Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho says he expects Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Galatasaray to be a tight game.
The Blues appear to be well placed to secure a quarter-final spot having scored a potentially crucial away goal in the 1-1 draw in the first leg three weeks ago.
But the Turkish side caused them plenty of problems in the second half in Istanbul and Mourinho believes they will be tough opponents at Stamford Bridge.
He said: “It’s 1-1 and if you look at the first game, one team was better in the first half and another was better in the second.
“It will be the same kind of match with the result going to the end. I don’t think one team will make a result where people at half-time know who is going to win. Everything is the balance.”
Galatasary’s ex-Chelsea striker Didier Drogba will be the centre of attention on his return to the Bridge and is sure to receive a fantastic reception from the home fans.
And Mourinho suggested that the Ivorian, whose contract expires at the end of the season, will end up returning to Chelsea in some capacity in the future.
But he also warned that Drogba, at 36, is still capable of making a major impact against his former club.
”Is he the same player he was at 26? Nobody is. But he’s one of the best strikers in the world, that’s for sure,” Mourinho declared.
During eight years at Chelsea, Drogba won three Premier League titles, four FA Cups and two League Cups before his winning penalty in a shoot-out against Bayern Munich clinched the Champions League in 2012.
He netted nine times in cup finals and is fourth on the list of Chelsea’s all-time scorers, with 157 goals.
Drogba said: “With all the respect that I have for this club, for the fans and for the players, I might not celebrate, but if we win I’ll be happy.
“I have nothing to prove to this club. Everything I had to prove I think I did it with Chelsea.
“I just want to win the game. There’s nothing personal against Chelsea, there will never be.”
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This post was last modified on 18/03/2014