Steaua
UEFA milestones and competition statistics
• Of Steaua’s UEFA Champions League squad, only Pantelis Kapetanos (with CFR 1907 Cluj) and Ionuţ Neagu (FC Oţelul Galaţi) had played in the group stage before this season.
• Steaua have conceded 346 goals in UEFA competition.
Summer transfers
• In: Federico Piovaccari (UC Sampdoria), Florin Niţă (CS Concordia Chiajna), Nicolae Stanciu (FC Vaslui), Adrian Cristea (FC Petrolul Ploieşti), Pantelis Kapetanos (CFR 1907 Cluj), Ionuţ Neagu (FC Oţelul Galaţi), Fernando Varela (FC Vaslui).
• Out: Raul Rusescu (Sevilla FC), Vlad Chiricheş (Tottenham Hotspur FC), Răzvan Stanca (CS Pandurii Târgu Jiu), Adi Rocha (Gamba Osaka), Valentin Lupu (AFC Săgeata Năvodari, loan), Ionuţ Năstăsie (FC Viitorul Constanţa, loan).
General information
• Steaua are undefeated in the league this season, winning six and drawing one of their opening seven fixtures, scoring 19 goals in the process.
• Laurenţiu Reghecampf rested 12 players as Steaua booked a place in the Romanian Cup round of 16 last Thursday with a 4-0 victory over fourth-tier AS Avântul Bârsana. There were five debutants – Neagu, Niţă, Florin Mitriţă, Varela and Toni Răzvan – as Mihai Răduţ and summer signing Kapetanos scored two goals apiece.
• Alexandru Chipciu has not played since having surgery on his tibia on 21 May.
• Steaua’s matchday one defeat at FC Schalke 04 ended an 11-match unbeaten run away from home, stretching back to 14 March and the 3-1 defeat at Chelsea in the UEFA Europa League round of 16.
• Steaua won their 24th title in 2012/13, their first in seven years, by a record 16-point margin. They added a sixth Romanian Super Cup (also a record) by beating cup holders Petrolul Ploieşti 3-0 on 10 July.
Chelsea
UEFA milestones and competition statistics
• Chelsea’s next draw in Europe will be their 50th.
• Ramires returns from a one-game ban following his red card in the UEFA Super Cup loss to FC Bayern München.
Summer transfers
• In: Willian (FC Anji Makhachkala), André Schürrle (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Marco van Ginkel (Vitesse), Mark Schwarzer (Fulham FC), Samuel Eto’o (FC Anji Makhachkala).
• Out: Thibaut Courtois (Club Atlético de Madrid, loan), Marko Marin (Sevilla FC, loan), Oriol Romeu (Valencia FC, loan), Victor Moses (Liverpool FC, loan), Romelu Lukaku (Everton FC, loan), Yossi Benayoun (released), Florent Malouda (Trabzonspor AŞ), Ross Turnbull (Doncaster Rovers FC), Paulo Ferreira (retired), Jeffrey Bruma (PSV Eindhoven).
General information
• John Terry scored his first goal of the campaign as Chelsea, who had Fernando Torres sent off (81), recovered to draw 1-1 at Tottenham Hotspur FC. Terry has registered in each of the last 14 Premier League seasons.
• Chelsea have 11 points from six games this season, as they had in September 2007 when José Mourinho’s first spell at Stamford Bridge ended.
• Chelsea ended 2012/13 a season-best ten games unbeaten and extended that sequence to 14 this term (the shoot-out loss in the UEFA Super Cup is counted as a draw) before back-to-back defeats by Everton FC and FC Basel 1893. They returned to winning ways with a 2-0 derby victory over Fulham before beating Swindon Town FC in the English League Cup on 24 September to set up a last-16 meeting with Arsenal FC.
• Van Ginkel is expected to be out until March after undergoing anterior cruciate ligament surgery following an injury sustained against Swindon.
• Mourinho is unbeaten at Stamford Bridge in 63 Premier League fixtures.
• Frank Lampard became the eighth England player to win 100 caps in September in a 0-0 draw in Ukraine. Michael Essien made his first appearance for Ghana since January 2010 against Zambia on 6 September.
