morning papers anderlecht away

Chelsea cruise on with Crespo
Jon Brodkin at Constant vanden Stock StadiumThursday November 24, 2005The Guardian
Jose Mourinho's sums may have let him down on the eve of this fixture but his team did nothing of the sort last night. Two early goals enabled Chelsea to play in cruise control for much of the match. With Real Betis failing to win at Anfield this took the Premiership champions through to the last 16, meaning their manager was spot on in suggesting that three more points would suffice. A similar result at home to Liverpool would secure the group's top spot.
Far tougher tests than this lie ahead but Chelsea are entitled to feel satisfied with a first away win in this tournament for just over a year. They were stronger, slicker and of a higher quality than a poor Anderlecht team, who barely looked like scoring after they wasted a fine chance to take the lead and have now lost 12 straight Champions League matches. When asked to, Chelsea defended soundly, with Michael Essien growing into his role as the holding midfielder.Hernán Crespo underlined his increasing value with a second strike in as many games and some nice touches with his back to goal as Chelsea, afforded far more space than usual, dictated the pace and rhythm. They started excellently and were content to play within themselves in the second half. Late on they struck a post through the influential Frank Lampard, who had set up both goals.
Chelsea could hardly be blamed for not expending energy in searching relentlessly for a bigger margin of victory or potentially exposing themselves to counter-attacks. They have plenty of Premiership business to attend to, starting at Portsmouth on Saturday, and Mourinho took the opportunity to bring on Lassana Diarra, Geremi and Carlton Cole.
The final group match against Liverpool in a fortnight will be nothing more than a face-off for first place. Mourinho said he would set out to win but that it was "not important" where his team finished. "If you are first you can get Real Madrid," he noted. "If second, you can get Lyon. What's the difference between playing Juventus and Bayern Munich? Maybe if you are first you have to play against Milan and second against PSV Eindhoven. Like last season, we finished first and played Barcelona."
Events here were as good as over after goals from Crespo and Ricardo Carvalho inside 15 minutes. Mourinho had called on his players to begin brightly and not underestimate the task after the failure to beat other troubled teams in Betis, Manchester United and Everton in recent weeks, and they did precisely that.
The identity of the goalscorers vindicated the manager's selections. He had stuck with Crespo and left Didier Drogba on the bench, and the Argentina striker coolly volleyed Chelsea's opener after Lampard robbed Anthony Vanden Borre, accelerated down the left and centred with his supposedly weaker foot.
It was Crespo's first start in this competition under Mourinho, who was surely reiterating that the striker has a future at the club despite suggestions to the contrary. Crespo's goals against Newcastle and here have shown his desire to succeed at Chelsea. "Hernán's performance was very good again," Mourinho said.
The advantage was doubled by Carvalho, chosen at centre-back instead of William Gallas, who was deployed at full-back. Carvalho does not score many but hit a powerful shot across goal after a Lampard corner was flicked on.
Chelsea were in control, retaining possession comfortably as Lampard and Eidur Gudjohnsen dictated matters, with good support from Joe Cole, but they might have faced a far tougher night had Anderlecht accepted an opening about 40 seconds before Crespo scored. A quick throw sent Christian Wilhelmsson down the right but Mbo Mpenza's shot from the Swede's cross spun wide.
The gap in class and muscle was soon evident and it was not hard to believe Anderlecht have been troubled by poor domestic results and infighting. They were jeered off by their fans. Mourinho had only praise for his players. "Our performance in the first half-hour was very good, very strong - quality in the game with intensity," he said. "The second half was not as beautiful as the first half but we controlled the game. We were under a little bit of pressure to qualify [but] we did it very well."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Anderlecht 0 Chelsea 2 Crespo's class tells as Chelsea cruise into knock-out stages By Jason Burt at the Vanden Stock Stadium Published: 24 November 2005 It isn't over until the fat lady sings, or so the saying goes. But she was warming up her tonsils on a bitter night in Brussels from the moment Hernan Crespo tapped the ball off the centre-spot to start proceedings. Never mind the opera, this was barely a drama, as one-sided a mismatch as the Champions' League gets, and it allowed Chelsea to record their first away win in seven matches in Europe.
A bizarre record indeed for such a formidable, and formidably resourced, opponent, and one stretching back to November last year, but by ending it - and with Real Betis failing to beat Liverpool - Chelsea qualified from Group G for the knock-out stages of this competition without having remotely to extend themselves.
