Chelsea may have sailed away from the rocks since dropping Andre Villas-Boas from the Stamford Bridge helm, but only a superlative showing will overcome a 3-1 Champions League deficit against Napoli tomorrow.
If they are to complete their Italian job and reach the quarter-finals it is apt that the Londoners must turn to a man from those shores – interim coach Roberto Di Matteo – to show them the way.
Di Matteo betrayed no trace of irony when he said after Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Stoke City that the club had to adopt a tougher winning mentality, conceding that “sometimes you have to win scrappy”.
That will hardly be music to the ears of owner Roman Abramovich, who initially welcomed Villas-Boas’s enthusiasm for style as well as substance.
At least, Di Matteo will be under no illusions as to how long he can expect to warm the hot-seat – until late May.
It is then that Abramovich will spin the casino wheel again, hoping his next bet will alight on a name capable of achieving what Jose Mourinho and the small squadron of those who followed in his wake could not: conquering Europe.
Di Matteo insists that Chelsea, well beaten in the away leg despite taking an early lead, can turn the tie around.
However, he concedes that the task ahead is a mammoth one after the Italians showed what they are made of on home turf with Ezequiel Lavezzi and Edinson Cavani plundering the goals.
“They are a very good team with some exceptional players, but they will face a good team and we will make it difficult for them,” said Di Matteo, who is set to bring back Spanish star Juan Mata after he started on the bench against Stoke City.
Chelsea have not won any of their last five Champions League knockout games and lost at this stage in 2010 to eventual winners Inter.
With Barcelona having set the standard with their humiliation of Bayer Leverkusen, those who would seek to claim the Catalans’ crown must now show their own mettle.
None more so than Real Madrid, with whom Mourinho is determined to become the first coach to win the competition at the helm of three different teams after his previous successes at Porto and Inter.
Mourinho looks set to claim domestic superiority with his club 10 points clear in La Liga, but Europe is another matter entirely as Real labour to return to the heights of a decade ago, when Zinedine Zidane helped deliver their record ninth – and to date last – title.
Real settled for a draw in their first leg at CSKA Moscow and the Russians boast an unbeaten six-game run against Spanish sides.
Inter have endured a wretched campaign so far.
Friday’s win at Chievo was their first win in 10 games and it was a big boost for coach Claudio Ranieri ahead of their encounter with Marseille, who lead 1-0 from the first leg in France.
Today, Bayern Munich must overhaul a 1-0 deficit against surprise package Basel, who proved too good for Manchester United in the group stage.
Valentin Stocker’s late goal proved the difference for Heiko Vogel’s Swiss first time out but Bayern have won 11 of their past 12 home matches in the tournament and routed Hoffenheim 7-1 in the Bundesliga at the weekend.
Last 16, 2nd legs
Playing today
Inter vs Marseille (0-1) - 20.45
B. Munich vs Basel (0-1) - 20.45
Tomorrow
Chelsea vs Napoli (1-3) - 20.45
R. Madrid vs CSKA (1-1) - 20.45
(In brackets results first leg)
Played last week
Arsenal 3 - Milan 0 (Milan win 4-3 on aggregate)
Benfica 2 - Zenit SP 0 (Benfica win 4-3 on aggregate)
Barcelona 7 - B. L’erkusen 1 (Barcelona win 10-2 on aggregate)
Apoel FC 1 - Lyon 0 (agg: 1-1; Apoel win 4-3 on pens)
Note: Quarter-finals and semi-finals draw will be made on Friday (11.45 a.m.) in Nyon.