After several years of enjoying the spoils of their Russian oligarch benefactor, the Blues now look to repeat their European achievements of 2011/12 by winning the Champions League again this season.

A tricky tie against PSG is the next step in Europe for Jose Mourinho’s side, but as their success against the French giants proved in last season’s campaign, Chelsea can go into the match with every confidence that they will come out the victors.

Their ever-enigmatic boss has already stated that his side are ‘playing on a different level now’, so the question stands; can Chelsea realistically aim for Champions League glory this season?

The number one factor behind the grand expectations down at Stamford Bridge this campaign is the club’s unbelievable squad depth. Chelsea have an adequate replacement for every position in their team, and with such impressive strength in depth, Mourinho’s side will remain a force both domestically and in Europe for the remainder of the season. Summer signing Filipe Luis has so far found his play-time largely restricted by the in-form Cesar Azpilicueta, whilst the likes of Loic Remy and Andre Schurlle have seen their involvement largely constrained to the bench this season.

Rightly or wrongly, the Blues also have an almost complete starting XI’s worth of high profile players out on loan. Including the likes of Fernando Torres, Marko Marin, Victor Moses and Ryan Bertrand, Mourinho’s squad depth deeply extends beyond the realm of West London. It is in this category that sides such as Arsenal fall short of competing at Europe’s highest level.

Another important factor influencing Chelsea’s hopes for Champions League success this season is the team spirt and organisation that has developed under Mourinho so far in 2014/15.

This has been something that Manuel Pellegrini and his star-studded City side have certainly lacked this season, and it shows in their recent Champions League difficulties. Chelsea on the other hand have been lucky with injuries and have managed to put out relatively consistent starting XIs so far this campaign. It has allowed Mourinho to produce a foundation of success that will surely pay dividends for the Blues soon enough.

As the Portuguese boss now looks to develop a ‘Sir-Alex’ like legacy at Stamford Bridge with a squad full of players well versed in Champions League experience, everything points to Chelsea improving their fortunes in Europe.

Winning the Champions League will not be that easy, though. It is not enough to be content with good a squad depth and strong team spirit within the camp, to win Europe’s most prestigious trophy you need to have world class quality.

Yes, the Blues certainly have some players worthy of that title, but there are still three teams that are simply better placed than Chelsea in the Champions League. Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich are Europe’s biggest contenders for the trophy, and Jose Mourinho will have to get everything right if he is to topple them. Playing on the back-foot and relying on the counter-attack, as Mourinho often does against Europe’s big boys, will be a risky tactic in the presence of an opposition that hosts a near flawless set of players who make up a truly world class starting XI.

It is all well and good breezing past the Premier League’s weaker sides as Chelsea have done so far in 2014/15, but as Stamford Bridge is not currently the home of any player who comes close to winning the illustrious Ballon d’Or award, the Blues will have to step it up another gear if they are to beat one of Europe’s top three.

Overall then, this impressive Chelsea side are displaying the cohesion and consistency of the team that has done so well at the Bridge under Jose Mourinho’s previous reign with the club but, as we all know, that side were ultimately unsuccessful in Europe in the end.

It remains true that they definitely can win the Champions League this season, but as their competition are just as strong and determined as ever, Chelsea are never going to be considered tournament favourites.

That, however, may be just what Mourinho needs to spur his side onto European victory in 2014/15.

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