Not that the Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho, cares whether his side or Liverpool top the group. "I think it is not important at all," he said, reasoning that facing Bayern Munich or Barcelona in the next round was much of a muchness. "But it would have been funny if Betis had won," he said. "Imagine Chelsea versus Liverpool. Ten points each and the loser is out of the competition. It would have been a fantastic night."
Some sense of humour that - and there was also a little dig at Rafael Benitez, saying he hoped he would come to entertain at Stamford Bridge next month. Mourinho also opened his comments with a swipe at having been criticised for his pre-match remark that all Chelsea needed to do was win. "First of all," he said, "I'm very good at maths because I told you three points was enough."
He was, again, right. Mourinho also got his permutations correct in playing Crespo ahead of Didier Drogba, and he was rewarded with a performance of class from the Argentinian, who is shifting into form, and into the limelight, just as Chelsea need him.
Crespo looked every bit the top international striker that he undoubtedly is and his employers would do well to smooth whatever unrest there remains in his heart over staying in London.
Crespo's name rang long into the night from the travelling Chelsea fans, whose team killed the game with two early goals in a first half that their manager described as "beautiful". That beauty was not maintained after the break although the firm grip established by the relentless power of Michael Essien was never loosened.
But Chelsea eased ahead through a goal created solely by Frank Lampard, who sent in what Mourinho described as an "unbelievable" cross for Crespo to leap and volley in. That came soon after Anderlecht should have scored when, with the disappointing Asier del Horno out of position, a quick throw-in released Christian Wilhelmsson, who pulled the ball back only for Mbo Mpenza to steer wide.
Soon the home side were further behind and again Crespo was involved. Lampard's corner was flicked on by the striker and Ricardo Carvalho half-volleyed into the roof of the net. Game over and with that Anderlecht were consigned to a record 12th consecutive Champions' League defeat.
Their only hope was the energy of Wilhelmsson but, in truth, and until Bart Goor made a hash of a cross late on, they were completely colourless and departed at both the half and full-time whistles to derision from their otherwise mute fans.
Perhaps because of the ease of it all, Chelsea dipped and a third goal would not come, as Crespo - in his final act before being replaced to a rich ovation - volleyed into the side-netting. His performance confirmed again the astonishing choices Mourinho has. There is the target man bludgeon of Didier Drogba, or the appealing rapier of Crespo. Last night belonged to the latter and he slit Anderlecht's throats. The smoothest of assassins.
Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Gallas, Terry, Carvalho, Del Horno; Lampard, Essien, Gudjohnsen (Geremi, 78); J Cole (Diarra, 62), Crespo (C Cole, 86), Duff. Substitutes not used: Cudicini (gk), Drogba, Ferreira, Huth.
Anderlecht (4-4-2): Proto; Zewlakow, Kompany, Tihinen, Deschacht; Wilhelmsson, Vanden Borre, Vanderhaeghe (Iachtchouk, h-t), Goor; Mpenza (Zetterberg, 60), Akin (Ehret, 74). Substitutes not used: Zitka (gk), Juhasz, De Man, Mitu.
Referee: S Farina (Italy).
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Sun:Anderlecht 0 Chelsea 2 By SUN ONLINE REPORTER
CHELSEA have qualified for the knockout phase of the Champions League.
After some poor performances, boss Jose Mourinho had ordered his side to put an end to their sloppy attitude.
And they did so in a fashion that would have delighted the coach with goals inside the first 15 minutes from Hernan Crespo and Ricardo Carvalho.
The win was also was enough to see the Blues progress to the next phase - as Mourinho had predicted.
In contrast, the Belgian side, without a goal in Europe this season or a victory in the Champions League for 12 games had nothing in their armoury.
Crespo, preferred in attack to Didier Drogba put the Blues in front after only seven minutes.
Frank Lampard enjoyed plenty of time and space on the left to deliver a pinpoint cross for Crespo.
And the Argentinian gave keeper Silvio Proto no chance by volleying the ball into the net.
In the 15th minute the away side doubled their advantage through Carvalho.
A corner on the right from Lampard was knocked on by Crespo for the Portuguese international to despatch a vicious volley into the top right-hand corner of the Anderlecht net.
It was Carvalho’s second goal in the competition and put Chelsea in complete control.
The rest of the first half saw Chelsea continue to dominate proceedings without adding to the scoreline.
Crespo saw a looping volley go just over the target and Joe Cole was unlucky with a chip that Proto just managed to collect from under the crossbar.
In the second half a clever run by Damien Duff almost opened up the Anderlecht defence once more.
But this time the Belgians managed to scramble the ball to safety.
Carvalho found himself through on goal in the 50th minute after Duff had put him clear but he did not have the legs to finish off the run and settled for a corner.
