The TimesDecember 10, 2008
Chelsea escape Champions League meeting with Jose MourinhoChelsea 2 CFR Cluj 1Martin Samuel, Chief Football Correspondent
If you want anything done properly, do it yourself is the adage, and Chelsea spurned the need of a helping hand from Roma yesterday to make their own way into the last 16 of the Champions League. They will not enter the draw on December 19 as group winners, which is a source of embarrassment, but tournament veterans such as Sir Alex Ferguson regard the order of qualification as pretty much irrelevant these days. As if to prove it, by coming second, Chelsea have avoided the possibility of an early meeting with the Inter Milan side now coached by José Mourinho. Inter somehow contrived to finish short of Panathinaikos in group B.
It is not time to pass round the cigars just yet, however. As it stands, Chelsea’s opponents could include the league leaders in Spain and France and a team that are joint top on points in Germany. A tie against Barcelona would renew old rivalries, although with Mourinho and Frank Rijkaard, the former coaches, now replaced, there will be no incendiary spark, while a pairing with Panathinaikos, of Greece, will be considered fortunate, considering the way Olympiacos from that country were brushed aside last season. Chelsea could also face one of Lyons and Bayern Munich, and one from Juventus and Real Madrid, although the Italian side are likelier to win the group, bringing the possible return to Stamford Bridge of Claudio Ranieri. Had Chelsea won the group, Inter, Atlético Madrid and Sporting Lisbon would already be lined up as potential opponents. Bread and bread, really. Ferguson probably has a point.
This was barely a return to form for Chelsea, although Yssouf Koné’s equalising goal in the 55th minute gave the tie a brief air of tension, before news came in that Roma were beating Bordeaux, meaning that Chelsea could lose and still progress. In the circumstances, then, perhaps the most pleasing factor was the return to the side, and to scoring form, of Didier Drogba, who was on the field for only seven minutes as a substitute before he relieved the pressure with a sublimely taken winner.
Drogba has not had the best year — sent off in the Champions League final, injured, banned by the FA for throwing a coin into the crowd against Burnley, fingered for allowing his agent to meet representatives of Inter — but beggars cannot be choosers and right now Chelsea followers, concerned that their season may be unravelling, will take a favour even if they are suspicious of its motives. Drogba, on his day arguably the finest striker in Europe, is capable of turning this campaign around almost single-handedly and, as such, received a welcome generally reserved for the sort of player who has been selfless and unassuming, not a royal pain in the neck.
It was a fantastic move that won the match and Drogba completed it with a flourish. John Obi Mikel carried the ball through the middle and fed Joe Cole, whose chip put Drogba in to bring the ball down and strike a stunning shot past Nuno Claro, the CFR Cluj goalkeeper, in one seamless move. “Welcome back, we’ve missed you,” a voice boomed through the Tannoy. It might not have been what Nicolas Anelka, the man who has done a creditable job filling Drogba’s boots, wanted to hear, but it was the truth.
As it was, Chelsea were the only team in the top eight seeds not to be through with a game to spare. It took a desperately fickle campaign to deliver this predicament, a boulevard of banana skins stretching out from what should have been a walk in the park. Luiz Felipe Scolari, the manager, went into the game denying claims, some from inside the club, that he is feeling the pressure. He did a fine job of hiding it if he was, although that might have changed had Cluj done more with two early chances.
Cluj are Champions League novices, but they deserve credit for making a game of this and in the seventh minute, Alvaro Pereira, the full back, broke down the left flank and struck a low shot that Petr Cech, the Chelsea goalkeeper, parried and then gathered at the next attempt. If that was too close for comfort, from the next attack, Hugo Alcântara headed the ball down and Eugen Trica almost forced it over the line, thwarted by desperate defence from Mikel.
From there, Chelsea enjoyed the bulk of possession and should have scored after 12 minutes when a free kick from Deco was met by Alex, unmarked, at the far post, heading the ball into the turf with such force that it bounced over the bar. Cluj looked vulnerable in the air, though, and in the 40th minute, so it proved.
Trica clumsily fouled Michael Ballack on the right of midfield, Deco’s free kick was deep and dangerous and the defence was more interested in dealing with John Terry, who has scored twice in the Champions League this season, bundling him to the floor but leaving Salomon Kalou unmolested. On his own in the six-yard box, he forced the ball past Nuno Claro.
Chelsea then made harder work of this than was necessary, conceding a goal when Koné — a member of the Rosenborg team who did for Mourinho last season — headed in a cross from Cristian Panin, but results elsewhere meant that they spent little time outside the comfort zone, mainly in the first half when the scores in both group A games were level.
It is this absence of surprise that is the great weakness of the Champions League group stage. Chelsea have not impressed in Europe this season, but that have not needed to and not one of the reforms designed by Michel Platini, the Uefa president, and implemented next season will make a damn bit of difference. If anything, as more minnows swim in the big pool, what Uefa terms match-day six (and who said romance was dead in football) will increasingly cease to matter.
Chelsea (4-1-2-2-1): P Cech — J Bosingwa, Alex, J Terry, A Cole — J Obi Mikel (sub: W Bridge, 87min) — M Ballack, Deco — J Cole (sub: J Belletti, 74), S Kalou (sub: D Drogba, 64) — N Anelka. Substitutes not used: C Cudicini, B Ivanovic, P Ferreira, M Stoch. Booked: Belletti, Mikel Obi.
CFR Cluj (4-2-3-1): Nuno Claro — C Panin, Cadu, H Alcantara, Alvaro Pereira — Dani, G Muresan — Juan Culio, E Trica (sub: S Peralta, 71), S Dubarbier (sub: E Kone, 59) — Y Koné. Substitutes not used: L Hirschfeld, Sanchez Prette, C Deac, De Sousa, Diego Ruiz. Booked: Trica.
Referee: P Frojdfeldt (Sweden).
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Telegraph:
Didier Drogba scores winner to send Chelsea into knock-out stages of Champions LeagueChelsea (1) 2 CFR Cluj (0) 1 By Henry Winter at Stamford Bridge Chelsea are a qualified success. Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side have reached the knock-out stages of the Champions League but know they must raise their game if they are to continue on the road to the Rome climax.
Chelsea must get Ricardo Carvalho back in action, pray that Frank Lampard avoids injury and suspension and keep Didier Drogba fit and focused. Chelsea will need Carvalho’s positional nous and knack of the well-timed interception. Missing the banned Lampard on Wednesday night, Chelsea lacked direction in midfield.
In attack, Chelsea seemed a far more assertive unit with Drogba, giving them a real variety, allowing them to take a more aerial approach at times. Drogba scored the winner, after Salomon Kalou and Yssouf Kone had traded goals either side of half-time.
At least Chelsea’s presence in next week’s draw will end the ludicrous questioning of Scolari’s capabilities. The Brazilian has masterminded a successful World Cup campaign, so he knows how to shape formidable teams, and clearly has the intelligence and experience to mould Chelsea into a trophy-winning force.
Until Drogba’s fine goal midway through the second half, Chelsea had been far from convincing. Kalou’s goal late in the first half had briefly eased the tension around the Bridge but Yssouf Kone’s equaliser 10 minutes after the interval made it a nervy time for Chelsea until Drogba muscled his way into the game, emerging from the bench to score a terrific goal.
Before Kalou’s goal, Scolari’s men had been particularly poor. Michael Ballack was constantly outmanoeuvred in midfield while Petr Cech was less than convincing in goal. Amazingly for a competition that prides itself on organisational detail, Champions League officials had failed to notice that Cech’s fluorescent top clearly clashed with that adorning the Swedish referee, Peter Frojdfeldt.
