Game on!

Before kick-off there will be a moment's reflection and celebration for Red Bull co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz, who has died aged 78.

Mateschitz was the driving force behind the establishment of what became the global market leader in energy drinks.

He used the fortune created by that to set up a Formula 1 team that has become one of the leading forces in the sport.

Red Bull also extended its sporting interests into football, buying teams in Salzburg, the city closest to Mateschitz's home in Fuschl am See in Austria, and Leipzig in Germany, as well as what was the New York/New Jersey MetroStars, Campinas in Brazil, founding a club in Ghana and taking over an ice hockey team in Munich.

After a quick light show, the floodlights are switched on full beam and the players arrive.

You know what's next... the DJ presses play on the Champions League's rip-off of Handel.

Leon Osman
Former Everton midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live

Potter is not a man who settles for one style and one formation. He is very fluid with his approach and his team formations within games. We have seen that already in his time as a manager.

Looking at this team tonight, it's so attacking. You've got Pulisic and Sterling who, regardless of what they do in the middle of the pitch, look they are going to be the wing-backs, that is very attacking in the wide areas from Chelsea.

They may play Aubameyang up top and Jorginho just in front of the back three and that would be like how he lined up his teams at Brighton earlier this season. Really looking forward to seeing how he goes about it tactically.

Five-minute warning...

While a Chelsea fan dances in the stands like he's raving - surely he's either cold and trying to warm up, or drank too much of the local energy drink - the players line up in the tunnel.

Mats: On Potter half-term: he's done fine, but he's got the same mismatched squad Tuchel did, and no Kante; the upside appears to be limited.

Image source, Reuters

Chelsea boss Graham Potter, speaking to BT Sport, on earning a victory tonight which would clinch qualification to the last 16: "That's what we are trying to do, we want to be positive against them. We try to be balanced, respect the opponent and bring the game to them."

Asked what role Raheem Sterling will play, Potter adds: "He will be playing wide. We're hopeful he can cause them problems."

Before thinking about the trip down the M23, Graham Potter only has Salzburg on his mind.

Here are his pre-match thoughts...

Chelsea

It's just 41 days since Graham Potter took charge of his first game as Chelsea boss - a 1-1 draw against tonight's opponents Red Bull Salzburg at Stamford Bridge.

Potter has yet to taste defeat in any of his eight games in charge, steering Chelsea to five wins and three draws in the Premier League and Champions League.

As soon as this game is over, the 47-year-old will start planning for a return to his former club Brighton on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Nii: Anytime I see Kovacic in a Chelsea line-up, I have hope. In the absence of the mighty N'Golo, Kovacic is Chelsea’s best bet to partner Jorginho in the midfield.

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek says earning a place in Gareth Southgate's England World Cup squad "would mean the world".

Blues manager Graham Potter believes the rejuvenated midfielder could be an "outsider for the squad" after featuring in all seven games under him.

Loftus-Cheek, 26, played for England at the 2018 World Cup but has not added to his 10 caps since rupturing his Achilles in May 2019.

"I always felt I could [get back] so I have tried to stay positive," said Loftus-Cheek, who is named on the Blues bench tonight.

"I am just happy and grateful to be fit and healthy and playing football now, consistently.

"That's all I can ask for, and if I go to the World Cup on the back of what I am doing now.

"It would mean the world to me, but that is not at the forefront of my mind at the moment."

Jude Bellingham's name is certain to be on England's list of travellers to Qatar - barring a late injury (let's hope not).

Another midfielder hoping to make the plane is Chelsea's Ruben Loftus-Cheek...

Image source, Getty Images

Plenty of eyes will again be on Jude Bellingham tonight. And, one would imagine, those in charge of City's transfer strategy might be particularly keen...

In the build-up to tonight's game, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola praised Borussia Dortmund's England midfielder and said "the whole package is really good".

Bellingham, 19, has scored in his past two appearances against Guardiola's side and comes into the match having bagged a couple in Saturday's 5-0 mauling of Stuttgart.

"The quality, everybody knows it," Guardiola said of Bellingham.

"He was 17 when he arrived [at Dortmund] but it was not just about his quality, [it was] how he was leading, his kicking, going to the referee," said Guardiola.

"This guy was something special in terms of his mentality. Now he is 19 and he is already one of the captains."

Borussia Dortmund could qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League before kicking a ball tonight as Seville face Copenhagen in the early game and a draw would mean the German side are guaranteed a top-two finish.

"We know the game will take place before ours, but it's not in our hands to influence the game," said Dortmund coach Edin Terzic.

"It will be a different task, but we need the same conviction we showed in Manchester."

It's not just Erling Haaland and Manuel Akanji, who both left Dortmund for Manchester City in the summer, that will have good memories of the German side.

Ilkay Gundogan made more than 150 appearances for Dortmund between 2011 and 2016 before moving to City in a £20m deal.

During his time with Dortmund, he won the Bundesliga, the German Cup, the German Super Cup and helped them reach the Champions League final in 2013, scoring a penalty in the final as they lost 2-1 to Bayern Munich.

He may be gone from Dortmund but he has not been forgotten with the club's social media accounts wishing him a happy 32nd birthday yesterday.

Image source, Getty Images

Borussia Dortmund moved up to fifth in the Bundesliga, four points behind early leaders Union Berlin, after thrashing Stuttgart 5-0 on Saturday.

"Dortmund are always a tough opponent," said Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola. "In important games, they behave at the top level. It will not be easy, we have a lot of respect for them.

"We know we have to behave and be at our best to beat them, there is no doubt about that.

"It's a fantastic stadium everybody knows it, a fantastic atmosphere, happy to be back here.

"We came here in Covid times. That game was one of the highlights of my City career, when we won [2-1] here and went to the semi-finals of the Champions League."

Manchester City are one of five clubs already through to the knockout stage, having already qualified for the last 16 with three wins and a draw from their four matches.

City need only a draw at the Westfalenstadion to secure top spot in Group G.

Dortmund are in second place with seven points.

While Chelsea's players are being put through their warm-ups on the Salzburg pitch, let's have a little reminder of what is happening over in Dortmund tonight...

In school terms, six weeks is about half a term.

So let's do our own half-term report on Graham Potter.

How are you feeling about his start at Stamford Bridge, Blues fans?

We want your thoughts on his strengths and weaknesses, followed by an overall grading.

Use #bbcfootball or text 81111.

Peter: Just all-out for the win Chelsea... I can't be doing with this 'if they beat them, and they draw with us' malarkey.