That resulted in Duff chancing his luck from 20 yards with a fierce shot that Proto did well to punch clear in a crowded goalmouth.
Anderlecht finally managed to get a shot on target in the 66th minute when Petr Cech was forced to dive low to his right to prevent Serhat Akin’s effort from creeping into the net at the near post.
But Chelsea almost added a third in the 84th minute when Lampard’s left-foot effort from just outside was pushed on to the foot of the post by Proto.
Seconds later Crespo should have done better with a right-foot shot that he place wide of the upright from six yards.
It was to be his last contribution of the night as Mourinho replaced him with Carlton Cole.
Liverpool’s goalless draw with Betis at Anfield ensured that both English sides qualified from Group G. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Telegraph:
Crespo steers Chelsea through By Christopher Davies in Brussels Anderlecht (0) 0 Chelsea (2) 2
Latin flair and Belgian despair combined to see Chelsea gain the victory over Anderlecht which, with the failure of Real Betis to beat Liverpool, ensured the Premiership leaders of a place in the Champions League knockout phase for the third consecutive season.
Game over: Ricardo Carvalho celebrates Chelsea's second Hernan Crespo justified his selection ahead of Didier Drogba, the Argentine scoring the opening goal and laying on the second for Portugal international Ricardo Carvalho.
It brought to an end Chelsea's European travel sickness and was their first away win in the Champions League since their victory in Russia over Spartak Moscow just over a year ago.
With Liverpool also progressing to the next stage, it means the English derby between the Premiership and European Champions at Stamford Bridge in the final tie will decide which finish first in the group and become a seed for the next round. As Chelsea won their group last season and were then drawn to play Barcelona, Mourinho may question the value of winning the qualifying group.
However, it was never really in doubt that they would win a Champions League tie after eight failures because Anderlecht must be one of the most mediocre teams ever to rub shoulders with Europe's elite. The scoreline does not do justice to Chelsea's almost embarrassing superiority.
As the game progressed Chelsea, understandably, were happy to maintain their two-goal lead while Anderlecht were similarly content not to suffer a humiliating defeat. If it did not make for the most enthralling of matches, Chelsea flew home from Brussels with their mission of reaching the knockout stage accomplished.
Mourinho's mathematics had been questioned as he waded through the complexities of the qualification possibilities on the eve of the tie but the manager's team selection proved to be spot on, the choice of Crespo ahead of Drogba as the lone striker paying quick dividends.
With eight minutes gone Christian Wilhelmsson crossed from the right and Mbo Mpenza was a foot wide as he slid in on the centre. Anderlecht paid the heaviest of prices for Mpenza's profligacy because from the resulting goal-kick Chelsea scored.
Petr Cech's clearance found Damien Duff who helped the ball on to Frank Lampard on the left flank. The Footballer of the Year's centre was volleyed home by Crespo, making his first Champions League start under Mourinho, the Argentina international unmarked as he beat Silvio Proto from six yards.
Without a point or a goal in Group G, Anderlecht were looking at a fifth consecutive double-blank this season and when Ricardo Carvalho made it 2-0 in the 15th minute the game as a true contest was effectively over.
Lampard's right-wing corner was flicked on by Crespo to Carvalho by the far post and the Portugal defender scored with a half-volley from eight yards. Chelsea may have lost six of their last seven away ties in the Champions League but they had never been defeated when leading 2-0 under Mourinho and a side going into the match in the wake of 11 successive European defeats seemed unlikely to create a minor piece of Chelsea history.
Two minutes after the interval Mpenza was clear with only Cech to beat and for a moment the Constant Vanden Stock stadium held its collective breath.
Was Anderlecht's Champions League goal drought about to end? No. Mpenza's shot was saved by Cech's legs and, perhaps to the relief of the Anderlecht striker, he was offside, something he was unaware of at the time.
Apart from Lampard's shot with five minutes remaining that struck a post there was little to raise the pulse as the match became almost a glorified European training session for Chelsea though the suspicion is that their reserves would give them a tougher time than Anderlecht.
Match detailsAnderlecht (4-1-4-1): Proto; Zealakow, Kompany, Tihinen, Deschacht; Vanderhaeghe; Wilhelmsson, Vanden Borre, Akin (Ehret 75), Goor; Mpenza (Zetterberg 60). Subs: Zitka (g), Juhasz, Lachtchouk, De Man, Mitu. Booked: Vanden Boore. Chelsea ( 4-1-4-1): Cech; Gallas, Terry, Carvalho, Del Horno; Essien; J Cole (Diarra 63), Lampard, Gudjohnsen (Geremi 78), Duff; Crespo (C Cole 86). Subs: Cudicini (g), Drogba, Paulo Ferreira, Huth. Booked: Del Horno, Terry. Referee: S Farina (Italy).
