apoel 1-0

The Times
Nicolas Anelka leads Chelsea to victory Apoel 0 Chelsea 1
Matt Hughes, Deputy Football Correspondent, Nicosia

Chelsea returned to winning ways in the least convincing manner last night, requiring an early goal from Nicolas Anelka to sneak past the champions of Cyprus.
On this evidence, Carlo Ancelotti’s team could do with the riches of Roman Abramovich in the transfer market — Fifa permitting, that is — if they are to end the long hunt for the trophy their owner craves. After their dismal defeat away to Wigan Athletic in the Barclays Premier League on Saturday, this was another poor performance. The visiting team were very much second-best in an error-strewn second half, during which they gave the ball away far too easily, leading Ancelotti to admit that they were lucky to escape with all three points.
Another win, at home to Atlético Madrid in three weeks, will effectively secure their place in the first knockout round, which says more about the strength of the Champions League than the might of Chelsea.
Ancelotti, the manager, can consider himself fortunate to have inherited a second-choice striker such as Anelka, who, after finishing as the top goalscorer in the Premier League last season, has kicked on.
The suspension of Didier Drogba was supposed to hinder the London club’s Champions League campaign, but it has ended up working in their favour, with Anelka stepping out of his team-mate’s shadow and the Ivory Coast striker resting for greater challenges ahead. Unlike Fifa’s dispute resolution chamber, Uefa’s disciplinary panel may yet appear on Chelsea’s Christmas card list.
Any chance for Drogba to rest during a long season is a bonus, but Anelka’s re-emergence as a threat at the very highest level is more significant. The 30-year-old endured an unwanted break from the Champions League after winning it with Real Madrid nine years ago and struggled to readjust after signing for Chelsea 21 months ago, but he has already made his mark on this season’s competition.
After scoring just twice in his first 17 European appearances for the club — both against Bordeaux last season — he has managed two in as many matches in this campaign to edge the club towards the knockout stage at the earliest opportunity.
Anelka was the one accomplished Chelsea player in a scratchy performance that became increasingly ragged as they sat back to protect their lead in the second half. Ashley Cole was twice required to be vigilant to clear dangerous crosses from Nectarios Alexandrou and Constantinos Charalambides, while Petr Cech made an outstanding save with his feet as Savvas Poursaitides ran through on goal.
It was just as well that the Cypriot authorities have so much contempt for smoking bans, because Ancelotti needed several cigarettes to calm his nerves, particularly when Charalambides headed narrowly wide at the far post with four minutes remaining.
Chelsea held on for their first win in continental Europe since December 2007, although they could easily have drawn. Against modest opponents making their first home appearance at this level, they looked far from assured.
As in the Premier League, it is difficult to assess their efforts at the moment, beating teams they should without convincing and yet to be tested against the best.
This performance provided more questions than answers, most notably over whether Michael Essien has the discipline to anchor midfield, which he was asked to do in the absence through injury of John Obi Mikel, and for how much longer the lightweight Salomon Kalou can continue to be indulged.
It looked like panning out differently in the first half, as Chelsea dominated possession without killing off their opponents. Branislav Ivanovic should have given them the lead in the twelfth minute, but headed wide from a free kick by Frank Lampard.
Kalou shot wide soon after in a wonderful passing move instigated by the outstanding Cole, but they did not have long to wait. The source was something of a surprise, Juliano Belletti crossing from the right for Anelka to score his fourth goal of the season with a powerful shot across the goalkeeper.
Chelsea made hard work of it thereafter and will need to improve against Liverpool on Sunday to avoid a repeat of last year’s autumnal malaise.

Apoel (4-4-2): D Chiotis — S Poursaitides, C Kontis, B Grncarov, A Haxhi — C Charalambides (sub: J Paulista, 85min), N Morais, C Michail (sub: M Breska, 80), H Pinto — N Alexandrou (sub: K Kosowski, 58), N Mirosavljevic. Substitutes not used: T Kissas, A Papathanasiou, M Satsias, M Elia.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): P Cech — B Ivanovic, R Carvalho, J Terry, A Cole — M Essien, J Belletti (sub: Deco, 69) — S Kalou (sub: J Cole, 80), F Lampard, F Malouda — N Anelka. Substitutes not used: Hilário, Y Zhirkov, D Sturridge, S Hutchison, J Bruma. Booked: Kalou, Ivanovic.
Referee: B Layec (France).

