Good evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's Champions League Group G meeting between Schalke 04 and Chelsea at the Veltins Arena. A victory for either side tonight could have a decisive say on their chances of progression into the knockout rounds, so we should have an open and entertaining encounter on our hands in Gelsenkirchen. Let's start with a look at our hosts...

Tonight will be an emotional occasion for Schalke manager Roberto Di Matteo, who comes up against his former club for the first time since being sacked in 2012. The Italian enjoyed a short but successful spell in charge of Chelsea having taken over from Andre Villas-Boas, most memorably guiding them to success in this competition with victory over Bayern Munich in 2012. He was sacked just six months later, but still remains a popular figure at Stamford Bridge, where he made 175 appearances and won two FA Cups as a player.

Di Matteo has now been in charge of the Bundesliga outfit for seven matches, and it has been a very mixed bag under the Italian so far. He has won four and lost three of his games as manager, including a disappointing 4-2 defeat at the hands of Sporting Lisbon in their most recent Champions League outing. He does boast a 100% record at home, though, so will be confident of coming away from tonight's match with something.

Despite that defeat to Sporting on matchday four, Schalke remain second in Group G and victory tonight would put them on the verge of qualification for the knockout stages of the competition. Depending on the result elsewhere, defeat could be very damaging for the German side, although they can neither progress nor be eliminated whatever happens tonight. They will face Maribor in their final group game, and could be left needing a victory from that to stand any chance should they slip up tonight.

They have been an entertaining team in the Champions League so far, most notably playing out a couple of thrilling matches against Sporting that saw 13 goals fly in over the two encounters. As a result, they have notched eight goals from their four outings so far, but have also conceded nine goals, meaning that they have the joint worst defence in the group alongside Maribor.

Their defence almost cost them more points on Saturday in domestic action after they had raced into an early 3-0 lead over Wolfsburg. The conceded two goals to let their in-form visitors back into the match, but managed to hold on for a victory that left them seventh in the Bundesliga table, three points off the top four and 13 behind runaway leaders Bayern Munich.

It is clear to see where their problems lie too. They have been in fine form in front of their own fans this season, remaining unbeaten in their eight outings with five wins and three draws. That run includes impressive results such as a draw against Bayern and victory over Dortmund, so Schalke can certainly mix it with the big boys of European football here at the Veltins Arena. Roberto Di Matteo has won all four of his games here since taking over, but tonight will arguably be his toughest test yet.

By contrast, their away form has been woeful on the whole. They have lost seven of their nine matches on the road this season, including defeats in their last four. Indeed, while Di Matteo has so far been perfect at home, he is yet to pick up a point on his travels as manager of Schalke. They have won just once away from home all season, although their 1-1 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on matchday one of the Champions League was also a good result. Even so, they will be delighted that they are back at the Veltins Arena tonight.

Such form won't intimidate a Chelsea side that looks to be head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to domestic matters this season. The Blues already hold a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League table, and it is hard to see anybody catching them given their early-season form. Indeed, one bookmaker has already paid out on them to win the Premier League title despite being just 12 games into the season, which is a sign of their dominance.

Their 2-0 victory over West Brom at the weekend maintained their unbeaten start to the campaign, and that record applies to all competitions and not just the Premier League. No team has beaten them in their 18 outings so far this season, with Chelsea picking up two wins and two draws from their four Champions League matches so far. As a result, they sit top of Group G and would progress as group winners with another victory tonight.

Despite that, Mourinho may not be too pleased with what he has seen from his side in Europe thus far. They were dominant in their wins over Sporting and Maribor, but the performances against Schalke and the return leg against Maribor were nowhere near the levels they have reached consistently this season. There is still a very slim possibility that they could miss out on the knockout rounds and, although that is very unlikely to happen, Mourinho will know that improvement is still needed from his side in this competition.

Having said that, Chelsea do boast the best attack in the group with nine goals and comfortably have the best defensive record too, conceding just twice - six fewer than the next tightest defence. Goals have not been hard to come by for them in any competition this season either. They are the top scorers in the Premier League with 30, while only Southampton have conceded fewer in the English top flight.

