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UEFA Champions League: Anderlecht eye unwelcome record in trip to Chelsea [Tue Sep 13th, 2005]
London (Reuters) - Anderlecht risk setting a record of eight consecutive Champions League defeats when they open their campaign against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Anderlecht's fate, the unlikely prospect of Inter Milan facing Slovak club Artmedia, named after an advertising agency, and the hopes of a below-strength Real Madrid at Olympique Lyon will be among the night's other highlights.
Holders Liverpool and their Spanish contingent headed by manager Rafael Benitez face Real Betis in Seville, while beaten finalists AC Milan open at home to Fenerbahce.
Few will be envying Anderlecht, who have seven losses on the board before tackling the Premier League champions in Group G.
Anderlecht coach Frank Vercauteren was not satisfied with their 3-1 win over Mouscron at the weekend, courtesy of a brace from Nenad Jestrovic and one from Mbo Mpenza.
"We didn't play well against Mouscron and will not have impressed Chelsea," Vercauteren told Reuters.
"The bonus was that both strikers scored and Jestrovic got two as he has had a difficult start to the season."
Chelsea are flying after taking all 15 points from their opening five games of the season - having limbered up by beating London rivals Arsenal in the Community Shield.
Coach Jose Mourinho, who guided Porto to Champions League glory last year but whose Chelsea side were knocked out by Liverpool in last season's semi-finals, will be in a similar hurry to dispense with the group games.
In particular, he will want to settle the score with Liverpool, who they meet at Anfield in a fortnight's time.
ZIDANE INJURED
Real Madrid head for Lyon without suspended Brazil striker Ronaldo or injured France playmaker Zinedine Zidane.
Their hosts have won the last four Ligue 1 titles and look poised to finally make an impact in Europe. Playing Real will provide a good measure of both their progress and ambition.
Slovak champions Artmedia unexpectedly made it through from the first qualifying round with an annual budget of under two million euros - a trifling sum to the likes of Inter.
"Compared with our opponents, we are a small club... but we have big hearts," said coach Vladimir Weiss.
Last season's semi-finalists PSV Eindhoven should take the points at home to a Schalke 04 side whose shaky start to the Bundesliga season continued with a 1-1 draw at Bayer Leverkusen.
"If we want to achieve our goals this season we need to cut out the defensive mistakes," said Schalke keeper Frank Rost.
Schalke have also lost international striker Gerald Asamoah to long-term injury, while PSV's Brazilian defender Alex is out with a knee problem.
South African striker Benni McCarthy will miss Porto's game at Rangers after being dropped for Saturday's win over Rio Ave by Dutch coach Co Adriaanse for disciplinary reasons.
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