FC Copenhagen looked like a dream draw for Chelsea when the Champions League last 16 pairings were made in December, but you can count on nothing where the Blues are concerned anymore.
Certainly the Danish champions, playing at this stage for the first ever time, can be considered favourable opponents for a Blues side whose chance of seasonal silverware is surely solely down to European competition now.
But with Chelsea struggling for goals and only three of their players playing at their best (so says under-fire boss Carlo Ancelotti) the threat of a second successive last 16 exit is a real one, and could be the one that finishes off the former AC Milan boss.
The Premier League summit is 12 points up and the FA Cup has gone as well, so finally cracking Europe is a grail most holy for the Blues. They have all the talent they need to get past a Copenhagen side whose domestic season is not even ongoing at the moment, it’s just a matter of things gelling – and they have not been for some time.
The signing of Fernando Torres has made picking his team even more of a chore for Ancelotti. It was bad enough before when he had a pack of underperforming strikers before adding another. Still, Torres has the sort of quality in his locker to light up their chances in this competition. The January signing of Nicolas Anelka helped get them to the final three years ago and Ancelotti will hope for a similar European impact for the thus far lacklustre Torres.
Regardless of his form, his not being cup-tied is a boost and the player himself has said he has been hungry to get back into the Champions League. If he can prove it with a worthy performance then Copenhagen are in for a tough and tiring night. Torres though is just one of the many players in blue to not make the shortlist of in-form men. They all have to get their act together to avoid losing on a ground where Manchester United were beaten in the group stages a few years ago.
Chelsea’s European form was perfect this season until they lost their last group game to Marseille just when their domestic performance levels were plummeting as well. They need to get back on their European horse in a more steady manner than they have at home or Copenhagen could pounce and kill off a dying campaign for the Blues.
But then again Chelsea’s players know their season has come down to this competition now and it would be utterly negligent of them to fall at this early stage. Whether they have it in them to get a convincing win to help their momentum going forward in the competition is unsure, but they still have to be cautiously confident of overseeing this particular hurdle.
David Luiz is not available to Ancelotti, having already played for Benfica in this season’s competition, but Torres will start, most likely at the expense of Didier Drogba, who cut a sullen figure when overlooked for the Spain man last week at Fulham.
One of the performing trinity, Branislav Ivanovic, will likely partner another, John Terry, in central defence, with Jose Bosingwa a likely starter at right back. Yuri Zhirkov and Yossi Benayoun are injured.
One of the men Chelsea will face in the Danish capital is the man credited with Roman Abramovich’s takeover of the Blues. Well he credits himself with it anyway. Jesper Gronkjaer played with the Blues for four seasons from 2000 and scored the goal on the final day of the 2002/03 season that beat Liverpool and bagged the Blues a place in the Champions League. Abramovich took over that summer and Chelsea have not been out of the headlines - or indeed the Champions League - since.
Gronkjaer is looking forward to facing his old side at the Parken Stadium, but he and his team-mates can surely not have the sort of match practice levels truly required for this stage of the competition, given that their winter break has kept them off the field.
The rest might have helped them, but it also took away from an undefeated domestic campaign thus far and with it plenty of momentum. They are 19 points clear at the top of their own division, and have not lost at their own patch in Europe this term either, drawing 1-1 with Barcelona.
Despite his maturing years, Gronkjaer remains the biggest threat in the Copenhagen side, whose last six games have been friendlies against fellow Scandinavian teams. The rest of the team is young, but dangerous. Strikers Cesar Santin and Dame N’Doye share the top scorers’ mantle domestically, though the former may start on the bench on Wednesday, with Gronkjaer likely to act as a support player to N’Doye. Mind you, manager Stale Solbakken could do worse then pit him directly against the susceptible Bosingwa or Paolo Ferreira.
Former Wimbledon midfielder Solbakken has a full squad to choose from for the game apart from central defender Solvi Ottesen. Oscar Wednt is a much sought-after full back, while Cristian Bolanos’ pace will be a threat down the right, with the holding role set to go to William Kvist.
The other man to watch is the talented Brazilian midfielder Claudemir, who will aid Kvist in helping out the defence, but can also get forward and provide a threat – he scored against Barca.
Chelsea have the cushion of a second leg to come at Stamford Bridge in three weeks but, after three games in which they have not scored in 90 minutes and the concession of the two titles they won last season, anything but a win in this first leg would pile even more uncertainty on Ancelotti's head. His side shold get it, but it might not be too glamorous.
Possible teams:
FC Copenhagen: Wiland; Jorgensen, Antonsson, Wendt, Pospech; Claudemir, Bolanos, Kvist, Vingaard; Gronkjaer; N’Doye.
Chelsea: Cech; Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole; Essien, Mikel, Lampard; Anelka, Malouda, Torres.