Despite that impressive defensive record, Chelsea have found clean sheets a little hard to come by of late. Indeed, their 2-0 victory over West Brom at the weekend was the first time that they have avoided conceding a goal in their last six matches, which is a surprisingly long time for a defence of Chelsea's quality. With the likes of Costa scoring freely at the other end that becomes less of an issue, but against the bigger teams in this competition it may be a concern for Mourinho.

Mourinho will also be concerned with his side's record on the road in Europe. Chelsea's victory over Sporting is their only triumph in their last six Champions League away games, a run which began after a 3-0 win over tonight's opponents last season. During that time they have drawn three times and lost twice, including a 1-1 draw with Maribor in their most recent Champions League outing.

Indeed, while Chelsea have been in superb form this season, it is away from home where small weaknesses can be found. They have won 14 of their 18 matches in all competitions, but three of their four draws have come on the road. Admittedly, two of those came in tough games against Manchester City and Manchester United in the Premier League, but they were expected to come away with all three points against Maribor last time out, only to share the spoils. There can only be very limited criticism of their away form, however, as they have still won six games on the road, including a 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Anfield when they were last on their travels.

TEAM NEWS: Right, the teams are in for both sides, and Jose Mourinho has opted for an unchanged XI to the one that cruised past 10-man West Brom at the weekend. That means Courtois plays instead of Cech, while Costa once again leads the line. Schalke, meanwhile, make just one change as Aogo comes in for Fuchs. Full teams for both sides on the way...

SCHALKE STARTING XI: Fahrmann; Uchida, Howedes, Santana, Aogo, Neustadter, Kirchhoff, Hoger, Boateng, Choupo-Moting, Huntelaar

SCHALKE SUBS: Friedrich, Meyer, Clemens, Sane, Fuchs, Barnetta, Wetklo

CHELSEA STARTING XI: Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Matic, Fabregas; Willian, Oscar, Hazard; Diego Costa

CHELSEA SUBS: Cech, Zouma, Filipe Luis, Mikel, Ramires, Schurrle, Drogba

So, what can we make of those two sides? Well, as far as Schalke are concerned it is no surprise to see Huntelaar leading the line once again. He scored their equaliser in the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge and has long been a reported target for a number of Premier League clubs. He certainly knows where the goal is so, as Chelsea found out on matchday one, they can't afford to allow him too many chances if they are to keep the German outfit off the scoresheet tonight.

The visitors will also have to keep a close eye on Choupo-Moting, who comes into this match in good form and will be full of confidence. He scored a brace in the win over Wolfsburg at the weekend, helping Schalke into a commanding early lead that was just about enough to see them over the line.

The only change for the hosts sees the other goalscorer from that match, Christian Fuchs, drop to the bench in place of Aogo, who missed out at the weekend. Aside from that switch, Di Matteo has kept faith with his side, although the manager has acknowledged that they will have to be at their very best if they are to get anything from this game today.

That is because Chelsea boast a formidable and well-balanced squad with plenty of strength in depth. Interestingly, though, Mourinho has opted to name an unchanged side tonight, which is a statement of intent from the Portuguese boss. In goal, Courtois once again starts despite Cech having been the Champions League goalkeeper for the last two matches. Speculation continues to rumble regarding Cech's future at the club, and he certainly is too good to be sitting on a bench, but Courtois has been hugely impressive since arriving back at the club so Mourinho has seen no reason to change his number one.

In front of him, there is a similar situation at left-back, where Azpilicueta has generally been rested for these Champions League games. However, he starts again tonight with Filipe Luis left on the bench. It is a very familiar looking back four for the Blues, and one that possesses a stern test to any strike force they come up against. They are likely to be challenged by Huntelaar and co tonight, but the likes of Ivanovic, Terry and Cahill will certainly be up for it.

The midfield duo of Matic and Fabregas have received plenty of plaudits this season, and rightly so. Matic is arguably the first name on the teamsheet for Mourinho at the moment, adding the steel in midfield that perfectly complements Fabregas's creativity. The Spaniard picked up yet another assist on Saturday, making it 10 in 12 Premier League games since joining from Barcelona.

