For our second tie in this competition, Stamford Bridge will again host the decisive second leg against Steaua Bucharest. Exactly a year ago today Stamford Bridge witnessed a night on which the Chelsea lion roared to one of the greatest comebacks in Champions League history. High-flying Napoli led 3-1 from the first leg in southern Italy and only a brilliant goal-line clearance from Ashley Cole prevented a worse deficit. Even in times of bleakness Chelsea offers hope

In the return Walter Mazzarri's men, favourites to progress until 15 minutes from the end of normal time with the score 2-1 to the Blues, were taken to extra time by Frank Lampard and then blown away as Branislav Ivanovic swept in the most important goal of his career.

Only four other sides have overcome a two-goal first leg deficit in the Champions League - the Blues were victims in another, against Barcelona in the 1999/2000 quarter-final. Two months later Didier Drogba stroked in the winning penalty to bring the European Cup to London for the first time.

The champions of Europe were humbled in the group stage this season, though, and an additional cost was extra Europa League matches added to an already congested fixtures list.

Chelsea's love affair with the FA Cup - represented in a remarkable record of one defeat in 39 games (excluding shootouts) - has complicated the schedule even further. The Blues' magnificent 4,500 away supporters at Old Trafford witnessed a second half as inspirational as Napoli.

And, as much as the sheen of league champions elect Manchester United appeared tarnished at the end, with Chelsea unfortunate not to win 3-2, the Londoners' young, transitional team came together in an energetic passion play seen too rarely this season.

However the FA Cup replay has now been shoe-horned into a calendar that would see Thursdays 4 and 11 April booked for the Europa League quarter-finals should the Blues shoot down the Star tonight. Chelsea already travel to Southampton on Saturday 30 March and host Man United on the Monday lunchtime.

In Chelsea's potentially record-breaking season for matches played it would be unsettling to play three games in six days, as is now possible. But, unlike some, our club aims to compete fully in every competition.

And another moment in the perennial quest for silverware offers itself tonight, following a disappointing performance in Bucharest. Since the 0-1 defeat from a penalty kick, Steaua's controversial owner Gigi Becali has suggested on Romanian TV that the European champions were lost, 'destroyed', slow, and incapable of scoring three goals against the Liga 1 leaders.

He obviously did not expect relegation-haunted Ceahlăul Piatra Neamţ to put three past his beloved side the very next weekend, albeit in a 4-3 away win. Steaua (pronounced Stay-oo-uh) have never won on English soil and lost on their last four visits. Further evidence, perhaps, that football is a game best played, not predicted.

Do remember this is an 8.05pm BST kick-off. Should the score after 90 minutes be 1-0 to Chelsea extra time will be played and, if

necessary, penalties. Any other scoreline will result in the game ending after normal time as the away-goals rule applies.
Chelsea have won three of our last five penalty shoot-outs, the last and most famous being at the Allianz Arena in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich. Steaua have won all four of their shoot-outs in Europe, the most recent being against Ajax in the previous round.

The draw for the Europa League quarter-finals is tomorrow (Friday) at 11.40 GMT. It will be an open draw, with no teams seeded. Clubs from the same national association may be drawn against each other.


- Match preview by chelseafc.com (Rick Glanvill and Paul Dutton )