to theChampionsLeaguetitle when the Blues travel to Roberto Di
Matteo's Schalke 04 on Tuesday.
Victory will confirm Chelsea's place in theChampionsLeague's knock-out
phase, but the focus will be on Mourinho's opposite number on the
Schalke bench.
Chelsea coach Mourinho, the self-styled 'Special One', won
theChampionsLeaguetitle as Inter Milan coach in 2010 and Porto boss in
2004, but the European crown has so far eluded him in his two stints
at Stamford Bridge.
PremierLeagueleaders Chelsea are unbeaten in their first
12leaguematches -- a club record -- and strolled to a 2-0 win over West
Bromwich Albion at home on Saturday with goals by Diego Costa and Eden
Hazard.
Chelsea face Schalke in Gelsenkirchen as Group G leaders, three points
clear of their second-placed German hosts, but the PremierLeagueside
have a much better goal difference.
Di Matteo has won all four of his home matches since taking charge of
Schalke last month and is in his first role since being sacked by
Chelsea in November 2012, just six months after winning
theChampionsLeaguetitle.
Mourinho clearly did not like to be reminded that he will be up
against the only coach to bring theChampionsLeagueto Stamford Bridge
and insisted it is Chelsea against Schalke, not him against Di Matteo.
"I don't play against him," said Mourinho dryly.
"If I play against him, he wins because he plays better than me.
Unless I am fitter, which I don't know, but normally he wins because
he is much better than me.
"It is Chelsea against Schalke, it is not me against Di Matteo."
Schalke earned a point at Stamford Bridge in September, before Di
Matteo took charge, when Cesc Fabregas's early goal for the hosts was
cancelled out by Klaas-Jan Huntelaar's second-half equaliser.
Mourinho said his team's aim is to finish top of their group and have
their place in the knock-out stage confirmed as quickly as possible.
"The group is easy to analyse, we can finish first, second or third," he said.
"To finish third and go to the EuropaLeagueshould be something that
would be against the evolution of this team.
"This team wants to be a very good team and to be a very good team you
have to play against the best teams in the best competitions."
Di Matteo's Schalke enjoyed a 3-2 win over Wolfsburg on Saturday,
which ended Wolves' eight-match winning streak and pushed the Royal
Blues up to seventh in the table.
The Italian, also a former Chelsea player, said there will be no room
for sentiment on Tuesday.
"For me personally, I'll just concentrate on my work of trying to win
the game for Schalke. Chelsea also played on Saturday and they are in
the same position as us in terms of recovery," he said.
"We have theChampionsLeaguegame on Tuesday where everything is still
open and anything can happen, but we want to take at least a point
from the home game."
Di Matteo has said he is considering using the 5-3-2 formation which
worked well against Wolves, with full-backs Atsuto Uchida of Japan and
Austria's Christian Fuchs given licence to attack.
It paid off initially as Schalke raced into a 3-0 lead with Cameroon
striker Eric Choupo-Moting scoring twice and Fuchs firing home a
free-kick before Wolfsburg fought back.
Chelsea have Costa back to full fitness with the 11-goal striker
saying he is "totally recovered" from nagging groin and hamstring
injuries after a fortnight of rest during the international break.
"It's easy to see the difference in him now. He can run, he can
sprint, he can get behind people, he can challenge for every duel,"
Mourinho said.
"It was very important for him to have these two weeks to recover properly."
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