Ferguson backs Mourinho ahead of crunch Porto match

Jose Mourinho’s job could be on the line when Chelsea host Porto in the Champions League on Wednesday, and Alex Ferguson has urged the Londoners not to jettison their manager even if the result goes against them.

Woefully out-of-form Chelsea have already lost 11 matches in all competitions this season, but need only a draw against Porto to qualify for the knockout stages.

Former Manchester United great Ferguson said Russian owner Roman Abramovich must ignore the criticism the club are receiving and keep faith in Mourinho.

“He has sacked so many coaches in the last 10 years that I am sure he has learned by it,” Ferguson was quoted as saying by the Daily Telegraph.

“He has to trust and have confidence Jose can turn it around. There is no point in sacking one of the best coaches of all time, he’s won the European Cup twice, he’s won the league in each country he’s managed in, he’s won the big trophies.

“It would be foolish to take that step to sack him. That would be bad management,” added Ferguson.

Defeat on Wednesday and a consequent drop into the Europa League for Chelsea would certainly test Abramovich’s patience.

After a 1-0 home defeat by promoted Bournemouth on Saturday, Mourinho said for the first time that finishing in the top four of the Premier League to qualify for next season’s Champions League was looking unlikely.

Chelsea, who are 14th in the Premier League with only four wins from 15 matches, are likely to have captain John Terry back after injury.

With Dynamo Kiev expected to win at home to Maccabi Tel Aviv, who have lost all five group matches so far, a draw for Porto would eliminate the Portuguese side unless the Ukrainians fail to win.

It was at Porto that Mourinho made his reputation, winning the 2003 UEFA Cup and the 2004 Champions League.

Although the Chelsea fans have remained supportive, the stadium is likely to be tense, at least until their team make a breakthrough.

“It’s difficult for us to score,” said Mourinho after the Bournemouth game. “Scoring goals is a lot about individuals.”

Spain forward Diego Costa netted their only goal in the previous three Premier League games but he has been lacklustre and did not start either of the last two matches, with Eden Hazard playing as the main striker.

Porto, who beat Chelsea 2-1 on matchday two, had hoped to tie up qualification in the previous round of games but slumped to a 2-0 home defeat by Kiev.

They are second in the Portuguese League, two points behind Sporting Lisbon, after coming from behind at the weekend to beat Pacos de Ferreira 2-1 with goals by Jesus Corona and Miguel Layun who is on loan from Premier League Watford. 

Arsenal will put one of the best Champions League records on the line when they face Olympiakos Piraeus in a showdown for second spot in Group F on Wednesday.

As well as competing in the tournament for the 18th season in a row, the London club have qualified for the second stage in each of the past 15 campaigns.

That run is in jeopardy, not so much due to a 5-1 hammering by group winners Bayern Munich but because Arsenal were beaten in their opening two games including a shock 3-2 defeat at home to Olympiakos.

Now they must reverse that scoreline or improve on it to preserve their proud record under Arsene Wenger, who will be missing seven players including Alexis Sanchez, Santi Cazorla, Mikel Arteta and Jack Wilshere.

Wenger was particularly pleased with Saturday’s 3-1 win at home to Sunderland, a victory that lifted Arsenal to second place in the Premier League.

“For our confidence it was vital,” the French coach told reporters. “I was very nervous because I knew it was a very important game for our season.

“It is better to prepare for the [Olympiakos] game knowing we have won. The one positive thing is we know exactly what to do.

“Most of the time when we have been to Olympiakos we have not had a lot to do because we had already qualified. This time it is the opposite,” added Wenger.

It is Arsenal’s fourth visit in seven seasons and each time the game has come on matchday six.

Defining moment

For Olympiakos the match is being billed by local media as a defining moment in a breakthrough year for Portuguese coach Marco Silva.

The 38-year-old has led the Greeks to 12 successive Super League victories since the season kicked off as they chase a host of club records.

Silva has also won widespread praise for the European performances.

Greece midfielder Kostas Fortounis, one of the outstanding players for Olympiakos this season, is relishing the game with Arsenal.

“This is a showdown, no doubt about it, out of which only one team can claim qualification to the next stage,” he said after the 4-3 win at Panthrakikos at the weekend, a result that gave them a 10-point lead at the top of the Super League.

Olympiakos are relatively injury-free but Silva must decide whether to include fit-again Argentine midfielder Esteban Cambiasso in place of Luka Milivojevic or Pajtim Kasami.

Brown Ideye, who spent last season at West Bromwich Albion, will come back into the attack after being rested at the weekend.

Bayer Leverkusen’s place in the Champions League is hanging by a thread going into its home game against Barcelona, and Omer Toprak admits his side only has a slim chance of qualification for the knockout stages.

Leverkusen has to secure a famous win if it is to progress to the knockout stages, with three outcomes still possible — qualification, a third-place finish and Europa League spot or complete elimination from continental football.

The Bundesliga side is third in Group E on five points, level with Roma, which has a superior head-to-head record. BATE, which travels to the Italian capital in the group’s other match, is also still in contention on four points.

Bayern Munich look to finish their Champions League group-stage campaign with a flourish against Dinamo Zagreb.

There is little to play for in Wednesday’s Group F clash at the Stadion Maksimir with Bundesliga champions Bayern guaranteed top spot, while Dinamo are consigned to a fourth-placed finish and elimination from Europe for this season.

However, Bayern will be keen to make an impression after finding themselves in the unfamiliar position of having to bounce back from defeat following an abject showing at Borussia Park on Saturday.