qualify
2006/07 Uefa Cup - round of 32 (having transferred from the Champions League, group stage)
2007/08 Uefa Cup - round of 32

Bordeaux are looking for their first victory against an English team on French soil.

Bordeaux's home record against English teams

1997/98	Aston Villa D 0-0	Uefa Cup first round
1999/00	Man Utd L 1-2	Champions League second group stage
2006/07	Liverpool L 0-3	Champions League group stage

Bordeaux's Uefa club competition record is played 152, won 77, drawn 34, lost 41. In the European Cup / Champions League they have won 13 of their 38 games.

2008/09 Champions League results

Sep 16	Chelsea A	L 0-4
Oct 1	Roma H	L 1-3
Oct 22	CFR Cluj H	W 1-0
Nov 4	CFR Cluj A	W 2-1

2008/09 Champions League appearances
Chamakh 4, Diarra 4, Diawara 4, Fernando 4, Gourcuff 4, Jurietti 4, Planus 3+1, Chalmé 3, Gouffran 2+2, Obertan 2+2, Wendel 2+2, Ramé 2, Valverde 2, Bellion 1+1, Henrique 1, Jussie 1, Placente 1, Cavenaghi 0+1, Ducasse 0+1.

2008/09 Champions League goals
Gourcuff 2, Wendel 1, own goal 1.

Bordeaux's Marouane Chamakh has been fouled 20 times; the most of any player so far in this seasons Champions League.

Bordeaux's draw on Saturday ended a run of five successive home wins in all competitions since their defeat on October 1st against Roma in the Champions League.

MOST RECENT LINE-UP
Saturday November 22nd, Rennes (home) D 1-1
Rennes extended their unbeaten run to 13 league matches when they achieved a 1-1 draw at Bordeaux. Fourth-placed Rennes opened the scoring through midfielder Olivier Thomert in the 19th minute, only for France playmaker Yoann Gourcuff to level just before the hour.

Valverde  Chalmé          Planus      Diawara        Jurietti Diarra (c)  Fernando         Gourcuff                 Wendel Cavenaghi            Chamakh   Substitutes Gouffran for Wendel (62), Bellion for Chamakh (72) Scorer Gourcuff (60)

Bordeaux's last six in Ligue 1

Oct 25	Nice A	D 2-2
Oct 28	Le Havre H	W 4-0
Nov 1	Nancy A	L 0-1
Nov 8	Auxerre H	W 2-0
Nov 16	Lyon A	L 1-2
Nov 22	Rennes H	D 1-1

Ligue 1 table

Top		P	GD	PTS
1	Lyon	15	11	33
2	Nice	15	6	28
3	Marseille	15	11	27
4	Rennes	15	9	26
5	Paris SG	15	5	26
6	Bordeaux	15	8	25
7	Toulouse	15	2	25
8	Lille	15	6	24

The capacity of the Stade Chaban-Delmas for Champions League nights is 32,500.

THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE
Tonight's referee is Frank De Bleeckere from Belgium. He has twice officiated Chelsea matches, both at home in 2006/7: the 1-0 win over Barcelona, and the 1-1 draw with Valencia.


OTHERWISE ENGAGED
Deco is suspended (one match) for his red card in Roma on Matchday 4. Bordeaux have no-one suspended. Didier Drogba is available as his current suspension is for domestic games only.

Champions League bookings list
Three yellow cards in the Champions League will result in a one-match ban.
Chelsea Alex 1, Anelka 1, Deco 1, Malouda 1, Terry 1.
Bordeaux Chalme 2, Chamakh 1, Diarra 1, Diawara 1, Gourcuff 1, Ramé 1, Wendel 1.

There is currently a 20 per cent reduction offer on the Champions League range of merchandise at the Online Megastore.