Only victory on Mourinho's mind

Memorable encounters
The implications of this return fixture with their English rivals are irrelevant, he claims, because it is unclear whether Chelsea's UEFA Champions League ambitions will be best served by finishing first or second in the section. Mourinho and his team are mindful of the fact that having won last season's group by a comfortable margin they were then paired with FC Barcelona in the next round. The Londoners went through after two memorable encounters but it was a close-run thing.

Possible opponents
With both Liverpool and Chelsea assured of a place in the draw for the knockout stages, Mourinho listed possible future opponents to explain why he is unsure as to the best scenario for his side. "Juventus or [FC] Bayern [München] - I don't feel there is a big difference, and there are other examples," he said. "Do you prefer to play against Real Madrid [CF] or [Olympique] Lyonnais? In almost every group this is the picture.

Home or away
"If you win the group your first game in the next round is away, whereas if you finish second your first game is at home. Again I don't see a big difference. So I just look at the game as an opportunity to win. As for the consequences of the result, I don't see any. Unless you next play a team without much experience in the Champions League, like [FC] Artmedia, the draw will be very dark, you don't know what will happen."

Bitter memory
Chelsea have a point to prove against these opponents having lost the 2004/05 semi-final to Liverpool, who went on to lift the trophy. It remains a bitter memory and it can hardly have consoled them to hear Dietmar Hamann describe the English champions on the eve of this game as "probably the best side in Europe last year".

Upper hand
From the team crowned champions of Europe that is some admission. In domestic football there is no argument about who holds the upper hand with Chelsea coming out on top in their last four meetings, most recently with a 4-1 triumph at Anfield which broke the pattern of tight, hard-fought affairs. "In the past we could not score against them and they could not score against us," Mourinho added. "When Liverpool play against us they adapt and use three players in the centre of midfield to try and control the defensive side of the game. They are very organised."

Ten-point advantage
Certainly, no one should expect a glut of goals at Stamford Bridge after Liverpool extended their run of matches without conceding to eight with Saturday's 3-0 defeat of Wigan Athletic FC, a result which took them to third in the Premiership. Chelsea's 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough FC was their fourth in succession without a goal against and maintained a ten-point advantage at the top.

Improved team
With qualification guaranteed, Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez will rest midfielder Xabi Alonso, while Jerzy Dudek and Boudewijn Zenden also have not travelled. This season's Liverpool are a superior outfit to the one that tasted glory in May, Benitez argued: "We have a better squad and can manage each game better. Last term we did not have a big squad and with lots of injuries there were many difficulties for us."

Chelsea problems
Mourinho has no such flexibility: Hernán Crespo, Joe Cole, Claude Makelele and Glen Johnson are all missing through injury, leaving him with only 18 available players.