Drogba's last stand - Galatasaray vs Chelsea

He delivered the decisive strike in five major cup finals during a glorious Chelsea career, yet Didier Drogba was a reluctant participant in what became one of the game’s great fairy-tale romances.

“Honestly, I never wanted to join Chelsea when they came asking or me. I did not want the move, I was not ready for it,” Drogba told me in 2011, as he admitted his chief desire was to remain with his beloved Marseille and become a legend with the French club.

As it turns out, the move to link up with Jose Mourinho’s Blues in 2004 was a life-changing experience for Drogba, as he overcame obstacles aplenty, shed a negative image that haunted him throughout much of his eight years at Chelsea and left England as an enduring sporting icon.

Scoring a Champions League-winning penalty was his final act for the Blues in 2012, and at that point, it seemed inconceivable that he would test himself on the most prestigious of European stages in what was left of his career. However, that is precisely where he will find himself Wednesday, with Chelsea back on his radar in a Champions League last-16 encounter for Turkish side Galatasaray.

Yet the romance of the occasion for Drogba, Mourinho and his former Blues teammates may paper over the cracks in what could become a one-sided tie.

Gala’s unconvincing record away from home in the Turkish league this season was backed up by struggles in the Champions League group stages away from their Istanbul fortress, with Drogba’s form doing little to suggest he remains a potent threat to the best sides in European football.

Now 35 years old, Drogba’s burst of scoring this past October suggested he was starting to find his best form once more, but Gala’s faltering Turkish title challenge has coincided with a lack of contributions from their marquee striker. Reports in Turkey suggest he may not extend his contract with his current employers beyond this season, but there is still time for one last hurrah from him.

Galatasaray boss Roberto Mancini must ensure the emotion of Drogba’s reconnection with Chelsea is not the only memorable aspect of this game, as he needs his experienced striker and the in-form Wesley Sneijder to shine if the underdogs are to have any chance of upsetting the Premier League big hitters.

VERDICT: Chelsea will score in Istanbul and will have too much class and power for Galatasaray over two legs.