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Times:
It all adds up fine for Mourinho as Chelsea saunter onFrom Matt Hughes in BrusselsAnderlecht 0 Chelsea 2
JOSÉ MOURINHO may have failed his own maths test, but it would be impossible to argue with his logic. The Chelsea manager had demanded an improved attitude from his players and they responded with a performance of outstanding professionalism, securing the win that takes them through to the knockout stages of the Champions League.

The match was over as a contest after 15 minutes thanks largely to Hernán Crespo, who kissed and made up with his manager by scoring the first goal and creating the second for Ricardo Carvalho. Such was the sense of lethargy among the away team’s fans that they amused themselves, if no one else, by singing about supposed slums in Liverpool, whose visit to Stamford Bridge next month will decide who finishes top of group G. Mourinho also appeared relaxed, even giving Gérémi a rare runout, before defending his mathematics.
"First of all I’m very good on maths because I thought three points would be enough and it was," Mourinho said. "The performance was very good in the first half. The attacking was very good and the intensity was there. We played very, very well and controlled the game."
Crespo was crucial to Chelsea establishing such control, making his first Champions League start under Mourinho and the first since scoring two goals in last season’s final for AC Milan. Mourinho has gone out of his way to make the fragile Crespo feel at home after a bust-up before Chelsea’s defeat away to Real Betis and made a big statement by overlooking his beloved Didier Drogba, the sledgehammer he uses to crack nuts. A knee injury to the Ivory Coast forward also influenced his decision.
"I choose Hernán because first of all I feel Didier is a target player and Hernán is a movement player," Mourinho said. "I always pick the team depending on what we need in each game. Hernán gave us what we needed and I also need to motivate players.
"Hernán performed very well for us and I always felt he was settled. He has great quality. I always wanted two players for every position and am happy with them. I’m getting what I want from both of them."
Crespo appeared determined to make the most of his opportunity from the outset, demonstrating surprising machismo for one usually so meek. Mourinho’s message — perspiration beats inspiration every time — may have got through. In the seventh minute he reached a through-pass from Joe Cole he had no right to get to, beating Hannu Tihinen to the ball and showing strength to hold off the Anderlecht captain, but his shot was saved by Silvio Proto.
In an entertaining opening Anderlecht threatened themselves a minute later, Mbo Mpenza shooting across goal after a cross from the right by Christian Wilhelmsson with Petr Cech nowhere, but that was the end of their evening.
Chelsea are a class apart when they counter-attack and 30 seconds on they scored when Crespo showed wonderful balance to direct a Frank Lampard cross into the net with a crisp volley from 12 yards, for his fifth goal in seven starts this season.
Having lost their previous 11 Champions League games and fought among themselves during a defeat by Westerlo at the weekend, Anderlecht’s heads understandably dropped and seven minutes later were between their knees. Crespo was again their tormentor, heading a Lampard corner across goal from the right for Carvalho to provide a neat finish. They may share a fondness for lank locks but their goalscoring records could not be more different, with the Portuguese celebrating his third goal for the club.
Despite their contribution to an open contest the home side were greeted with jeers at half-time. Many of their players, fatigued by weeks of failure, may not have wanted to return for the second half but they showed commendable character in coming back for more. They had chances too, Mpenza stealing the ball in the 47th minute from Carvalho, perhaps dreaming of further attacking glory, only to be ruled offside.
Carvalho’s dreams almost came to fruition four minutes later after a rare foray forward but his cross was cut out by Tihinen, while Lampard hit the post late on.
For the most part, though, Chelsea were happy to keep the ball, contentedly killing a game well and truly under control. The most interesting aspect of the second half was the introduction of Lassana Diarra, who was given the final half-hour. The 20-year-old Frenchman was signed as a long-term replacement for Claude Makelele, but on his second Chelsea appearance operated ahead of Michael Essien on the right of midfield, keeping the ball well without demonstrating any real quality. Tougher tests await for both the player and his club.
ANDERLECHT (4-3-2-1): S Proto — M Zewlakow, V Kompany, H Tihinen, O Deschacht — A Vanden Borre, Y Vanderhaege (sub: O Iachtchouk, 46min), B Goor — C Wilhelmsson, A Serhat (sub: F Ehret, 74) — M Mpenza (sub: P Zetterberg, 59). Substitutes not used: D Zitka, R Juhasz, M De Man, D Mitu. Booked: Vanden Borre.