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Telegraph:

APOEL Nicosia 0 Chelsea 1 By Jason Burt at the GSP Stadium in Nicosia

Chelsea are dominating Group D without Didi. At least, according to the table they are. Once again they coped, just about, with the loss of Didier Drogba, to suspension, with Nicolas Anelka, so long in the shadows of the powerful, talismanic striker stepping up to the plate to score a decisive goal. Two matches, two goals for Anelka and six points for Chelsea in the Champions League. That should have been the story. Instead, it’s a different tale. Against Apoel, Chelsea were, at times, rotten.
The signs are worrying. A lack of concentration, sloppiness, errors and, above all, an edginess to Chelsea. It’s not exactly a slide, but it’s looking a little slippery at the top and they almost fell flat on their faces at the end and were dependent on a save by Petr Cech, with his legs, and the Cypriots’ inability to take the gifts on offer to them.
Ancelotti acknowledged his side’s fortune. “It was a good result but not a good performance,” he said. Chelsea had started well, scored for the first time inside the opening 30 minutes this season, but, according to the manager, it was different in the second half. ''We tried to control the game with possession, but we made a lot of mistakes. Nicosia played very well and deserved to draw this game. This is football. Sometimes that happens.
Ancelotti’s angst was written on his face. “I’m not satisfied. I wanted Chelsea to play better and to take more control, to play with courage,” he added. “We have to change, for sure.”
That change will have to come quickly. Liverpool, smarting from defeat against Fiorentina, are next up and Ancelotti pledged an improvement.
This win and Anelka’s goal should have calmed nerves. But instead there will now be more introspection, greater analysis, further reasons to doubt. Maybe, by the end of this group, when Porto and Atletico Madrid also visit Apoel, this victory will appear more impressive, which is something captain John Terry claimed. “It’s a difficult place to come,” he said. “Teams are getting better and better in the Champions League.”
Chelsea will hope so. This was probably the biggest night Apoel have had in European football and with the anticipation, the clamour for tickets, the sea of orange, the relentless chanting of the club’s 'ultras’ and the chaos around the stadium – cars and mopeds strewn everywhere – it was set up for the kind of frenzied evening that Chelsea have survived so many times before.
Survive and thrive and when Juliano Belletti darted down the right, beyond the Apoel defence, he smartly pulled the ball back. Anelka, the lone striker, just inside the area, was unmarked and stroked a first-time, right-footed shot across goalkeeper Dionisios Chiotis and into the net.
That was good. But then there was a lot of bad. Chelsea deployed a Christmas tree formation and with it they started to offer up far too many presents to the Cypriot champions. Maybe it had all been too easy for Chelsea. Chances were spurned by Salomon Kalou, Florent Malouda and Branislav Ivanovic and they were coasting. Chelsea struck on the counter but didn’t find the killer blow.
Instead complacency set in and when Carvalho surrendered possession, it needed Ashley Cole to scamper back and head clear. It got worse. Malouda erred and Savvas Poursaitides had a gilt-edged chance. He shot, but Cech parried with his feet and the ball was scuffed away. From the corner Nenad Mirosavljevic headed across goal and wide.
Cole had to head another cross clear before Cech pounced on a low centre. Once again Chelsea lost the ball and once again Apoel failed to capitalise, with John Terry intercepting as Mirosavljevic waited to meet the cross.
Ancelotti threw on Deco and Joe Cole and pleaded with his players to retain possession. Malouda should have settled nerves but shot weakly at Chiotis and Chelsea had to endure a difficult final few minutes with Constantinos Charalambides heading over at the far post. He should have scored. For Ancelotti there was relief. Anything short of victory and the pressure would have started to ratchet up even more.