Chelsea had hoped that Cech would see little of the ball, but Cluj’s enterprise indicted they were not visiting London simply for the bargains on Oxford Street. The last time Frojdfeldt had been in London 13 months ago, Croatia’s players had gone shopping and then humiliated England at Wembley.
John Terry’s side had been warned. Out of contention for continued European involvement, Cluj had pride to play for, as well as a chance to impress watching scouts, and their 4-2-3-1 formation exuded a counter-attacking threat that hinted at an embarrassing evening for Chelsea.
Prior to Kalou’s goal, Chelsea had been forced to weather a brief storm: not a real Beaufort Scale-buster, but a significant buffeting none the less. Cech was by far the busier keeper in the opening exchanges, dropping to his left to scramble away a shot from Alvaro Pereira, Kluj’s adventurous left-back. Not for the last time, Chelsea were cut open down the flanks.
Over on the right, the lively Juan Culio soon executed a series of step-overs that comprehensively bamboozled Ashley Cole. The Argentinian lifted over a steepling cross to the far-post met by Hugo Alcantara. The Brazilian’s nod-down would have reached Yssouf Kone but for an athletic interception by Mikel. These were worrying times for Chelsea.
Lacking the suspended Frank Lampard, the injured Ricardo Carvalho and with Drogba on the bench for an hour until replacing Kalou, Chelsea struggled to find their rhythm until Kalou’s well-taken strike six minutes from the break.
Ashley Cole and Jose Bosingwa tried to give them width, Deco sought to weave some magic in the middle while Joe Cole was always a threat, firing just wide after 25 minutes. Alex went close, rising powerfully to meet Deco’s free-kick, but heading over.
Chelsea needed inspiration, someone to take real responsibility in midfield. Ballack failed to impose his considerable talent in the first half, shooting badly over as the game nudged the half-hour mark. The German did not seem to relish the physical aspect of Cluj’s play, tumbling under a 40th-minute challenge from Eugen Trica that was hardly brutal.
Adding insult to iniquity, Chelsea scored from the free-kick. Deco hoisted the ball into the area where Cluj seemed more interested in blocking off Terry and Alex. Gabriel Muresan was most at fault, the Cluj captain allowing the ball to carry through to the unmarked Kalou.
The Ivory Coast attacker responded to this unexpected gift adroitly. His first touch was perfect, controlling the ball and nudging it into the ideal shooting position. Kalou’s right foot then slammed the ball past the exposed Nuno Claro.
Two of Kalou’s compatriots commanded the attention as the second half unfolded. Yssouf Kone began to run more menacingly at Chelsea’s defence while Didier Drogba’s warm-up drew huge applause from the Matthew Harding Stand. Kalou almost engineered a second for Chelsea, ushering Anelka through but Nuno Claro saved well from the Frenchman.
Cluj’s players, responding to the exhortations of their small but vocal support, stormed upfield, exploiting poor positioning by Chelsea’s defenders. As Ashley Cole struggled to deal with the white-shirted waves flooding his way, Juan Culio created space for Cristian Panin. The Romanian’s cross was magnificent, ideally weighted to clear Alex and reach Yssouf Kone, who headed joyously into the net.
Chelsea responded, Joe Cole denied by Nuno Claro at close range. Drogba charged on to a royal reception, scoring with 19 minutes remaining. His goal was a gem, majestically created and confidently taken. Mikel began the move, ghosting through the middle, lifting the ball through to Joe Cole. The England international saw Drogba’s run, and clipped the ball into his path. Drogba’s finish was terrific, the ball placed expertly underneath Nuno Claro.
Inspired by Drogba’s presence, Chelsea were a completely different proposition now, confidence flowing through them. Juliano Belletti tried his luck from range and almost caught out Nuno Claro. Ballack perked up, the midfielder bending in a shot that Cluj's keeper parried away. Chelsea need to start the knock-out stages as they finished on Tuesday night.
Qualifiers for Champions League first knock-out round
ArsenalAtletico MadridBarcelonaBayern MunichChelseaInter MilanJuventusLiverpoolLyonManchester UnitedPanathinaikosPortoRomaReal MadridSporting LisbonVillarreal
Draw to be made in Nyon, Switzerland, on Dec 19. Fixtures
1st knock-out round: 1st leg, Feb 24-25; 2nd leg, March 10-11.
Qtr-finals: 1st leg, April 7-8; 2nd leg: April 14-15.
Semi-finals: 1st leg, April 28-29; 2nd leg, May 5-6.
Final: May 27 (Rome).
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Independent:
Drogba and group therapy lift the Chelsea depression
Chelsea 2 CFR Cluj 1
By Sam Wallace at Stamford Bridge
Grumpy, rebellious, even irresponsible for getting himself sent off in that Champions League final in May, but once a goalscorer, always a goalscorer. Didier Drogba emerged from the longest sulk in history last night to score the winner for Chelsea which is just about the quickest way to earn forgiveness for all the sins of the modern-day footballer.
Not that it was all plain sailing for Chelsea, especially when the team from Transylvania, ahem, drew blood on 55 minutes with an equaliser which necessitated substitute Drogba's winner. His goal was the first he has scored in the Champions League since his two against Liverpool in the semi-final second leg in April and prompted a wistful "it's good to have you back" from the stadium announcer. He might be back, but for just how long?
The winner, after Salomon Kalou had initially given Chelsea the lead, was vintage Drogba. Given just the slightest sight of goal after a beautifully worked move the striker pounced. It was a glimpse of what Chelsea might be with a truly in-form centre-forward capable of taking advantage of all that power and experience in the team. Drogba must now be a candidate to start on Sunday against West Ham, which will be his first since 27 September. The striker is much more than just "an option" as Scolari describes him.
In the end Chelsea's result was academic as Bordeaux were defeated in Roma leaving the Italians top of Group A. Also defeated last night were Jose Mourinho's Internazionale which means they cannot face Chelsea when draw is made a week on Friday. Scolari could, however, find himself up against Panathinaikos or Barcelona, the form team of Europe who would flatten Chelsea on the basis of this performance.
As John Terry later pointed out, this is not Chelsea at their intimidating, single-minded best. They found themselves unsettled by Cluj's resilient little band of Africans, South Americans, Portuguese (and the occasional Romanian) who were anxious to make an impression. Alex also proved that it is not just Transylvania's most famous son who is uneasy around crosses when his misjudgment let Yssouf Kone in for the equalising goal.
To give Scolari his due, he did change the formation of his team at the start of the second half, pushing Kalou into attack alongside Nicolas Anelka and giving 4-4-2 a chance instead. This, perhaps, is the elusive Plan B which Chelsea have been searching for in recent weeks although no one seemed to fancy playing out on the left side of midfield which was the flank from which Cluj's equaliser originated.
In the end, it was the quality of many of Chelsea's players which told. John Obi Mikel was excellent, although the indifferent spell which Deco is experiencing is cause for alarm. They missed the suspended Frank Lampard in midfield, where Michael Ballack and Deco seemed only to drift in and out of the game. In the early stages, the lively Juan Culio, an Argentine who has pitched up in Romania's third biggest city, looked like he might even precipitate an upset.
This trip to London evidently offered much more to Cluj than swapping shirts with a famous Chelsea player or having a team photograph in front of Buckingham Palace. They had come to prove they were more than just cannon-fodder and came close to scoring in the 17th minute. Culio's cross was headed down by Hugo Alcantara and Mikel only just managed to nick the ball away in time from the Portuguese defender Cadu.