CHELSEA (4-3-3): P Cech — W Gallas, R Carvalho, J Terry, A Del Horno — M Essien, F Lampard, E Gudjohnsen (sub: Gérémi, 78) — J Cole (sub: L Diarra, 63), H Crespo (sub: C Cole, 86), D Duff. Substitutes not used: C Cudicini, D Drogba, P Ferreira, R Huth. Booked: Del Horno, Terry.
Referee: S Farina (Italy).
INS AND OUTS
Qualified for knockout stages: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Juventus, Lyons, Ajax, Bayern Munich
Cannot qualify: Rapid Vienna, FC Bruges, Rosenborg, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, Sparta Prague, FC Thun, Anderlecht, Real Betis, Fenerbahçe ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mirror:
HERNAN ON CRESP OF A WAVE TO PUT BLUES THROUGHCHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Group G: Anderlecht 0-2 ChelseaBy Darren LewisHERNAN CRESPO showed Chelsea fans just what a class act he is last night.
Crespo had talked of leading his Argentina side against England with a knife between his teeth. Last night he plunged that knife right into the heart of Anderlecht's slim hopes of reaching the UEFA Cup with an outstanding performance.
And the Chelsea supporters that had sided against him before and during that roller-coaster ride of a contest in Geneva welcomed him back with open arms.
Because Crespo is finally producing for Chelsea the kind of form Blues fans have wanted to see ever since he joined two years ago from Inter Milan.
Unsettled under Claudio Ranieri, he was packed off to Inter's rivals AC on a year-long loan in the summer of 2004 after falling foul of new Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho.
He did not want to come back to England but had to because of Mourinho's failure to land his prime targets, the likes of Andriy Shevchenko and Adriano. But with Crespo playing like he did last night, who needs them? And there was an edge and a purpose to Chelsea's all-round play right from the start on this freezing night in Brussels.
The west Londoners were desperate not only to end their appalling away record in the Champions League but also not to show up their manager again.
Mourinho had gaffed 24 hours earlier by insisting his team were guaranteed to make the knockout stages as long as they took the three points here. What he had forgotten was that Liverpool needed to beat the Spaniards of Real Betis to make that happen.
In any case, the fact remained that Chelsea still needed to do their bit.
Mourinho stuck with Crespo in attack even though powerful Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba was available after being banned for last Saturday's 3-0 win over Newcastle.
The Special One was proved right yet again after just seven minutes when Crespo speared home a peach of a cross from Frank Lampard with the home defence all over the place.
Seven minutes later, Ricardo Carvalho added a second. Well, he could do little else as he had found himself unmarked on the far post after Crespo had headed on Lampard's corner.
No wonder this Anderlecht team are such Champions League whipping boys. Beaten in their previous 11 straight ties in this competition. But Chelsea still had to go about their business in the right manner - and they did.
In fact, the way in which they set about dismantling sorry Anderlecht, chasing down every pass, fighting for every ball, showed they had finally taken heed of their manager's pre-match insistence that they needed to be ruthless against the weaker teams. Before the international break, during their run of conceding in seven out of eight, they had been held by Everton and beaten by both Charlton and injury-hit Betis.
Mourinho admitted that this was because his men had deluded themselves into taking victory for granted against their, on paper, inferior opponents.
Chelsea could in no way be found guilty of that last night.
The versatile Michael Essien, in for the injured Claude Makelele, was an effective screen in closing out Anderlecht's attempts to force their way through the heart of the Blues defence. Lampard in front of him was up and at it, looking as though he was about to lash in one of his trademark screamers every time he latched on to a loose ball.
And Crespo tore apart the charge often levelled at South American stars that they are unable to roll up their sleeves on a freezing night when it matters.
This was so one-sided it was embarrassing. And, remember, Chelsea were without Dutch winger Arjen Robben, just recovering from a hamstring injury, while Shaun Wright-Phillips was suspended.
It did not matter. Chelsea had this game by the scruff of the neck and they were never going to let go.
ANDERLECHT: Proto, Deschacht, Tihinen, Kompany, Zewlakow, Goor, Vanderhaeghe, Vanden Borre, Akin, Mpenza, Wilhelmsson.
CHELSEA: Cech, Del Horno, Terry, Carvalho, Gallas, Duff, Essien, Lampard, Joe Cole, Crespo, Gudjohnsen.
ATTENDANCE: 21,070
MAN OF THE MATCH: Crespo
REMAINING GAMES: Dec 6: Chelsea v Liverpool, Betis v Anderlecht