Hazard has been another who has shone so far this season, and he went some way to silencing those who say he doesn't score enough goals by finding the back of the net against West Brom. The main bulk of the goals this season have come from Costa, however, who notched his 11th of the campaign at the weekend. He still hasn't found the back of the net in the Champions League for Chelsea, though, so will look to take that form into Europe tonight.

PREDICTION: We're 10 minutes away from kickoff at the Veltins Arena, which means that it is time for a prediction! Chelsea have just been so strong lately that it is tough to see them losing any game, and this is no exception. However, while Schalke general form under Roberto Di Matteo has been mixed, they have been faultless at home so far, making this a tough one to call. I don't see the hosts winning this one, but I do think they could nick a draw. I'll go for another 1-1 between these two sides.

Schalke do not have a very impressive record against Chelsea over their five previous meetings, scoring just one goal and conceding nine in that time. That solitary goal came in the 1-1 draw on matchday one, which is one of two draws they have managed against the Londoners, while losing three times.

Schalke have only ever won one of their five home matches against English opposition in the Champions League, while their home form against them in European football as a whole is very mixed. They have won three, drawn two and lost three of their games against teams from England in Gelsenkirchen. Chelsea, meanwhile, have won nine, drawn five and lost four of their matches against Bundesliga opposition.

The visitors will have fond memories of this stadium having travelled here in October of last year during the group stages. They came away with a very comfortable win on the night, cruising past their hosts 3-0 on a night that even saw Fernando Torres notch a brace! He had now found pastures new at AC Milan, of course, but Chelsea other scorer form that night, Eden Hazard, is playing tonight.

The teams are out onto the field ahead of this crucial Champions League clash. Chelsea could wrap qualification up tonight, while victory for Schalke would put them in a very good position too. We're just about ready to go in Gelsenkirchen!

KICKOFF: Schalke get us underway here! Can they become the first side to beat Chelsea this season or will Mourinho's men roll on?

CHANCE! Very nearly a goal inside the first minute for Chelsea as Costa finds his way behind the defence to race onto a through-ball. He cuts back inside before firing a shot towards the near post that the keeper puts behind for a corner.

My word, what a start for Chelsea! From the resulting corner, Terry rises above two Schalke defenders and plants his header into the corner! It is a really good header from the skipper, who has got his side off to the best possible start in this match.

This is Chelsea's toughest test of the group stages on paper, so that early goal could prove vital to their chances. It will settle them down immediately and means that they don't have to go chasing the game now. They can take their time and patiently probe for a way through.

CHANCE! Another chance for the visitors, and again it comes from a corner. This time Cahill wins the header and the ball drops kindly for Ivanovic, but the full-back is off-balance and slices his volley well over the top when he perhaps should have done better.

This has been a supremely confident start to the match for Chelsea. They have taken control of the ball and are knocking it about very nicely, with hardly any passes going astray. Very impressive so far from the visitors.

Having seen the goal again, Fahrmann may think that he could have done better for Schalke. The keeper seemed to be hesitant to dive for the ball, perhaps due to the presence of Matic on the line. It was a good header from Terry, but the keeper perhaps should have kept it out,

Really good break from Chelsea as Willian leads the charge forward before slipping in Costa. Santana just about has the legs on the striker and gets a foot in, but that doesn't stop the visitors from pouring forward. Costa eventually gets the ball back and drives to the byline, but his cut-back towards Oscar is just about dealt with.

OFF THE BAR! Schalke, against the run of play, are inches away from levelling things up! It is almost a very fortunate goal as Choupo-Moting's effort from outside the box struck Cahill and bounced up and over a helpless Courtois, looping onto the crossbar.

UPDATE: There has been a goal in the other game in Group G tonight, and it is bad news for Schalke as Sporting have taken the lead against Maribor. An Ales Mejac own goal is the difference in Lisbon right now.

Chelsea have quickly resumed their control of the ball following that scare, but it will be a warning shot that Mourinho will surely heed. His side have started this match very confidently and, if they can push on for a second before half time, then they will feel a lot more comfortable.

YELLOW CARD! The first card of the evening goes to Hoger, who tripped Hazard from behind as the Belgian was racing forward.

The Chelsea fans have certainly not forgotten Di Matteo's influence on the club. They serenade the Schalke boss with a chant of 'There's only one Di Matteo' to pay tribute to the man who led them to their greatest ever success.

