A few hours after arriving in Bordeaux for tomorrow's Champions League clash, Felipe Scolari discussed some of the differences between the European competition and the domestic league.

Defeat to Roma in our last outing in Europe and a goalless draw away to Cluj contrast with a 100 per cent away record at home and our Brazilian manager suggested a reason for the disparity.

'In the Champions League we play against the best teams in Europe, it is different than when we play in the Premier League.

'In the Premier League we play against A, B and C, but also we play against X and Z.

'But here [in Europe] all the clubs in the Champions League are first, second or third in their country. In England we play against first, second, 18th,19th or 15th. So it is different.

'We have more opportunity to win games there than when we play away in the Champions League.'

The Chelsea squad arrived in France Tuesday lunchtime and trained in Bordeaux's Stade Chaban-Delmas under floodlights in the evening.

Alex, who missed the last two games with a groin strain suffered against Burnley, took part in the session but Ricardo Carvalho, Juliano Belletti and Franco Di Santo have remained in England due to injury. They will be joined at Cobham by suspended Deco and long-term absentee Michael Essien.

Miroslav Stoch, the reserve team's Slovakian Under 21 international winger was also part of the group being put through their paces in a stadium with a unique character.

The entrance and adjacent club buildings are reminiscent of a 1930s lido while the arena itself is low and spacious, with shallow-banked curved ends behind each goal. The 2,100 Chelsea fans with tickets will be in the corner of one of these, opposite and to the left of the tunnel entrance.

With tomorrow's game our final away match of the group stage, Scolari is looking for victory and guaranteed qualification to the next round.

However, Bordeaux's performances have improved of late, and they will head into this game on the back of two straight wins in the Champions League, a big contrast to the 4-0 thrashing they suffered at Stamford Bridge.

'I know Bordeaux have very good players, they lost against us, but 4-0 is not a normal result. They are playing well in the French league and are in a good condition at the moment.

'We respect this team. They have six points and we have only seven, not much difference.

'But we need to qualify; we need to arrive in the next round. We lost one chance against Roma and tomorrow is the second chance for us and neither I nor my players will expect a wasted opportunity. Tomorrow is the day.'

With an uncharacteristic away defeat against Roma last month, Scolari believes the final result that evening was testament to Roma's resilience and will have little impact on Wednesday's match in France.

'That was a game which if Roma lost; they were out of the competition. They played better than us by 100 per cent.

'This may be because we are more adapted in England than when we play away in the Champions League. But now it is important to us, because tomorrow we play for the next round.'


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