Uefa Champions League: Levski Sofia v Chelsea preview: Clearly there is no point in trying to rile Jose Mourinho with barbs about his team's style. The often confrontational Chelsea manager might have been expected to react angrily when told his side had been described by Levski Sofia's coach as less attractive than Barcelona and a team for whom victory is everything. Instead he greeted as a compliment the perception that he has produced a functional winning machine.

Mourinho not only acknowledged his squad lacks individuals such as Barcelona's Ronaldinho who can do tricks that leave fans open-mouthed, but pronounced himself delighted with yesterday's observation from his opposite number, Stanimir Stoilov, whose team were hammered 5-0 at the Camp Nou a fortnight ago, that "in Chelsea everything is about winning".

Chelsea's European campaign got off to a winning start against Werder Bremen and Mourinho wants another victory tonight before facing Barcelona at Stamford Bridge on October 18th.

Despite Levski's heavy opening defeat, he expects the Bulgarian club to prove dangerous in their first ever home Champions League group game, and confirmed he would take substance over style by saying: "If somebody wants to offer me 1-0 tomorrow I go now to London."

Chelsea's play this season has featured moments of individual brilliance such as Didier Drogba's winner against Liverpool, and their squad contains others capable of magic moments, notably Arjen Robben, the injured Joe Cole and the so far subdued Andriy Shevchenko.

Nonetheless, Mourinho did not dispute Stoilov's assessment that Barcelona, who eliminated Chelsea last season, "play more attractive football. "In Chelsea we don't have a player like Barcelona have some, to do a trick to leave people with an open mouth," Mourinho said. "But I think when Stoilov says we are a team about winning, I take that as a very, very, very good compliment. I'm happy with that."

Chelsea have climbed to the top of the Premiership despite not yet consistently playing at their peak, but Mourinho is wary of Levski. "For me it's easy to prepare Chelsea against Liverpool, Manchester United and Barcelona," he said. "I know the players are 200 per cent focused. This kind of match I have to work a lot to try to prepare them well."

He has shown them videos of Levski and warned against complacency. "In a very good squad like we have, every game is important for their futures," he said.

"If a player doesn't play well, normally the next game they are out of the team and they realise this is the second game of the group, not the last."

John Terry trained and looks set to start after a back injury against a Levski team whose coach has promised not to play defensively despite being without three strikers. Stoilov seemed pessimistic, though, about an upset. "Chelsea has its weak sides but I doubt whether we can exploit them," he said.

Terry, Frank Lampard and Drogba are a booking away from being suspended against Barcelona but Mourinho said he would play his strongest side as he seeks to secure what would be only a second European away win in nine attempts. Shevchenko is a guaranteed starter and Mourinho again defended the striker.

"I think Shevchenko has a big problem," he said. "If you are a Mickey Mouse player no one complains because every weekend you play nothing. When you are a big player, if you have a bit of a grey moment (it is different) . . We are winning without his goals so imagine when he scores goals. And we wait, no problem."

Sofia strikers Valeri Domovchiyski and Emil Angelov are both out and Georgi Ivanov is struggling with a hip injury and will probably be forced to start on the bench. Stoilov is expected to move defender Stanislav Angelov forward into midfield and play Hristo Yovov alone up front.