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Independent:
Chelsea ride luck after Anelka's classy strike
Apoel Nicosia 0 Chelsea 1
By Glenn Moore at GSP Nicosia

Angry though he was at Chelsea's performance, Carlo Ancelotti reflected, as he pondered his old club Milan's home defeat to FC Zurich last night, that there are worse things than playing badly and winning. "I'm sad, but it shows there are no easy games in the Champions League," he said. However, this tepid performance, coming after Saturday's surrender at Wigan, has worried him, especially with Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Ahead, and seemingly cruising after Nicolas Anelka's 18th-minute goal, Chelsea gradually lost control of this tie against eager but limited opposition. But for a sharp save from Petr Cech and some poor finishing by the Cypriot champions, they would have been held to a draw, or worse. In the event, thanks to Porto's defeat of Atletico Madrid, they lead Group D by three points with the struggling Spanish team due in London next.
Qualification to the knock-out stages now seems virtually assured, not least because Porto seem the only credible opposition, but further progress will require much better displays. Having initially dominated their opponents Chelsea conceded the initiative so alarmingly that Ancelotti admitted Apoel deserved a draw. Absentees were a factor, but a club of Chelsea's financial muscle should be able to compensate for the loss, through suspension or injury, of Jose Bosingwa, Didier Drogba, Michael Ballack and John Obi Mikel.
The less stellar Branislav Ivanovic, Salomon Kalou and Juliano Belletti came in to the side with the Brazilian partnering Michael Essien in midfield. This allowed Frank Lampard to operate between two advanced wide players, Florent Malouda and Kalou, with Anelka leading the line.
This the Frenchman did superbly for an hour, capping a performance of impressive sharpness and movement with his goal, curled in from the edge of the area after Belletti had broken to the byline and pulled the ball back.
At that stage Chelsea were comfortable. Essien, Ivanovic, Lampard and Kalou had all had chances. However, Dionisis Chiotis was tested by none of them and with Ashley Cole and Anelka wasting further opportunities Apoel went in to the break just a goal adrift.
This seemed to boost their confidence, and that of a raucous home support. This was a big night for Cyprus. Not only was this Apoel's home Champions League bow but it was also a chance to remind the world of the Greek Cypriot plight. This is a partitioned city in a divided island and from the towering main stand of this decade-old stadium could be seen an extraordinary sight. Glittering on the hills north of Nicosia was the outline of the crescent and star of the Turkish flag, picked out in lights.
It was a reminder, a sinister one to locals despite the current relative thaw in relations, that just a few miles from here is occupied territory. The signs wishing "Good luck Chelsea" in the cafes and bars of the Turkish quarter were not just a marketing device to lure in those travelling fans who had crossed the Green Line UN buffer zone, but also a heartfelt wish.
The Greek Cypriot response was a long banner facing the TV cameras which told the world, "Cyprus is Greek." Were Muzzy Izzet still a Chelsea player that might have made the atmosphere intimidating, in the event it was merely lively.
Chelsea's first-half superiority failed to dim the decibel level even if Apoel created few significant opportunities with Constantinos Charalambidis wasting the main one, created after Essien had let his man run off him. The volume increased as the second period wore on and it became clear that Chelsea were content to sit back, protect their lead, and look to counter.
This, though, invited pressure from Apoel whose growing confidence was illustrated by a switch to 4-3-3. Chelsea struggled to cope with substitute Kamil Kosowski, on the fight flank, and the Pole created a superb opening for Savvas Poursaitidis after 64 minutes. The full-back appeared to freeze with fear but eventually got off a shot which took a deflection off John Terry before Cech saved with his feet.
In an attempt to keep hold of the ball, Ancelotti introduced Deco, then Joe Cole, but his team continued to look disjointed. They should have put the tie to bed with 10 minutes left but neither Malouda nor Lampard could convert Ivanovic's cut-back. That could have proved expensive as, with six minutes to go, Charalambidis met Kosowski's deep cross. However, he put it into the side netting, leaving Apoel to take the plaudits, and Chelsea to steal the points. Ancelotti must settle for that, for now, but as he told the players in the dressing room, they will need to play better, starting on Sunday.
Apoel Nicosia (4-4-2): Chiotis; Poursaitidis, Kontis, Grncarov, Haxhi; Charalambidis (Jean Paulista, 85), Morais, Michael (Breska, 79), Pinto; Alexandrou (Kosowski, 58), Mirosavljevic. Substitutes not used: Kissas (gk), Papathanasiou, Satsias, Elia.
Chelsea (4-1-2-3): Cech; Ivanovic, Carvalho, Terry, A Cole; Belletti (Deco, 68); Essien, Lampard; Kalou (J Cole, 79), Anelka, Malouda. Substitutes not used: Hilario (gk), Zhirkov, Sturridge, Hutchinson, Bruma.
Referee: B Layec (France).
Group D
Chelsea previous result: 15 Sept Chelsea 1 FC Porto 0.
Chelsea remaining fixtures: 21 Oct Atletico Madrid (h), 3 Nov Atletico Madrid (a), 25 Nov FC Porto (a), 8 Dec Apoel Nicosia (h).