At least Cluj had resisted the temptation to put 10 men behind the ball but, ultimately, they paid the price for it. Alex and Joe Cole had missed chances when Deco's free-kick on 40 minutes looked to be falling to John Terry who was fouled by Gabriel Muresan. The Chelsea captain had barely had a chance to appeal for the penalty when the ball dropped at Kalou's feet and he had time for a touch before sweeping it in.
There were only three Romanians in the Cluj first XI, the same amount of Englishmen as there were in Chelsea's team and they came back well. After Anelka missed a chance to put Chelsea two goals ahead, the ball was worked to Cristian Panin who crossed to the far post, over the head of the out-of-position Alex, and right into the path of Kone. He picked the corner of Petr Cech's goal for the equaliser.
There was tension in Stamford Bridge, where the fans seemed oblivious to the fact that Bordeaux were losing to Roma. Scolari was experiencing one of those lonely moments on the touchline that has been the fate of his predecessors at this club and he sent Drogba to warm-up. In the meantime, Joe Cole had a shot from point blank range saved.
The day was saved by Drogba's winning goal, a brilliantly executed move that began with Mikel. He surged forward in midfield and chipped the ball to Joe Cole who in turn waited for Drogba to move ahead of his marker before dropping the ball into his path.
The Chelsea striker took one touch to kill it and then another, very quickly, to toe it past the goalkeeper Claro. It is what Drogba does best, although much too rarely of late.
Chelsea (4-1-4-1): Cech; Bosingwa, Alex, Terry, A Cole; Mikel (Bridge, 88); J Cole (Belletti, 74), Ballack, Deco, Kalou (Drogba, 65); Anelka. Substitutes not used: Cudicini (gk), Ivanovic, Ferreira, Stoch.
cfr Cluj (4-2-3-1): Claro; Panin, Alcantara, Cadu, Pereira; Muresan, Dani; Dubarbier (E Kone, 60), Trica (Peralta, 72), Culio; Y Kone. Substitutes not used: Hirschfeld (gk), Prette, Deac, De Sousa, Ruiz.
Referee: P Frojdfeldt (Sweden).
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Guardian:
Drogba delivers Chelsea into last 16 and soothes Scolari's sufferingChelsea 2 Kalou 40, Drogba 71 CFR Cluj 1 Kone, Y 55
Kevin McCarra at Stamford Bridge
The sense of jeopardy was a figment of the imagination, but Chelsea were not to know that. With Bordeaux's defeat in Rome, they could have lost here and still advanced to the knockout phase of the Champions League. As it was, Chelsea showed why there have been uncomfortable times for them in this campaign.
Their play was laboured for much of the night. No one can underestimate just how disturbing it had been to experience even the smallest doubt about their survival in the competition. Premier League clubs are now expected to advance with ease, as Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal had done in the previous round of fixtures.
Still, there was a particular satisfaction for Chelsea here. Didier Drogba came on to score the winner, showing that, despite all the injury worries, he can still be decisive. His previous goals in the Champions League, against Liverpool in last season's semi-final, had more resonance, but this may have been a significant moment in Drogba's recovery.
His services will be needed because Chelsea, as runners-up, could very well be subjected to a gruelling tie in the last 16. Drogba showed what he can offer with an efficient finish from a pass that Joe Cole chipped over the defence in the 71st minute. By that stage Nicolas Anelka had been shifted to a slightly deeper role towards the left, but there will still be an air of danger about Chelsea if he and Drogba continue to be on the field together.
Luiz Felipe Scolari's team had been ill-at-ease for much of the night. Players and spectators alike were all too aware that Stamford Bridge, after defeats here by Liverpool, Arsenal and even Burnley, is no longer a stronghold. Cluj illustrated the fragility with their equaliser in the 55th minute. Under previous regimes, it would have been unimaginable both that the visitors would make such simple progress on their right and that the full-back Cristian Panin's deep cross would be headed home so comfortably by Yssouf Koné.
With their European campaign certain to end here, the visitors had nothing whatsoever at stake. However, a side in that situation also has nothing to lose and Cluj were far from apathetic. It was faintly disquieting for Scolari's line-up, who ostensibly had so much in their favour, and Salamon Kalou's goal, five minutes from the interval, was celebrated with relief.
Chelsea must have anticipated being in complete command. As if facing the bottom team in group A were not enough, there was further encouragement in the absence through injury of Cluj's first choice goalkeeper Eduard Stancioiu. Scolari, appreciating there was no need to gamble, had concluded that Anelka and Drogba should not start together for the first time in his tenure.
While suspension ruled out Frank Lampard, there was a renewal of vitality in midfield with the return from injury of Joe Cole. The latter also lowered the average age of a department of the team that included the veterans Deco and Michael Ballack. That is an entirely serious consideration since Chelsea, on occasion, have been pedestrian.
Cole had been unavailable for the defeats in the Premier League and his energy was ultimately important here, even it looked at first that he was slightly out of touch and might have been hurried back into premature service.
The first half was well advanced before there was any sense that the visitors had been pinned down. Nuno Claro's credentials as replacement goalkeeper had not been inspected. Cluj, indeed, had created a clear opportunity of their own. Following a 17th-minute corner, Juan Culio crossed deep from the right and the header from the centre-back Hugo Alcantara needed to be hoofed away by Mikel John Obi.
When Chelsea achieved their breakthrough, it came in curious fashion. Deco's 40th-minute free-kick was aimed at John Terry, who tumbled as his marker tangled with him. The ball flew on beyond a distracted defence and Kalou showed good control before crashing the ball home.
The goal had been scored with the team's first attempt on target. There is an efficiency to that, but it is not of the type to delight a manager or a home crowd. Chelsea are unaccustomed to playing for high stakes at this stage of the Champions League. There was sighting of liberation when Anelka shot against Claro, following build-up by Deco and Kalou, but within seconds Koné had cancelled out Chelsea' lead.
Thanks to Drogba, there was a reaction to adversity. Bordeaux were already slipping towards defeat in Rome by then, but it would be ignominious for Chelsea, last season's finalists, to depend on events beyond their control. In the end they had taken control of this match and, therefore, of their own fate.
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Mail:
Chelsea 2 CFR Cluj 1: Supersub Drogba seals it for Scolari's strugglersBy Matt Lawton
No wonder Luiz Felipe Scolari is looking tired. This was supposed to be an easy game. A case of no pressure, no problem and a passage to the last 16 of the Champions League so simple that Chelsea’s manager said he would return to Brazil if they failed to win. But a side who had not won at Stamford Bridge for more than five weeks made alarmingly hard work of this contest, stuttering to victory against an unfancied Romanian team who are already eliminated. In the end, Didier Drogba stepped off the bench to score a 71st-minute goal that even Burnley’s fans would accept was right on the money. From the first touch to the toepoked finish, it was a wonderful effort.
But Cluj made Chelsea sweat, very nearly turning this into a Transylvanian horror show with a determined performance that reflected well on them and embarrassed their illustrious hosts. The points available had no value to Cluj but they still had their pride — and it was wounded pride after Scolari’s ill-advised, not to mention dismissive, remarks. Yssouf Kone said Scolari would be in trouble if the visitors scored and the Brazilian must have almost died inside when the powerfully-built striker rose above Alex to meet Cristian Panin’s cross with a terrific header in the 55th minute. It cancelled out Salomon Kalou’s 40th-minute opener, put Chelsea at the mercy of events between Roma and Bordeaux and increased the pressure on the shoulders of Scolari and his players.
