Sorry, United, but Chelsea's greater desire will see them topple you

Firing squad: Didier Drogba and Fernando Torres can cause Manchester United plenty of problems tonight
11 April 2012

There may be 11 points separating Chelsea and leaders Manchester United in the Premier League but I have Carlo Ancelotti's side down as favourites to win this Champions League quarter-final tie.

That may come as no surprise to some people considering I spent seven happy years at Stamford Bridge between 1996-2003, yet this is an opinion based on what I believe rather than out of any kind of sentiment.

I have been to watch both teams beat Manchester City recently and there is no doubt they are in good form, I just feel that Chelsea's players want to win this battle more.

They have a lot more to prove than United. I know the quality of the players and it will be a big thing for them to get through to the next stage.

Everyone at the club is desperate to win the competition. I felt it myself when I was playing for them, although unfortunately we only played in it for one season while I was there. We came close to reaching the semi-finals in 2000 only to go out to Barcelona.

I would love to play in this game and I'm sure that is the emotion the players are feeling right now, not only for the opportunity it gives them but because they can do something against the team that beat them to the trophy in 2008. They will be really fired up.

It's a question of how much they can control this desire because they don't want to be reckless and give away free-kicks and easy goals in the first leg.

The players have to remember it won't be a disaster if Chelsea go to Old Trafford with a 0-0. They will certainly want to win but it is more crucial they don't concede. They have to keep an eye on United, the last thing Ancelotti will want to see is them scoring.

Things have changed quite a lot since my time at Chelsea. We had good results at Old Trafford but the players will not be scared of going there as we may have been before. So if the tie is still close after tonight it won't be a bad thing. I'm sure United will be very strong defensively. Rio Ferdinand is back and this will give them a massive lift.

Chelsea have to be very good in breaking their defence down and at the same time they must look for the counter because United will be dangerous.Wayne Rooney is back to his best and Chelsea will be worried about that.

When you play against footballers like him, you must not give him anything. The problem is there are things you can't control, like a piece of magic.

The key players for Chelsea will be Fernando Torres and Didier Drogba. United's penalty area is bound to be crowded so their strength will be vital in breaking them down.

They can work as a partnership against United because while they are both main strikers, they do the role differently. Didier likes to play in the middle, be the main target man, and show his strength while Torres is more mobile and is very good at running in the channels.

If Nicolas Anelka is on the bench he would still provide a great option to come on because he likes to get in the holes and get on the ball.
Set-plays will also be very important, especially for Chelsea because they have a lot of tall players who are strong in the air and can score. Having a weapon like that is a big advantage.

Both sides can claim to have the best keepers in the Premier League in Petr Cech and Edwin van der Sar. It looks like Cech is back to his best, you only had to see the saves he made at Stoke on Saturday, and that is a big lift for Chelsea going into the game.

Unfortunately, the Blues will have to reorganise defensively because David Luiz is cup-tied and they will miss his flair at the back. Still they won't be weaker for having Branislav Ivanovic next to John Terry.

Ivanovic is an established player and he has done very well at centre-half but Jose Bosingwa may be a different story if he plays at right-back as expected.

He is known more for his ability to go forward rather than defending. If Chelsea spend most of the time attacking then he could be an asset, however it will be a problem if United have more of the ball. They will look to target him. When he defends he is not on the same level as when he goes forward.

I wouldn't be surprised if Frank Lampard scores one of his trademark goals from midfield even if Ancelotti sticks with the 4-4-2 formation. It is a more predictable system and the opposition find it easier to spot Frank's late runs but he still has the quality to find some space and the back of the net.

The fact this is probably Chelsea's only chance to win silverware will give them an extra edge.

They are a team that have the ability to win the Champions League and I fully expect to see them prove that from my seat at Stamford Bridge tonight. I can't wait.

Gianfranco Zola was talking to Simon Johnson

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