Schalke have grown into this match in the last five minutes or so having weathered the early Chelsea storm and avoided falling further behind. They seem to be targeting the Chelsea left flank, but there has been no way through for them so far aside from the deflection that hit the bar.

Costa almost pounces on an under-hit pass back to the keeper, but Fahrmann is alert enough and charges off his line to just about beat the striker to the ball. Important interception from the keeper, if he had got that one wrong he would have been off.

SHooting chance for Chelsea again as they play some nice football to cut inside from the right flank. Costa tries a flick to Hazard but the ball is intercepted and falls back to the striker, whose effort is deflected wide.

From the resulting corner Terry again leaps at the back post but the ball falls to Costa, who somehow misses a great chance with the keeper caught in a tangle with the Chelsea skipper. However, his blushes are spared by the referee, who blows for a foul on the keeper.

UPDATE: There is one other English club in action tonight, and they have also broken the deadlock in their match. Manchester City lead Bayern Munich 1-0 at the Etihad courtesy of an Aguero penalty, while Benatia was sent off for the foul that led to the spot kick. Could City's Champions League dream still be alive?

Chelsea double their lead in Gelsenkirchen! It is beautiful football from the visitors as Fabregas, Willian and Hazard combine on the right flank. The Belgian gives the ball back to the Brazilian on right side of the area and his low strike finds a way past Fahrmann and into the net. It is terrible from the keeper, who really should have saved that one, but take nothing away from the build-up play.

Is there any way back for Schalke in this one? It doesn't look that way, it must be said. Chelsea are playing with a swagger and confidence that comes as a result of such a lengthy good run of form. They could have this match sewn up by half time.

UPDATE: Barcelona have taken the lead against APOEL Nicosia in Cyprus, but the all-time Champions League scoring record has not been broken just yet. It was Luis Suarez who got the goal, with Messi still waiting for his 72nd strike in this competition. Also in that group, PSG have taken the lead against Ajax through Cavani.

Decent spell of pressure from Schalke, with Choupo-Moting heavily involved in the move. The hosts get into a few promising positions, but Chelsea do really well to prevent them from having a shooting opportunity.

Mourinho spoke all week about the importance of winning this match and booking his side's place in the next round as soon as possible. So far so good in that mission, and you can see how much it means to the players.

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Aogo has had a couple of opportunities to cross the ball in from the left flank in the last few minutes, but both times his delivery has been poor. He has played it far too deep for Huntelaar, who needs much better service than that if he is to get any joy against this Chelsea defence.

CHANCE! Chelsea should have a third here! Costa races onto a terrible back-pass and gets to the ball before the keeper, taking it past him around 25 yards from goal. However, when cutting back to get the ball again he slipped up, which allowed Santana the time to get back and eventually Schalke escape with just a corner.

CHANCE! More magnificent football from Chelsea as Fabregas chips a lovely pass over the defence for Oscar, who beats Costa to the ball to hook it goalwards. However, Fahrmann stands tall this time and pushes it behind for a corner.

Surely that is game over now! Chelsea move into a three-goal lead before the break, and it is another defensive horror show that has brought the goal. A corner arrives from the left and Jan Kirchhoff plants his header into his own top corner when he had a number of teammates around him ready to deal with it. Terrible from the defender.

UPDATE: History has been made in Cyprus! Just days after breaking the La Liga goalscoring record Messi now becomes the top scorer in the Champions League with his 72nd goal, putting Barcelona 2-0 up against APOEL. Elsewhere, Bayern have turned things around at the Etihad despite having just 10 men, with Alonso and Lewandowski getting the goals to make it 2-1. There have been more goals in Lisbon too, where Sporting lead Maribor 2-1.

It is very much game on in Portugal then, but here in Gelsenkirchen this one is already over as a contest. Chelsea take a commanding 3-0 lead into half time of their clash against Schalke and, in truth, it does not flatter them one bit. It has been a dominant display from the visitors, who took the lead early and have not looked back since. But for a dramatic collapse in the second half, Chelsea will seal top spot in Group G tonight.