A sense of panic spread through Stamford Bridge, as it had done when John Mikel Obi cleared a Cluj header off Chelsea’s line in what proved a difficult first half, in which nervous Chelsea managed just that one Kalou effort on target. Scolari, understandably, was a more relaxed figure afterwards, even offering to translate for members of the foreign media. His mood has no doubt improved in the knowledge that Drogba has now made a welcome return and Ricardo Carvalho will soon be back to add some much needed solidity to a troubled defence. Their absence does not, however, explain the sudden loss of form at the Bridge. Chelsea’s away form, after all, has been impressive and their position in the Barclays Premier League highly promising. But they have become rather like England prior to their revival under Fabio Capello. Afraid, seemingly, to play at home.
It is extraordinary when this ground has for so long been a fortress. A ground that, until Liverpool and Arsenal — not to mention Burnley in the Carling Cup — had not witnessed a home defeat in the league for more than four years. Now, however, Chelsea look formidable only when they take to the road. Well the English road anyway, because in Europe they have also been experiencing problems. A far cry from the side that came within a missed penalty of lifting the European Cup last season. From the very start last night, Chelsea seemed anxious. Scolari might have dismissed any talk of pressure but anxiety spread through Chelsea’s ranks the moment goalkeeper Petr Cech made a mess of what amounted to a weak effort from Alvaro Pereira and had to rely on John Terry to clear.Alex’s failure to then convert a teasing free-kick from Deco appeared to prove similarly stressful for Chelsea’s animated manager, as did a jinking run down the left flank by Sebastian Dubarbier. The Romanians might have had nothing to play for but they were doing rather well, very nearly scoring when Hugo Alcantara met a fine cross from Juan Culio with a header that Obi did well to clear off the line. Again Cech was beaten, again Scolari seemed concerned. While Chelsea enjoyed much of the possession, they were struggling to muster a response. Joe Cole unleashed a shot that whistled wide but the decision to leave Drogba on the bench was already starting to look like a mistake. A disagreement between Scolari and a pedantic fourth official followed, with the Brazilian objecting to being told that he had to remain within the confines of the technical area.
Scolari cursed then and he cursed every time his players cheaply lost the ball. An exasperated figure, he would spin towards his assistants in disgust before spinning back to bark out further orders. Only when Kalou made the breakthrough did he even begin to relax. The goal owed more to good fortune than good football, Deco floating in a free-kick that somehow eluded the Cluj defence — although this perhaps had something to do with the disruptive presence of John Terry — and fell to Kalou, who controlled the ball with his right foot before driving it home from close range. It was to Chelsea’s credit that they did not crack when Kone struck. Even Scolari waited a further 10 minutes before finally swapping Kalou for Drogba, which was a courageous call when some managers would have resisted the temptation to take off the goalscorer. Ultimately, it proved an inspired substitution. Joe Cole had already forced a fine save from Nuno Claro and when he delivered a delightful chip in front of Drogba, Chelsea’s striker first brought the ball under control before guiding his shot beautifully past the Cluj goalkeeper. Payback time. Match facts CHELSEA (4-3-3): Cech 7; Bosingwa 6, Alex 6, Terry 7, A Cole 7; Ballack 7, Obi 8 (Bridge 87), Deco 6; Kalou 7 (Drogba 64, 7), Anelka 6, J Cole 7 (Belletti 75). Booked: Belletti, Obi. CFR CLUJ (4-4-2): Nuno Claro 6; Panin 6, Cadu 6, Alcantara 5, Alvaro Pereira 6; Juan Culio 6, Dani 5, Muresan 5, Dubarbier 5 (E Kone 59, 6); Trica 6 (Peralta 72), Y Kone 6. Booked: Trica, Culio. Man of the match: John Mikel Obi. Referee: Peter Frojdfeldt (Swe).
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Sun:
From SHAUN CUSTIS at Stamford Bridge SO Big Phil can rest easy for the time being and put his passport back in the bedside drawer.
Scolari had jokingly vowed to flee home to Brazil in shame if he could not get past Cluj and qualify for the Champions League last 16.
But though Chelsea were far from convincing, sub Didier Drogba made certain there was no need for his manager to book a late-night flight out of the capital.
Drogba netted the winner on 71 minutes, seven minutes after coming on for Salomon Kalou, who had given Chelsea a first-half lead.
Yssouf Kone caused some anxiety around Stamford Bridge with his headed equaliser 10 minutes after the interval — but the Romanians could not hold on for a surprise point.
Scolari claimed before this game that there was minimal pressure on him compared to being manager of Brazil.
That could not hide the fact that the Blues, as skipper John Terry admitted, have been well below par in recent weeks.
It has been a difficult period for Scolari — but the fact Chelsea got the job done here is an important step forward.
Seeing Drogba back in full flow after injuries and suspension is also a major plus.
Even if he has been talking to Inter Milan behind his manager’s back, the fans will forgive him so long as he does the business in a Chelsea shirt.
While Nicolas Anelka has been banging in the goals in the Ivorian’s absence, Chelsea are a much more dangerous proposition when Drogba is leading the line.
The moment Count Drogula bared his fangs as he entered the field as a 64th-minute substitute, the visitors from Transylvania backed off.
They were visibly intimidated until Drogba put them out of their misery with a stake through the heart.
Although Joe Cole lost the ball initially, John Obi Mikel was in quickly to intercept and he lobbed the ball back to the England midfielder.
Cole spotted Drogba’s powerful burst through the middle and measured a marvellous chip into the Ivorian’s path.
Drogba did not have to break stride as he prodded the ball under the diving Nuno Claro and Cluj were finally buried.
Scolari’s quip had cranked up Cluj with their two star men Juan Culio and Kone vowing to make him pay.
It gave an extra edge to a match which, at the start of play, the Blues had to win to be sure of going through.
Yet in the end they could have lost and still qualified because Roma beat Bordeaux in the other Group A encounter.
Chelsea were edgy and nervous, their vulnerability all too apparent. The crowd were just as twitchy and Cluj could sense it.
They rattled the home side early on, pressing them into the corners and not allowing ball-players like Joe Cole any freedom.
Without the suspended Frank Lampard, Chelsea were struggling to pick holes in the defence and too often they were being robbed of possession in the final third. Even the normally reliable Petr Cech was far from convincing when he went down in instalments to shovel away a speculative long shot from Alvaro Pereira.
A curling free-kick by Deco gave Chelsea their first chance but Alex’s downward header bounced over.
Yet Cluj caused more trouble as Culio picked out Hugo Alcantara and his header into the six-yard box required an excellent clearance from Mikel, otherwise Cadu would surely have put the Romanian side ahead.
Cole found some freedom at last after chesting down Michael Ballack’s pass — and the wideman unleashed a right-foot drive which rattled the advertising boards beyond the post.
And Ballack was party to Chelsea finally getting their noses in front five minutes before the break.
The German international had his legs taken away from him to earn a free-kick.
Deco’s delivery was right in the mixer and, as Terry went down in the area, there were loud appeals for a penalty. However the ball dropped to the feet of Kalou, who had time to control and rifle a close-range shot high into the net.
That seemed to put Chelsea well on their way to the knockout phase. And when Kalou put Anelka in on goal on 54 minutes, the French frontman had the chance to wrap it up in a big, fancy bow. But he delayed a split second too long and Nuno Claro smothered.
That was the prelude to Cluj’s shock equaliser a minute later, which was remarkably simple in its execution.
Cristian Panin got away down the right and crossed deep for Kone, who climbed above Alex to head home.
The Burkina Faso striker — Cluj’s record signing at £700,000 — had played for Rosenborg at Stamford Bridge in Jose Mourinho’s last game as Chelsea boss when the Norwegians earned a shock draw.But that was not to be the result on this occasion.
Cole should have put the Blues back in front but his shot was well saved by the inspired Claro.Then Drogba entered the arena and showed him how it should be done.
