One club is ahead of the game; one has to yet to figure out its course this season. Two clubs heading in two very different directions take on each other in the Champions League.

Crisis in Gelsenkirchen is nothing new. However, sometimes, the escalation of the crisis is not foreseen even by the most knowledgeable Schalke supporters. Schalke seemed to have finally found their footing against Bayern in the 1-1 draw on Matchday Two of the Bundesliga. However, Mönchengladbach put four past them with utmost ease on Matchday Three; Schalke could only reply once. The omens ahead of the match against Chelsea are not good ones. When Schalke click, they can take on most opponents. In their best form, they would have a hard time against Chelsea though. In their current form, a respectable loss is the best they can hope for. Schalke's defense is extremely porous at this point.

Chelsea meanwhile is scoring for fun in the Premier League. They have gone behind in the Premier League such as against Burnley and more recently against Swansea. However, they have turned matches around in a stylish manner in no small part thanks to their new striker, Diego Costa. Ever since Didier Drogba's strike against Bayern in 2012, Chelsea has not had a striker scoring consistently for them. Costa has already struck seven times this season. He can take Schalke apart without the assistance of his colleagues.

Schalke's head coach, Jens Keller is under more pressure than ever. Firstly, rumors of Schalke's interest in former Mainz boss, Thomas Tuchel, are refusing to die down. Also, Keller does not really point to the actual problem in press conferences. His lack of charisma contributes to the lack of respect he is offered at times. He reminds viewers about injuries; Schalke's list of absences is not short. However, injuries can be overcome as Jürgen Klopp demonstrated in his side's 2-0 win over Arsenal.

If Keller somehow manages to get something out of the match against Chelsea, he will help raise the mood. Currently a dark cloud hangs over the Veltins Arena; it has yet to burst though. The storm has not yet arrived.

Chelsea vs Schalke 04 team sheets

Chelsea's lineup: Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry (c), Filipe Luis; Matic, Fabregas; Ramires, Willian, Hazard; Drogba.

Chelsea's subs: Cech, Zouma, Azpilicueta, Mikel, Oscar, Remy, Diego Costa

Schalke's lineup: Fährmann - Höger, Ayhan, Neustädter, Fuchs - Boateng, Aogo - Sam, Meyer, Draxler - Huntelaar

Schalke's subs: Wetklo - Friedrich, Clemens, Choupo-Moting, Obasi, Barnetta, Avdijaj

Where To Watch This Match - Live Stream, Start Time, TV Channels, Live Scores

Watch Chelsea vs Schalke 04 live on Wednesday, September 17, 2014:

In the US at 14.45 EST on:

In Canada at 14.45 ET on:

In the UK at 19.45 BST on:

In Australia at 04:45 (Thursday) on: 

For complete details of match listings and live scores, visit the Chelsea vs Schalke match page.


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