CHELSEA STATS
The Blues are unbeaten in 10 home European games (eight wins, two draws) since losing to Manchester United in the 2010/11 Champions League quarter-finals.
The Blues are looking to become the only English club to win all three major UEFA competitions having won the Champions League last season and the Cup Winners' Cup in 1971 and 1998. Three clubs that have achieved it are Juventus, Ajax and Bayern Munich.
This is the 28th successive midweek that our players have either played for the club or been away on international duty. The last clear week all the players were at Cobham training was the last week of August leading up to the Super Cup against Atlético Madrid.
| 2008/09 |
CFR Cluj |
W 2-1 |
Champions League group stage |
Chelsea's last ten years in Europe
2002/03 - UEFA Cup - first round
2003/04 - Champions League - semi-final
2004/05 - Champions League - semi-final
2005/06 - Champions League - round of 16
2006/07 - Champions League - semi-final
2007/08 - Champions League - runners-up
2008/09 - Champions League - semi-final
2009/10 - Champions League - round of 16
2010/11 - Champions League - quarter-final
2011/12 - Champions League - winners
| Feb 21 |
Sparta Prague (Europa League h) |
D 1-1 |
| Feb 24 |
Manchester City (a) |
L 0-2 |
| Feb 27 |
Middlesbrough (FA Cup 5 a) |
W 2-0 |
| Mar 2 |
West Brom (h) |
W 1-0 |
| Mar 7 |
Steaua Bucharest (Europa League a) |
L 0-1 |
| Mar 10 |
Manchester United (FA Cup a) |
D 2-2 |
Scorers Mata 17, Torres 15 (1 pen), Lampard 13 (5 pens), E Hazard 11 (2 pens), Oscar 9 (1 pen), Ramires 8, Cahill 6, Ivanovic 6, Moses 6, Ba 4, D Luiz 4 (2 pens), Bertrand 2, Sturridge 2, Terry 2, Cole 1, Marin 1, Romeu 1 (pen), own goals 3. Total 111.
| Sun 17 Mar |
West Ham home |
4pm |
| Sun 31 Mar |
Southampton away |
4pm |
| Mon 1 Apr |
Man United (FA Cup QF replay) home |
12.30pm |
MILESTONES
Frank Lampard needs one goal to reach 200 goals for Chelsea and three to equal our all-time top scorer Bobby Tambling.
If selected, John Mikel Obi will make his 50th European appearance for the Blues. He will join six players who have reached that milestone for Chelsea: John Terry, Frank Lampard, Petr Cech, Didier Drogba, Ashley Cole and Joe Cole.
Chelsea's next European goal will be our 300th in UEFA competition. This does not include the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup that was not under the jurisdiction of UEFA.
Congratulations to Marko Marin who celebrated his 24th birthday yesterday (Wednesday).
STEAUA STATS
Founded 1947
Major honours
23 Romanian league titles, last in 2006
21 Romanian Cups, last in 2011
1 European Cup in 1986
1 European Super Cup in 1986
5 Romanian Super Cups, last in 2006.
Steaua have spent their whole 56-year history in the Romanian top-flight.
Last 10 league seasons
2002/03 - 2nd
2003/04 - 2nd
2004/05 - 1st
2005/06 - 1st
2006/07 - 2nd
2007/08 - 2nd
2008/09 - 6th
2009/10 - 4th
2010/11 - 5th
2011/12 - 3rd
Steaua Bucharest were the first east European team to win the European Cup (in 1986).
