Chelsea face a daunting mission as they travel to Naples in Italy to face SSC Napoli, at the Sa0 Paolo Stadium.

The knockout stage of this year’s Champions League has arrived with FC Barcelona beating Bayer Leverkusen and Olympique Lyonnais disposing of APOEL Nicosia in this week’s first-leg encounters.

The Blues are up against the Group A runners-up who finished in second place with a group consisting of Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Villarreal.  Chelsea’s Premier League foes City will know about the dangers of the Napoli side, as they gained a point in Manchester before defeating them 2-1 in Italy.

Champions League success is crucial for Chelsea

For under-fire Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas, it is one of two trophies that his side can still win.  After a 2-0 reverse at Everton, the London club lie 14 points behind leaders City in the league and are out of the Carling Cup.  Chelsea have the Champions League and FA Cup to play for, and Villas-Boas has now stated that these will be his priorities.  He said: “When we set up with this team, we believed the team was ready for four trophies,”

“Now we have a Champions League objective. We still play [for] two prestigious trophies.  We have two competitions where we look better, and another competition where we have to dilute the damage and try to finish fourth, at least, which is not a very honourable position for the dimension of this club.”

Knowing this is the case, the Portuguese coach will be under even more pressure to deliver for owner Roman Abramovich and the Chelsea support.  There were ‘easier’ propositions when the UEFA draw was made than Napoli, and with the away leg coming first it looks like a very daunting mission for Chelsea.

Mazzarri has a two-match touchline ban

Napoli’s manager Walter Mazzarri will not be there to manage his side from the usual sideline position, after UEFA banned him for the last 16 ties.  UEFA rejected Mazzarri’s appeal against a two-match suspension for improper conduct against Spanish club Villarreal in their Group A match in December.  He pushed over Villarreal’s Brazilian striker Nilmar in a touchline spat, and now the Italian coach will watch the home leg on 21 February, plus the Stamford Bridge return on 14 March, from the stands.

But it is not likely to impact the Napoli team, who have had a superb debut Champions League season.  Their current Serie A league position, seventh place and 13 points behind leaders and champions AC Milan, is deceiving.  Chelsea fans would be foolish to judge this team on that position, given their displays in Europe and major victories in the Serie A.

Their prolific striker Edinson Cavani has been talked about as a replacement for Didier Drogba at Chelsea and also for mega-rich Manchester City.  The Uruguayan forward is the ultimate poacher, and has 13 Serie A goals to his name so far.  Overall this term he has a record of 20 goals netted in 27 appearances.  His 33 goals in 47 for Napoli in all competitions in season 2010/2011 was a hugely significant factor in Napoli’s third-placed finish and subsequent qualification for the Champions League.

Cavani is the most advanced player in the Azzurri’s impressive attack.  Marek Hamsik and Ezequiel Lavezzi make up the three forwards, and are a constant worry for the opposition defence of every Italian top-flight team.  All three have been linked with moves to Europe’s elite band of clubs, and Chelsea’s defence will have a job in containing them.

Chelsea may exploit Napoli’s narrow defence

An area where Chelsea will look to penetrate the Italians is their defence.  Mazzarri loves to line-up his side in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with wing-backs on the right and left playing a huge part of their attacking play.  This can sometimes leave them vulnerable against better opposition and the likes of Juan Mata and Daniel Sturridge, among other players in Chelsea’s creative department, will have to exploit this potential weakness.

If the Blues are to reach the quarter-final stage of the Champions League and continue their ultimate goal of winning the competition, they will have to take a positive result away from Naples.  The home support for Napoli plays a massive part in the results of the Azzurri but they are not just a team who hurts others at home.  They had some magnificent away performances this season and will be a big danger in the return leg at Stamford Bridge.  An away goal is probably the best way for Chelsea to go on to the home leg confident of progression.  With the talent Napoli possess they are likely to get past Gary Cahill and co. and get an away goal themselves in the second leg.

Prediction:  Napoli 2-1 Chelsea.

Alan writes for Bundlesliga Football