Casillas to set Champions League record against Chelsea

LISBON: Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas is set to break the Champions League appearance record when Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho makes his latest return to the Estadio do Dragao on Tuesday (today).
The pair had a difficult relationship during Mourinho’s three years at Real Madrid, but after the Portugese left, Casillas captained the team to victory over neighbours Atletico Madrid in the 2014 final, earning his third winner’s medal.
He played his 151st match in the competition as Porto, who he joined in July, drew their opening Group G match 2-2 away to Dynamo Kiev. That equalled the record set by former Barcelona midfielder Xavi, and Casillas is on the verge of breaking it.
Both teams go into the game after dropping points in 2-2 draws away to lowly opposition at the weekend.
Porto were held by Moreirense on Friday night and suffered injuries to two players. Algerian midfielder Yacine Brahimi, who scored five goals in nine Champions League games last season, hurt his right knee and was replaced at halftime.
Centre-back Maicon ended the match with a sprained ankle and is among several players that coach Julen Lopetegui said will have to be assessed ahead of the game.
Defender Ivan Marcano is available after suspension and Lopetegui will be back on the touchline after being banned for the match in Kiev.
Despite only drawing with Moreirense, the coach said he was happy with the way his team played, while admitting that Porto’s inability to take their chances ultimately cost them victory.
They remain top of the table on goal difference from Sporting Lisbon and are unbeaten in 12 games in all competitions.
Chelsea’s comfortable 4-0 win at home to Maccabi Tel Aviv on Matchday One was a welcome respite after two successive Premier League defeats.
They subsequently beat Arsenal 2-0 but on Saturday were held 2-2 at Newcastle United, only salvaging a draw with two goals in the last 11 minutes from Brazilians Ramires and Willian.
Mourinho rated their first half performance “minus one out of ten” after a game that left the English champions 15th in the table.
Spanish international striker Diego Costa, serving a domestic suspension, will be available in Porto, where Mourinho became a hero by leading the Dragons to 2004 Champions League success.
He has taken Chelsea there twice before in the competition, losing 2-1 later that year and drawing 1-1 in 2007, while they won 1-0 under Carlo Ancelotti in 2009.
Meanwhile, European champions Barcelona begin a two-month stretch without Lionel Messi when Bayer Leverkusen visit the Camp Nou hoping to take advantage of the Argentine’s absence.
Messi suffered a torn left knee ligament as Barca squeezed past Las Palmas 2-1 at the weekend.
Luis Suarez carried the mantle after Messi’s departure with a double to ensure the Catalans got back to winning ways after being hammered 4-1 by Celta Vigo in their previous outing.
And much more will be needed of Suarez and Neymar in the coming weeks as Barca’s stretched and injury-ridden squad faces up to eight games without Messi.
“He is the best in the world and logically we will miss him a lot,” said midfielder Sergio Busquets.
With Claudio Bravo, Thomas Vermaelen and Rafinha also sidelined by injury, coach Luis Enrique has just 15 senior outfield players to choose from in the coming weeks.
“We are having a lot of bad luck with injuries, even more so when we can’t register players.”
Barca are serving a one-year ban from registering new players for breaking FIFA’s rules on the signing of minors.
And the club’s appeal to world football’s governing body to register one of their two summer signings, Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal, due to the injury crisis has fallen on deaf ears.
“It is an extra test and motivation for our team,” said Enrique.
“In these moments is when you see what we are made of and I have no doubt that we are going to be fine.” Leverkusen have particularly bad memories of being faced with Messi’s magic as he scored five in a 7-1 humiliation the last time the Germans visited Barcelona in the last-16 back in 2012.