The opening goal came inside two minutes as John Terry put his side into the lead with a header into the far corner. The keeper perhaps could have done better with that one, but he will certainly be disappointed with his effort for the second goal. Chelsea played some lovely football in the build-up, but Willian's shot was rather tame and straight at the keeper, who allowed it to squeeze past him and into the net.

It was another defensive error that cost Schalke the third goal, with Kirchhoff planting a header straight into the back of his own net. He seemed to be challenging his own players to win the ball and he should have left it as he was facing the wrong direction. He chose to get something on it, however, and gave his keeper no chance with a dreadful own goal.

Schalke haven't offered much in the final third, but perhaps the game would be different had a deflected effort from Choupo-Moting found the back of the net. That was their most threatening moment, but it would have been a very lucky goal. As it was, the striker's shot hit the ankle of Cahill before looping over a helpless Courtois and hitting the crossbar.

In truth, it could have been more for Chelsea in that first half. Costa missed a chance even before Terry's second-minute goal, while he was also unfortunate to slip over having taken the ball past the keeper shortly before half time. Ivanovic has missed a decent sight of goal and Oscar also tested Fahrmann in the closing stages of the half, so Chelsea could feasibly be five goals to the good right now.

This game is surely over now, which means that Mourinho could opt to rest a few players in the second half. There aren't many better managers at defending a lead so it is hard to see any chance of Schalke getting back into this match. With a busy schedule coming up in December, Mourinho will be glad of the chance to take his key players off.

KICKOFF: Chelsea get us back underway for this second half, and there has been a change for the hosts at the break. Kirchhoff, who had a nightmare first half, has been replaced by Christian Clemens.

Superb again from Costa as he hounds Santana and wins the ball off the defender on the left before bursting into the box. However, Santana just about recovers to get a vital foot in on the striker.

It would be good to see Chelsea continue to play with the same level of intensity in this second half as they did in the first, but that isn't too likely. Mourinho likes his side to take their foot off the pedal a little when they hold a comfortable lead, and that may be the case again here.

A rare bright moment going forward for Schalke as Huntelaar picks the ball up in space in the left channel. He has two teammates in the middle, but his low pass is behind Boateng and Chelsea can deal with the danger.

At the other end Chelsea have another decent chance on the break as the ball is floated over to an unmarked Willian at the back post. The Brazilian could go for goal himself, but instead tries to play it back to Hazard, only to see his pass intercepted.

Lovely from Hazard on the left as he spins Santana and races into the box before playing a dangerous low cross into the middle. Schalke deal with it again, but Hazard found it far too easy to get in behind the defence there.

SAVE! Courtois finally has something to do, but it is a routine stop for the keeper. A cross arrives from the right flank and Clemens gets his head to it, but his effort lacks power and is easy for Courtois to collect.

Hazard is caught late with a challenge and stays down for a while before tentatively getting to his feet. He is not moving freely at all right now, and Mourinho may choose to take him off. He won't want to take any risks.

A decent sight of goal for Schalke as Uchida makes his way down the right before pulling the ball back for Clemens, but the sub sees his space quickly closed down as Terry blocks the shot inside the box.

Chelsea have another chance to break, and once again it is Fabregas pulling the strings as he floats a lovely ball over the top for Costa. He lines up Hoger inside the box, but the Schalke man just about does enough to stop the striker and the hosts eventually force Chelsea back. Hazard, by the way, is back moving freely now.

CLOSE! My word, what a goal this would have been! Willian looks to be isolated on the left side of the field, but Ivanovic works to get into the box on the opposition flank. Willian provides the cross, and the Serb unleashes a thunderous first-time volley that whizzes inches over the angle. It was the sweetest connection you would wish to see, and it would have been a stunning strike.

CHANCE! Again Chelsea break forward, with Willian leading the chance once more. The Brazilian keeps hold of the ball for too long, however, ignoring a fine run from Costa in behind the defence. In the end he gives it to Oscar, whose deflected shot falls to Costa, who slices his volley into the arms of the keeper.

SCHALKE SUB: The hosts make their second change of the night as Boateng is replaced by 19-year-old Max Meyer.

UPDATE: Having broken the record tonight, Messi is now looking to extend his lead over Ronaldo, who plays tomorrow. He has done exactly that with his second of the night to put Barcelona 3-0 up against APOEL, and the Argentine is now on the verge of back-to-back hat-tricks.