Steaua have won five of their 15 matches against English opposition but have yet to win away from home, where they have lost their last four.
| 1997/98 |
Aston Villa |
L 0-2 |
UEFA Cup third round first leg (agg 2-3) |
| 1999/00 |
West Ham |
D 0-0 |
UEFA Cup second round first leg (agg 2-0) |
| 2003/04 |
Southampton |
D 1-1 |
UEFA Cup first round second leg (agg 2-1) |
| 2003/04 |
Liverpool |
L 0-1 |
UEFA Cup second round first leg (agg 1-2) |
| 2005/06 |
Middlesbrough |
L 2-4 |
UEFA Cup semi-final first leg (agg 3-4) |
| 2007/08 |
Arsenal |
L 1-2 |
Champions League group stage |
| 2010/11 |
Liverpool |
L 1-4 |
Europa League group stage |
Ten-year European record
2002/03 - Did not qualify
2003/04 - UEFA Cup second round
2004/05 - UEFA Cup round of 16
2005/06 - UEFA Cup semi-finals having transferred from the Champions League third qualifying round
2006/07 - UEFA Cup round of 32 having transferred from the Champions League group stage
2007/08 - Champions League group stage
2008/09 - Champions League group stage
2009/10 - Europa League group stage
2010/11 - Europa League group stage
2011/12 - Europa League round of 32
|
Third qualifying round |
|
| Aug 2 |
Spartak Trnava (h) |
L 0-1 |
| Aug 9 |
Spartak Trnava (a) |
W 3-0 |
|
Play-offs |
|
| Aug 23 |
Ekranas (a) |
W 2-0 |
| Aug 30 |
Ekranas (h) W 3-0 |
|
|
Group E |
|
| Sep 20 |
VfB Stuttgart (a) |
D 2-2 |
| Oct 4 |
FC Copenhagen (h) |
W 1-0 |
| Oct 25 |
Molde (h) |
W 2-0 |
| Nov 8 |
Molde (a) |
W 2-1 |
| Nov 22 |
VfB Stuttgart (h) |
L 1-5 |
| Dec 6 |
FC Copenhagen (a) |
D 1-1 |
|
Round of 32 |
|
| Feb 14 |
Ajax (a) |
L 0-2 |
| Feb 21 |
Ajax (h) (won 4-2 on pens) |
W 2-0aet |
|
Round of 16 |
|
| Mar 7 |
Chelsea (h) |
W 1-0 |
Europa League proper scorers (excluding qualifying games):
Rusescu 4 (2 pens), Chipciu 2, Chiricheş 2, Latovlevici 2, Costea 1, own goal 1. Total 12.
| Nov 26 |
Braşov (a) |
L 1-3 |
| Nov 30 |
Concordia Chiajna (a) |
W 6-0 |
| Dec 10 |
Astra Ploieşti (h) |
W 2-0 |
| Feb 25 |
Universitatea Cluj (a) |
W 1-0 |
| Mar 2 |
Gaz Metan Mediaş (h) |
W 3-0 |
| Mar 10 |
Ceahlăul Piatra Neamţ (a) |
W 4-3 |
|
|
Pld |
Gd |
Pts |
| 1 |
Steaua Bucharest |
22 |
+36 |
56 |
| 2 |
Astra Ploieşti |
22 |
+24 |
44 |
| 3 |
Pandurii Târgu Jiu |
22 |
+6 |
41 |
| 4 |
Dinamo Bucharest |
22 |
+11 |
39 |
| 5 |
Petrolul Ploieşti |
22 |
+12 |
38 |
| 6 |
Vaslui |
22 |
+11 |
37 |
| 7 |
CFR Cluj |
22 |
+12 |
34 |
THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE
Referee Stéphane Lannoy, his two assistant referees and two additional assistant referees, are from France. Lannoy was in charge of our Champions League group stage match against Bayer Leverkusen at Stamford Bridge last season.
OTHERWISE ENGAGED
There are no suspensions.
Demba Ba is cup-tied having already played for Newcastle in this season's competition.
Europa League bookings list
Players receive a one-match suspension for collecting three and five yellow cards
Steaua (15): Bourceanu 3 (already served his suspension), Chipciu 2, Latovlevici 2, Prepeliţă 2, Chiricheş 1, Filip 1, Gardoş 1, Nikolić 1, Pintilii 1, Popa 1
Chelsea (10): D Luiz 3 (already served his suspension), Bertrand 2, Ramires 2, Cahill 1, Cole 1, Mikel 1