Chelsea escape Champions League meeting with Jose MourinhoChelsea 2 CFR Cluj 1Martin Samuel, Chief Football Correspondent
If you want anything done properly, do it yourself is the adage, and Chelsea spurned the need of a helping hand from Roma yesterday to make their own way into the last 16 of the Champions League. They will not enter the draw on December 19 as group winners, which is a source of embarrassment, but tournament veterans such as Sir Alex Ferguson regard the order of qualification as pretty much irrelevant these days. As if to prove it, by coming second, Chelsea have avoided the possibility of an early meeting with the Inter Milan side now coached by José Mourinho. Inter somehow contrived to finish short of Panathinaikos in group B.
It is not time to pass round the cigars just yet, however. As it stands, Chelsea’s opponents could include the league leaders in Spain and France and a team that are joint top on points in Germany. A tie against Barcelona would renew old rivalries, although with Mourinho and Frank Rijkaard, the former coaches, now replaced, there will be no incendiary spark, while a pairing with Panathinaikos, of Greece, will be considered fortunate, considering the way Olympiacos from that country were brushed aside last season. Chelsea could also face one of Lyons and Bayern Munich, and one from Juventus and Real Madrid, although the Italian side are likelier to win the group, bringing the possible return to Stamford Bridge of Claudio Ranieri. Had Chelsea won the group, Inter, Atlético Madrid and Sporting Lisbon would already be lined up as potential opponents. Bread and bread, really. Ferguson probably has a point.
This was barely a return to form for Chelsea, although Yssouf Koné’s equalising goal in the 55th minute gave the tie a brief air of tension, before news came in that Roma were beating Bordeaux, meaning that Chelsea could lose and still progress. In the circumstances, then, perhaps the most pleasing factor was the return to the side, and to scoring form, of Didier Drogba, who was on the field for only seven minutes as a substitute before he relieved the pressure with a sublimely taken winner.
Drogba has not had the best year — sent off in the Champions League final, injured, banned by the FA for throwing a coin into the crowd against Burnley, fingered for allowing his agent to meet representatives of Inter — but beggars cannot be choosers and right now Chelsea followers, concerned that their season may be unravelling, will take a favour even if they are suspicious of its motives. Drogba, on his day arguably the finest striker in Europe, is capable of turning this campaign around almost single-handedly and, as such, received a welcome generally reserved for the sort of player who has been selfless and unassuming, not a royal pain in the neck.
It was a fantastic move that won the match and Drogba completed it with a flourish. John Obi Mikel carried the ball through the middle and fed Joe Cole, whose chip put Drogba in to bring the ball down and strike a stunning shot past Nuno Claro, the CFR Cluj goalkeeper, in one seamless move. “Welcome back, we’ve missed you,” a voice boomed through the Tannoy. It might not have been what Nicolas Anelka, the man who has done a creditable job filling Drogba’s boots, wanted to hear, but it was the truth.
As it was, Chelsea were the only team in the top eight seeds not to be through with a game to spare. It took a desperately fickle campaign to deliver this predicament, a boulevard of banana skins stretching out from what should have been a walk in the park. Luiz Felipe Scolari, the manager, went into the game denying claims, some from inside the club, that he is feeling the pressure. He did a fine job of hiding it if he was, although that might have changed had Cluj done more with two early chances.
Cluj are Champions League novices, but they deserve credit for making a game of this and in the seventh minute, Alvaro Pereira, the full back, broke down the left flank and struck a low shot that Petr Cech, the Chelsea goalkeeper, parried and then gathered at the next attempt. If that was too close for comfort, from the next attack, Hugo Alcântara headed the ball down and Eugen Trica almost forced it over the line, thwarted by desperate defence from Mikel.
From there, Chelsea enjoyed the bulk of possession and should have scored after 12 minutes when a free kick from Deco was met by Alex, unmarked, at the far post, heading the ball into the turf with such force that it bounced over the bar. Cluj looked vulnerable in the air, though, and in the 40th minute, so it proved.
Trica clumsily fouled Michael Ballack on the right of midfield, Deco’s free kick was deep and dangerous and the defence was more interested in dealing with John Terry, who has scored twice in the Champions League this season, bundling him to the floor but leaving Salomon Kalou unmolested. On his own in the six-yard box, he forced the ball past Nuno Claro.
Chelsea then made harder work of this than was necessary, conceding a goal when Koné — a member of the Rosenborg team who did for Mourinho last season — headed in a cross from Cristian Panin, but results elsewhere meant that they spent little time outside the comfort zone, mainly in the first half when the scores in both group A games were level.
It is this absence of surprise that is the great weakness of the Champions League group stage. Chelsea have not impressed in Europe this season, but that have not needed to and not one of the reforms designed by Michel Platini, the Uefa president, and implemented next season will make a damn bit of difference. If anything, as more minnows swim in the big pool, what Uefa terms match-day six (and who said romance was dead in football) will increasingly cease to matter.
Chelsea (4-1-2-2-1): P Cech — J Bosingwa, Alex, J Terry, A Cole — J Obi Mikel (sub: W Bridge, 87min) — M Ballack, Deco — J Cole (sub: J Belletti, 74), S Kalou (sub: D Drogba, 64) — N Anelka. Substitutes not used: C Cudicini, B Ivanovic, P Ferreira, M Stoch. Booked: Belletti, Mikel Obi.
CFR Cluj (4-2-3-1): Nuno Claro — C Panin, Cadu, H Alcantara, Alvaro Pereira — Dani, G Muresan — Juan Culio, E Trica (sub: S Peralta, 71), S Dubarbier (sub: E Kone, 59) — Y Koné. Substitutes not used: L Hirschfeld, Sanchez Prette, C Deac, De Sousa, Diego Ruiz. Booked: Trica.
Referee: P Frojdfeldt (Sweden).
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Telegraph:
Didier Drogba scores winner to send Chelsea into knock-out stages of Champions LeagueChelsea (1) 2 CFR Cluj (0) 1 By Henry Winter at Stamford Bridge Chelsea are a qualified success. Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side have reached the knock-out stages of the Champions League but know they must raise their game if they are to continue on the road to the Rome climax.
Chelsea must get Ricardo Carvalho back in action, pray that Frank Lampard avoids injury and suspension and keep Didier Drogba fit and focused. Chelsea will need Carvalho’s positional nous and knack of the well-timed interception. Missing the banned Lampard on Wednesday night, Chelsea lacked direction in midfield.
In attack, Chelsea seemed a far more assertive unit with Drogba, giving them a real variety, allowing them to take a more aerial approach at times. Drogba scored the winner, after Salomon Kalou and Yssouf Kone had traded goals either side of half-time.
At least Chelsea’s presence in next week’s draw will end the ludicrous questioning of Scolari’s capabilities. The Brazilian has masterminded a successful World Cup campaign, so he knows how to shape formidable teams, and clearly has the intelligence and experience to mould Chelsea into a trophy-winning force.
Until Drogba’s fine goal midway through the second half, Chelsea had been far from convincing. Kalou’s goal late in the first half had briefly eased the tension around the Bridge but Yssouf Kone’s equaliser 10 minutes after the interval made it a nervy time for Chelsea until Drogba muscled his way into the game, emerging from the bench to score a terrific goal.
Before Kalou’s goal, Scolari’s men had been particularly poor. Michael Ballack was constantly outmanoeuvred in midfield while Petr Cech was less than convincing in goal. Amazingly for a competition that prides itself on organisational detail, Champions League officials had failed to notice that Cech’s fluorescent top clearly clashed with that adorning the Swedish referee, Peter Frojdfeldt.
