The two clubs were drawn together on Monday in a tie that will see Chelsea legend Didier Drogba return to Stamford Bridge with the Turkish champions.
And while Mikel acknowledges the Ivorian will be dangerous for Galatasaray, he is also aware of other strengths in Roberto Mancini's side.
"They are a great team," the Nigerian told Chelsea's official website. "Didier, Wesley (Sneijder) - they have a good team and obviously they have Roberto Mancini who is trying to implement his philosophy and change the way they play.
"It will be tough but it's a game we're looking forward to. It will be good to meet old rivals, who you have played against in the past, as well as old team-mates."
Chelsea defender David Luiz echoed the thoughts of Mikel and believes playing the second leg at home could prove crucial if they are to progress to the quarter-finals.
"You can see how important it is for Galatasaray when they play at home," he said. "They qualified in the last game, which they had to wait one more day to play because of the snow, and they beat a team like Juventus.
"It's good for us to play the second leg at home, but for sure you need to get a great result to qualify, that's why we need to get a great result in the first game.
"We have to think that we need to win that game because even if we draw 0-0 and they come here and score an away goal, it will become a very difficult game."
