A 1-1 draw at Belgian side Racing Genk and 2-1 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen have undermined Chelsea's challenge, but they will reach the last 16 for a ninth successive season by beating Valencia in their final Group E match or a eking out a goalless draw.
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Chelsea have lost five of their last 10 matches in all competitions and although they played well in a 3-0 win at Newcastle United on Saturday, shambolic high-line defending and a lack of creativity in midfield have placed a heavy burden of responsibility on the London side's strikers.
The in-form striker, who is making a strong case for inclusion in Spain's squad for next year's European Championship, took his La Liga tally to nine goals and has five in this season's Champions League, including an equaliser from the penalty spot against Chelsea and a hat-trick in the 7-0 drubbing of Genk.
"It was a really tough match and we suffered a lot but we showed we knew how to cope with it which will be important for Tuesday when we are bound to suffer again," he told reporters.
"If we had lost today [Saturday] it would have put a different complexion on Tuesday's game, which will be like a final," added the 26-year-old former Real Madrid player.
"A win today confirmed the team's positive dynamic and we are winning games and getting good results and that is important for our confidence before we play Chelsea, who we know are one of the world's best teams.
"We know it will be an extremely difficult match but without doubt we will be at the required level and we hope to return home with the result we expect."