Chelsea had hoped that Cech would see little of the ball, but Cluj’s enterprise indicted they were not visiting London simply for the bargains on Oxford Street. The last time Frojdfeldt had been in London 13 months ago, Croatia’s players had gone shopping and then humiliated England at Wembley.
John Terry’s side had been warned. Out of contention for continued European involvement, Cluj had pride to play for, as well as a chance to impress watching scouts, and their 4-2-3-1 formation exuded a counter-attacking threat that hinted at an embarrassing evening for Chelsea.
Prior to Kalou’s goal, Chelsea had been forced to weather a brief storm: not a real Beaufort Scale-buster, but a significant buffeting none the less. Cech was by far the busier keeper in the opening exchanges, dropping to his left to scramble away a shot from Alvaro Pereira, Kluj’s adventurous left-back. Not for the last time, Chelsea were cut open down the flanks.
Over on the right, the lively Juan Culio soon executed a series of step-overs that comprehensively bamboozled Ashley Cole. The Argentinian lifted over a steepling cross to the far-post met by Hugo Alcantara. The Brazilian’s nod-down would have reached Yssouf Kone but for an athletic interception by Mikel. These were worrying times for Chelsea.
Lacking the suspended Frank Lampard, the injured Ricardo Carvalho and with Drogba on the bench for an hour until replacing Kalou, Chelsea struggled to find their rhythm until Kalou’s well-taken strike six minutes from the break.
Ashley Cole and Jose Bosingwa tried to give them width, Deco sought to weave some magic in the middle while Joe Cole was always a threat, firing just wide after 25 minutes. Alex went close, rising powerfully to meet Deco’s free-kick, but heading over.
Chelsea needed inspiration, someone to take real responsibility in midfield. Ballack failed to impose his considerable talent in the first half, shooting badly over as the game nudged the half-hour mark. The German did not seem to relish the physical aspect of Cluj’s play, tumbling under a 40th-minute challenge from Eugen Trica that was hardly brutal.
Adding insult to iniquity, Chelsea scored from the free-kick. Deco hoisted the ball into the area where Cluj seemed more interested in blocking off Terry and Alex. Gabriel Muresan was most at fault, the Cluj captain allowing the ball to carry through to the unmarked Kalou.
The Ivory Coast attacker responded to this unexpected gift adroitly. His first touch was perfect, controlling the ball and nudging it into the ideal shooting position. Kalou’s right foot then slammed the ball past the exposed Nuno Claro.
Two of Kalou’s compatriots commanded the attention as the second half unfolded. Yssouf Kone began to run more menacingly at Chelsea’s defence while Didier Drogba’s warm-up drew huge applause from the Matthew Harding Stand. Kalou almost engineered a second for Chelsea, ushering Anelka through but Nuno Claro saved well from the Frenchman.
Cluj’s players, responding to the exhortations of their small but vocal support, stormed upfield, exploiting poor positioning by Chelsea’s defenders. As Ashley Cole struggled to deal with the white-shirted waves flooding his way, Juan Culio created space for Cristian Panin. The Romanian’s cross was magnificent, ideally weighted to clear Alex and reach Yssouf Kone, who headed joyously into the net.
Chelsea responded, Joe Cole denied by Nuno Claro at close range. Drogba charged on to a royal reception, scoring with 19 minutes remaining. His goal was a gem, majestically created and confidently taken. Mikel began the move, ghosting through the middle, lifting the ball through to Joe Cole. The England international saw Drogba’s run, and clipped the ball into his path. Drogba’s finish was terrific, the ball placed expertly underneath Nuno Claro.
Inspired by Drogba’s presence, Chelsea were a completely different proposition now, confidence flowing through them. Juliano Belletti tried his luck from range and almost caught out Nuno Claro. Ballack perked up, the midfielder bending in a shot that Cluj's keeper parried away. Chelsea need to start the knock-out stages as they finished on Tuesday night.
Qualifiers for Champions League first knock-out round
ArsenalAtletico MadridBarcelonaBayern MunichChelseaInter MilanJuventusLiverpoolLyonManchester UnitedPanathinaikosPortoRomaReal MadridSporting LisbonVillarreal
Draw to be made in Nyon, Switzerland, on Dec 19. Fixtures
1st knock-out round: 1st leg, Feb 24-25; 2nd leg, March 10-11.
Qtr-finals: 1st leg, April 7-8; 2nd leg: April 14-15.
Semi-finals: 1st leg, April 28-29; 2nd leg, May 5-6.
Final: May 27 (Rome).
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Independent:
Drogba and group therapy lift the Chelsea depression
Chelsea 2 CFR Cluj 1
By Sam Wallace at Stamford Bridge
Grumpy, rebellious, even irresponsible for getting himself sent off in that Champions League final in May, but once a goalscorer, always a goalscorer. Didier Drogba emerged from the longest sulk in history last night to score the winner for Chelsea which is just about the quickest way to earn forgiveness for all the sins of the modern-day footballer.
Not that it was all plain sailing for Chelsea, especially when the team from Transylvania, ahem, drew blood on 55 minutes with an equaliser which necessitated substitute Drogba's winner. His goal was the first he has scored in the Champions League since his two against Liverpool in the semi-final second leg in April and prompted a wistful "it's good to have you back" from the stadium announcer. He might be back, but for just how long?
The winner, after Salomon Kalou had initially given Chelsea the lead, was vintage Drogba. Given just the slightest sight of goal after a beautifully worked move the striker pounced. It was a glimpse of what Chelsea might be with a truly in-form centre-forward capable of taking advantage of all that power and experience in the team. Drogba must now be a candidate to start on Sunday against West Ham, which will be his first since 27 September. The striker is much more than just "an option" as Scolari describes him.
In the end Chelsea's result was academic as Bordeaux were defeated in Roma leaving the Italians top of Group A. Also defeated last night were Jose Mourinho's Internazionale which means they cannot face Chelsea when draw is made a week on Friday. Scolari could, however, find himself up against Panathinaikos or Barcelona, the form team of Europe who would flatten Chelsea on the basis of this performance.
As John Terry later pointed out, this is not Chelsea at their intimidating, single-minded best. They found themselves unsettled by Cluj's resilient little band of Africans, South Americans, Portuguese (and the occasional Romanian) who were anxious to make an impression. Alex also proved that it is not just Transylvania's most famous son who is uneasy around crosses when his misjudgment let Yssouf Kone in for the equalising goal.
To give Scolari his due, he did change the formation of his team at the start of the second half, pushing Kalou into attack alongside Nicolas Anelka and giving 4-4-2 a chance instead. This, perhaps, is the elusive Plan B which Chelsea have been searching for in recent weeks although no one seemed to fancy playing out on the left side of midfield which was the flank from which Cluj's equaliser originated.
In the end, it was the quality of many of Chelsea's players which told. John Obi Mikel was excellent, although the indifferent spell which Deco is experiencing is cause for alarm. They missed the suspended Frank Lampard in midfield, where Michael Ballack and Deco seemed only to drift in and out of the game. In the early stages, the lively Juan Culio, an Argentine who has pitched up in Romania's third biggest city, looked like he might even precipitate an upset.
This trip to London evidently offered much more to Cluj than swapping shirts with a famous Chelsea player or having a team photograph in front of Buckingham Palace. They had come to prove they were more than just cannon-fodder and came close to scoring in the 17th minute. Culio's cross was headed down by Hugo Alcantara and Mikel only just managed to nick the ball away in time from the Portuguese defender Cadu.