SAVE! Again Courtois has a simple save to make as Howedes comes forward down the left before going for goal from 25 yards. It is straight at the keeper, who holds onto it with ease.

CHELSEA SUB: He comes the first instance of Mourinho resting his players, with the brilliant Costa making way to be replaced by Didier Drogba.

This has been such an impressive performance from Chelsea. Remember, Schalke had not been beaten at home this season before tonight, with Bayern Munich and Dortmund among the teams to have already visited. Chelsea have arrived in Gelsenkirchen and run riot, though.

UPDATE: There could be a shock emerging in the French capital as Ajax have levelled the scores against PSG. Athletic Bilbao are also on the verge of an impressive result having broken the deadlock to lead Shakhtar Donetsk.

Chelsea just seem to have lost their rhythm a little in the last few minutes. It may have been due to Costa withdrawal as the Spanish striker was causing Schalke huge problems tonight.

It is very flat inside the Veltins Arena at the moment. The Chelsea fans are making all of the noise right now having watched their side put in a masterful display tonight.

CHELSEA SUB: A second change for the visitors as Oscar makes way to be replaced by his compatriot Ramires.

Chelsea have a fourth goal, and it is the sub Drogba who gets it. Both he and Willian raced on to a superb long ball over the top, but it was the latter who collected the pass to race through on goal. Drogba peeled off and received a square ball from the Brazilian before rolling it into the empty net.

The two subs combine here for yet another Chelsea goal. Hazard slides a pass to Drogba in the left channel, and he digs out a fine cross to the back post for Ramires, who is at full stretch to nod it home. Two goals in as many minutes for Chelsea, who have been majestic tonight.

CHELSEA SUB: The visitors made a change in the immediate aftermath of that fifth goal, with Fabregas making way to be replaced by Andre Schurrle.

UPDATE: PSG have regained the lead in Paris courtesy of an Ibrahimovic strike, which has made it 2-1 against Ajax. Elsewhere, Barcelona have been reduced to 10 men against APOEL after Rafinha picked up two yellow cards, although they still lead 3-0.

Can Schalke salvage some pride in these closing stages? It must be said that they haven't shown many signs of doing so in this match, with that deflected effort that hit the bar the only time Chelsea have really been troubled tonight.

The hosts look like they are simply waiting for the final whistle now. Chelsea are knocking the ball about at the back and keeping possession comfortably as they look to see the game out.

Dreadful from the hosts as a pass back to the defence is left by Santana for Fahrmann, who in turn has left it for his defender. Drogba almost steals in to capitalise on the defensive mix-up, but the keeper reacts in time to avert the danger.

SAVE! Another comfortable one for Courtois as Clemens goes for goal from range. This time the keeper does have to move a little who his left, but he still gathers with minimum fuss.

UPDATE: Manchester City have come up with a late equaliser against Bayern Munich courtesy of Aguero's second of the night, while Messi has gone one better than that and has a second consecutive hat-trick to give Barcelona a 4-0 lead over APOEL.

There will be two minutes of added time at the end of this one.

CHANCE! It should be six for Chelsea, but Fahrmann pulls off a superb stop to keep it at five! Willian leads another break for the visitors before sliding in Hazard, who opens his body but sees his shot saved by a firm hand from the keeper.

The referee finally brings an end to Schalke's misery as Chelsea run out 5-0 winners and, in truth, it could have been even more for the visitors. The Premier League outfit are now through to the knockout stages as group winners, while Schalke's place in the Champions League is left hanging in the balance.

Chelsea gave a sign of things to come inside the opening two minutes when John Terry opened the scoring, and it was 3-0 before half time as Willian and a Kirchhoff own goal put Mourinho's side into an unassailable lead. They cruised through the second half and added a couple more goals in the process, with subs Didier Drogba and Ramires getting on the scoresheet.

Right, that is all we have time for tonight! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for what was a footballing masterclass for Chelsea as they hammered Schalke 5-0 in Gelsenkirchen to ensure their place in the next round as Group G winners. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction, analysis and player ratings. We also have coverage of all of tomorrow's games, so be sure to check back in with us for that! From me, though, it is goodbye for now!