Chelsea are hoping to qualify for our 12th final over the 10 years of the Roman Abramovich era, and our fifth European final overall. It's the final Thursday game of the season as the quest for silverware continues. Basel natives refer to themselves as 'Bebbi' and after last week's blow to morale inflicted on their home ground by Chelsea, they need a show of smouldering defiance. Perhaps they could emulate Patrick Swayze and proclaim, 'Nobody puts Bebbi in a corner.'

There was little Dirty Dancing in Basel last Thursday though perhaps Eden Hazard gave them the old Basel-dazzle. David Luiz broke their hearts but it was the Belgian who swept the Swiss off their feet and Chelsea had enough chances to win more comfortably.

What we know for sure is that to progress to the final in Amsterdam on 15 May Basel would have to win tonight by a scoreline greater than 1-0. The Swiss champions have bullishly said they have 'nothing to lose' but their impressive recent scalps in UEFA competitions were founded on fine home form. They have never won an away game in Europe after the winter break.

Nor have Basel ever won on English soil. The victory in Switzerland last week was also the first by a Chelsea side in an away European semi-final first leg. Of the previous six, we lost four and drew two.

The champions of Europe could yet win the Europa League before relinquishing the Champions League title. No side has ever won the two trophies that way round - typical contrary Chelsea, should it happen.

Basel's priorities may also have shifted over the past week. On Sunday Murat Yakin's men looked jaded in a 0-3 league defeat by Lucerne at St Jakob-Park. They were last beaten at home without scoring way back in May 2009 - Christian Gross's final game in charge.

The result allowed deadly rivals Grasshoppers to move three points behind the title holders and the Zurich club's next fixture is a relatively easy one at home to Servette, marooned at the foot of the Swiss Super League. Basel face an away to fourth-placed Sion.

Should Yakin risk injured Fabian Schär, his side's defensive lynchpin, and striker Marco Streller tonight, or allow them to recover fully for Sunday?

Chelsea travel to Old Trafford this weekend knowing that a haul of nine points from the remaining 12 available will guarantee a top-four finish.

On Sunday Frank Lampard equalled Andy Cole's record of scoring against 38 different Premier League clubs for Chelsea and West Ham. He is now just one goal behind all-time top scorer Bobby Tambling, who hit 202.

This is the 35th successive midweek our players have played for club or country. The last clear week all the players were at Cobham training was the final week of August leading up to the Super Cup against Atlético Madrid.

Nine players from Chelsea and Basel's squads will be suspended for the final if they are booked tonight (four from Chelsea and five from Basel).

If the score after 90 minutes is 2-1 to Basel then extra time will be played and if necessary penalties. The away goals rule applies so any other score will result in the game ending after normal time.

Chelsea have won three of our last five penalty shoot-outs, the last being at the Allianz Arena in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich. Basel's shoot-out win against Tottenham in the last round was their first in UEFA competitions.

The winners tonight will play Fenerbahçe or Benfica at the Amsterdam Arena on Wednesday 15 May. Chelsea have beaten both the other semi-finalists in our only encounters to date.

Former Blues Miroslav Stoch and Raul Meireles of Fenerbahçe take a 1-0 lead to Portugal from last week. The influential Luisão was missing for Benfica with a thigh injury and the Turks dominated aerial battles. Meireles was carried off on a stretcher after an hour.

The Águias's last two defeats in all competitions at Estádio da Luz were against Barça this season and Chelsea last.


- Match preview by chelseafc.com