At least Cluj had resisted the temptation to put 10 men behind the ball but, ultimately, they paid the price for it. Alex and Joe Cole had missed chances when Deco's free-kick on 40 minutes looked to be falling to John Terry who was fouled by Gabriel Muresan. The Chelsea captain had barely had a chance to appeal for the penalty when the ball dropped at Kalou's feet and he had time for a touch before sweeping it in.
There were only three Romanians in the Cluj first XI, the same amount of Englishmen as there were in Chelsea's team and they came back well. After Anelka missed a chance to put Chelsea two goals ahead, the ball was worked to Cristian Panin who crossed to the far post, over the head of the out-of-position Alex, and right into the path of Kone. He picked the corner of Petr Cech's goal for the equaliser.
There was tension in Stamford Bridge, where the fans seemed oblivious to the fact that Bordeaux were losing to Roma. Scolari was experiencing one of those lonely moments on the touchline that has been the fate of his predecessors at this club and he sent Drogba to warm-up. In the meantime, Joe Cole had a shot from point blank range saved.
The day was saved by Drogba's winning goal, a brilliantly executed move that began with Mikel. He surged forward in midfield and chipped the ball to Joe Cole who in turn waited for Drogba to move ahead of his marker before dropping the ball into his path.
The Chelsea striker took one touch to kill it and then another, very quickly, to toe it past the goalkeeper Claro. It is what Drogba does best, although much too rarely of late.
Chelsea (4-1-4-1): Cech; Bosingwa, Alex, Terry, A Cole; Mikel (Bridge, 88); J Cole (Belletti, 74), Ballack, Deco, Kalou (Drogba, 65); Anelka. Substitutes not used: Cudicini (gk), Ivanovic, Ferreira, Stoch.
cfr Cluj (4-2-3-1): Claro; Panin, Alcantara, Cadu, Pereira; Muresan, Dani; Dubarbier (E Kone, 60), Trica (Peralta, 72), Culio; Y Kone. Substitutes not used: Hirschfeld (gk), Prette, Deac, De Sousa, Ruiz.
Referee: P Frojdfeldt (Sweden).
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Guardian:
Drogba delivers Chelsea into last 16 and soothes Scolari's sufferingChelsea 2 Kalou 40, Drogba 71 CFR Cluj 1 Kone, Y 55
Kevin McCarra at Stamford Bridge
The sense of jeopardy was a figment of the imagination, but Chelsea were not to know that. With Bordeaux's defeat in Rome, they could have lost here and still advanced to the knockout phase of the Champions League. As it was, Chelsea showed why there have been uncomfortable times for them in this campaign.
Their play was laboured for much of the night. No one can underestimate just how disturbing it had been to experience even the smallest doubt about their survival in the competition. Premier League clubs are now expected to advance with ease, as Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal had done in the previous round of fixtures.
Still, there was a particular satisfaction for Chelsea here. Didier Drogba came on to score the winner, showing that, despite all the injury worries, he can still be decisive. His previous goals in the Champions League, against Liverpool in last season's semi-final, had more resonance, but this may have been a significant moment in Drogba's recovery.
His services will be needed because Chelsea, as runners-up, could very well be subjected to a gruelling tie in the last 16. Drogba showed what he can offer with an efficient finish from a pass that Joe Cole chipped over the defence in the 71st minute. By that stage Nicolas Anelka had been shifted to a slightly deeper role towards the left, but there will still be an air of danger about Chelsea if he and Drogba continue to be on the field together.
Luiz Felipe Scolari's team had been ill-at-ease for much of the night. Players and spectators alike were all too aware that Stamford Bridge, after defeats here by Liverpool, Arsenal and even Burnley, is no longer a stronghold. Cluj illustrated the fragility with their equaliser in the 55th minute. Under previous regimes, it would have been unimaginable both that the visitors would make such simple progress on their right and that the full-back Cristian Panin's deep cross would be headed home so comfortably by Yssouf Koné.
With their European campaign certain to end here, the visitors had nothing whatsoever at stake. However, a side in that situation also has nothing to lose and Cluj were far from apathetic. It was faintly disquieting for Scolari's line-up, who ostensibly had so much in their favour, and Salamon Kalou's goal, five minutes from the interval, was celebrated with relief.
Chelsea must have anticipated being in complete command. As if facing the bottom team in group A were not enough, there was further encouragement in the absence through injury of Cluj's first choice goalkeeper Eduard Stancioiu. Scolari, appreciating there was no need to gamble, had concluded that Anelka and Drogba should not start together for the first time in his tenure.
While suspension ruled out Frank Lampard, there was a renewal of vitality in midfield with the return from injury of Joe Cole. The latter also lowered the average age of a department of the team that included the veterans Deco and Michael Ballack. That is an entirely serious consideration since Chelsea, on occasion, have been pedestrian.
Cole had been unavailable for the defeats in the Premier League and his energy was ultimately important here, even it looked at first that he was slightly out of touch and might have been hurried back into premature service.
The first half was well advanced before there was any sense that the visitors had been pinned down. Nuno Claro's credentials as replacement goalkeeper had not been inspected. Cluj, indeed, had created a clear opportunity of their own. Following a 17th-minute corner, Juan Culio crossed deep from the right and the header from the centre-back Hugo Alcantara needed to be hoofed away by Mikel John Obi.
When Chelsea achieved their breakthrough, it came in curious fashion. Deco's 40th-minute free-kick was aimed at John Terry, who tumbled as his marker tangled with him. The ball flew on beyond a distracted defence and Kalou showed good control before crashing the ball home.
The goal had been scored with the team's first attempt on target. There is an efficiency to that, but it is not of the type to delight a manager or a home crowd. Chelsea are unaccustomed to playing for high stakes at this stage of the Champions League. There was sighting of liberation when Anelka shot against Claro, following build-up by Deco and Kalou, but within seconds Koné had cancelled out Chelsea' lead.
Thanks to Drogba, there was a reaction to adversity. Bordeaux were already slipping towards defeat in Rome by then, but it would be ignominious for Chelsea, last season's finalists, to depend on events beyond their control. In the end they had taken control of this match and, therefore, of their own fate.
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Mail:
Chelsea 2 CFR Cluj 1: Supersub Drogba seals it for Scolari's strugglersBy Matt Lawton
No wonder Luiz Felipe Scolari is looking tired. This was supposed to be an easy game. A case of no pressure, no problem and a passage to the last 16 of the Champions League so simple that Chelsea’s manager said he would return to Brazil if they failed to win. But a side who had not won at Stamford Bridge for more than five weeks made alarmingly hard work of this contest, stuttering to victory against an unfancied Romanian team who are already eliminated. In the end, Didier Drogba stepped off the bench to score a 71st-minute goal that even Burnley’s fans would accept was right on the money. From the first touch to the toepoked finish, it was a wonderful effort.
But Cluj made Chelsea sweat, very nearly turning this into a Transylvanian horror show with a determined performance that reflected well on them and embarrassed their illustrious hosts. The points available had no value to Cluj but they still had their pride — and it was wounded pride after Scolari’s ill-advised, not to mention dismissive, remarks. Yssouf Kone said Scolari would be in trouble if the visitors scored and the Brazilian must have almost died inside when the powerfully-built striker rose above Alex to meet Cristian Panin’s cross with a terrific header in the 55th minute. It cancelled out Salomon Kalou’s 40th-minute opener, put Chelsea at the mercy of events between Roma and Bordeaux and increased the pressure on the shoulders of Scolari and his players.
A sense of panic spread through Stamford Bridge, as it had done when John Mikel Obi cleared a Cluj header off Chelsea’s line in what proved a difficult first half, in which nervous Chelsea managed just that one Kalou effort on target. Scolari, understandably, was a more relaxed figure afterwards, even offering to translate for members of the foreign media. His mood has no doubt improved in the knowledge that Drogba has now made a welcome return and Ricardo Carvalho will soon be back to add some much needed solidity to a troubled defence. Their absence does not, however, explain the sudden loss of form at the Bridge. Chelsea’s away form, after all, has been impressive and their position in the Barclays Premier League highly promising. But they have become rather like England prior to their revival under Fabio Capello. Afraid, seemingly, to play at home.
It is extraordinary when this ground has for so long been a fortress. A ground that, until Liverpool and Arsenal — not to mention Burnley in the Carling Cup — had not witnessed a home defeat in the league for more than four years. Now, however, Chelsea look formidable only when they take to the road. Well the English road anyway, because in Europe they have also been experiencing problems. A far cry from the side that came within a missed penalty of lifting the European Cup last season. From the very start last night, Chelsea seemed anxious. Scolari might have dismissed any talk of pressure but anxiety spread through Chelsea’s ranks the moment goalkeeper Petr Cech made a mess of what amounted to a weak effort from Alvaro Pereira and had to rely on John Terry to clear.Alex’s failure to then convert a teasing free-kick from Deco appeared to prove similarly stressful for Chelsea’s animated manager, as did a jinking run down the left flank by Sebastian Dubarbier. The Romanians might have had nothing to play for but they were doing rather well, very nearly scoring when Hugo Alcantara met a fine cross from Juan Culio with a header that Obi did well to clear off the line. Again Cech was beaten, again Scolari seemed concerned. While Chelsea enjoyed much of the possession, they were struggling to muster a response. Joe Cole unleashed a shot that whistled wide but the decision to leave Drogba on the bench was already starting to look like a mistake. A disagreement between Scolari and a pedantic fourth official followed, with the Brazilian objecting to being told that he had to remain within the confines of the technical area.
Scolari cursed then and he cursed every time his players cheaply lost the ball. An exasperated figure, he would spin towards his assistants in disgust before spinning back to bark out further orders. Only when Kalou made the breakthrough did he even begin to relax. The goal owed more to good fortune than good football, Deco floating in a free-kick that somehow eluded the Cluj defence — although this perhaps had something to do with the disruptive presence of John Terry — and fell to Kalou, who controlled the ball with his right foot before driving it home from close range. It was to Chelsea’s credit that they did not crack when Kone struck. Even Scolari waited a further 10 minutes before finally swapping Kalou for Drogba, which was a courageous call when some managers would have resisted the temptation to take off the goalscorer. Ultimately, it proved an inspired substitution. Joe Cole had already forced a fine save from Nuno Claro and when he delivered a delightful chip in front of Drogba, Chelsea’s striker first brought the ball under control before guiding his shot beautifully past the Cluj goalkeeper. Payback time. Match facts CHELSEA (4-3-3): Cech 7; Bosingwa 6, Alex 6, Terry 7, A Cole 7; Ballack 7, Obi 8 (Bridge 87), Deco 6; Kalou 7 (Drogba 64, 7), Anelka 6, J Cole 7 (Belletti 75). Booked: Belletti, Obi. CFR CLUJ (4-4-2): Nuno Claro 6; Panin 6, Cadu 6, Alcantara 5, Alvaro Pereira 6; Juan Culio 6, Dani 5, Muresan 5, Dubarbier 5 (E Kone 59, 6); Trica 6 (Peralta 72), Y Kone 6. Booked: Trica, Culio. Man of the match: John Mikel Obi. Referee: Peter Frojdfeldt (Swe).
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Sun:
From SHAUN CUSTIS at Stamford Bridge SO Big Phil can rest easy for the time being and put his passport back in the bedside drawer.
Scolari had jokingly vowed to flee home to Brazil in shame if he could not get past Cluj and qualify for the Champions League last 16.
But though Chelsea were far from convincing, sub Didier Drogba made certain there was no need for his manager to book a late-night flight out of the capital.
Drogba netted the winner on 71 minutes, seven minutes after coming on for Salomon Kalou, who had given Chelsea a first-half lead.
Yssouf Kone caused some anxiety around Stamford Bridge with his headed equaliser 10 minutes after the interval — but the Romanians could not hold on for a surprise point.
Scolari claimed before this game that there was minimal pressure on him compared to being manager of Brazil.
That could not hide the fact that the Blues, as skipper John Terry admitted, have been well below par in recent weeks.
It has been a difficult period for Scolari — but the fact Chelsea got the job done here is an important step forward.
Seeing Drogba back in full flow after injuries and suspension is also a major plus.
Even if he has been talking to Inter Milan behind his manager’s back, the fans will forgive him so long as he does the business in a Chelsea shirt.
While Nicolas Anelka has been banging in the goals in the Ivorian’s absence, Chelsea are a much more dangerous proposition when Drogba is leading the line.
The moment Count Drogula bared his fangs as he entered the field as a 64th-minute substitute, the visitors from Transylvania backed off.
They were visibly intimidated until Drogba put them out of their misery with a stake through the heart.
Although Joe Cole lost the ball initially, John Obi Mikel was in quickly to intercept and he lobbed the ball back to the England midfielder.
Cole spotted Drogba’s powerful burst through the middle and measured a marvellous chip into the Ivorian’s path.
Drogba did not have to break stride as he prodded the ball under the diving Nuno Claro and Cluj were finally buried.
Scolari’s quip had cranked up Cluj with their two star men Juan Culio and Kone vowing to make him pay.
It gave an extra edge to a match which, at the start of play, the Blues had to win to be sure of going through.
Yet in the end they could have lost and still qualified because Roma beat Bordeaux in the other Group A encounter.
Chelsea were edgy and nervous, their vulnerability all too apparent. The crowd were just as twitchy and Cluj could sense it.
They rattled the home side early on, pressing them into the corners and not allowing ball-players like Joe Cole any freedom.
Without the suspended Frank Lampard, Chelsea were struggling to pick holes in the defence and too often they were being robbed of possession in the final third. Even the normally reliable Petr Cech was far from convincing when he went down in instalments to shovel away a speculative long shot from Alvaro Pereira.
A curling free-kick by Deco gave Chelsea their first chance but Alex’s downward header bounced over.
Yet Cluj caused more trouble as Culio picked out Hugo Alcantara and his header into the six-yard box required an excellent clearance from Mikel, otherwise Cadu would surely have put the Romanian side ahead.
Cole found some freedom at last after chesting down Michael Ballack’s pass — and the wideman unleashed a right-foot drive which rattled the advertising boards beyond the post.
And Ballack was party to Chelsea finally getting their noses in front five minutes before the break.
The German international had his legs taken away from him to earn a free-kick.
Deco’s delivery was right in the mixer and, as Terry went down in the area, there were loud appeals for a penalty. However the ball dropped to the feet of Kalou, who had time to control and rifle a close-range shot high into the net.
That seemed to put Chelsea well on their way to the knockout phase. And when Kalou put Anelka in on goal on 54 minutes, the French frontman had the chance to wrap it up in a big, fancy bow. But he delayed a split second too long and Nuno Claro smothered.
That was the prelude to Cluj’s shock equaliser a minute later, which was remarkably simple in its execution.
Cristian Panin got away down the right and crossed deep for Kone, who climbed above Alex to head home.
The Burkina Faso striker — Cluj’s record signing at £700,000 — had played for Rosenborg at Stamford Bridge in Jose Mourinho’s last game as Chelsea boss when the Norwegians earned a shock draw.But that was not to be the result on this occasion.
Cole should have put the Blues back in front but his shot was well saved by the inspired Claro.Then Drogba entered the arena and showed him how it should be done.
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