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Guardian;

Nicolas Anelka proves the difference to bring sweet relief for scrappy ChelseaBuzz up!
Apoel Nicosia 0 Chelsea 1 Anelka 18
Dominic Fifield at GSP Nicosia

Chelsea look down from the top of their qualifying group having reverted to victorious ways after the trauma of Wigan, though that is not to suggest all is once again rosy with Chelsea. Carlo Ancelotti prowled his technical area throughout this contest against a depleted Apoel Nicosia, his frustration at his side's wastefulness transformed into genuine anxiety before the end. There was relief rather than glee at the final whistle.
The Premier League team did just enough to prevail here, securing their first away win on foreign soil in this competition since Avram Grant's side thumped Rosenborg in Trondheim almost two years ago, yet their Italian manager will not rest entirely easy before Liverpool's visit to Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Victory will not disguise the reality that too many passes went astray, the midfield lacked fizz and a normally reliable defence appeared jittery; Rafael Benítez will have taken note.
Ancelotti's livid post-match reaction in the dressing-room spoke volumes. This was not a fortunate win in the same fashion as those against Hull or Stoke in the Premier League this term, matches in which the Londoners had dominated and been guilty principally of profligacy before striking in stoppage time. Rather, Apoel deserved more than defeat. The Cypriots are limited but committed and a better side would have converted one of the half-chances eked out as Chelsea froze late on. The likes of Fernando Torres or Steven Gerrard, even after their own travails in Florence, would surely not pass up similar opportunities.
It was telling that the contest ended with Petr Cech clawing down a looping header from underneath his crossbar. That rather summed up the occasion, with Apoel vaguely threatening and Chelsea, becalmed and almost complacent at times, apparently perplexed by their own shortcomings. Constantinos Charalambides, ignored by Branislav Ivanovic, might have converted a free header at the far post. Christos Kontis could have flicked in Nektarios Alexandrou's corner: ifs and maybes, perhaps, but Chelsea were left clinging to their lead when they would have expected to have prevailed far more comfortably.
The Cypriots' best opportunity had actually been squeezed from their only spell of genuine pressure. The hour-mark had come and gone with Chelsea in cruise control when Apoel roused themselves to shrug their panicked opponents from their comfort zone. Florent Malouda's horribly misplaced header fed the substitute Kamil Kosowski, one of the hosts' walking wounded but summoned from the bench in desperation to add bite and invention, with his pass finding Savvas Poursaitides. The full-back's shot deflected off John Terry and forced Cech into a fine reaction save with his legs with the goalkeeper exposed, and Chelsea breathed again.
The sloppiness was all the more troubling given that the home side were severely shorn of key players. Apoel had drawn at Atlético Madrid in their opening group match but were shorn here of striking talent in Adrian Sikora. They missed the Pole last night, their industry taking them only so far. Chelsea may have been lax in too many areas but the best attacking player on the pitch duly made his presence felt.
So much has depended upon Nicolas Anelka in the continued absence of Didier Drogba, suspended from European competition, yet the Frenchman is thriving with added responsibility. Where his team-mates were error-prone and sloppy in possession, he was slick and threatening throughout. The forward eagerly tormented his markers to slalom into space or burst to the byline, setting up Salomon Kalou who side-footed disappointingly wide before securing his own reward, and ultimately the victory, some 18 minutes into the match.
Chelsea's most coherent passing exchange sliced the hosts apart, Kalou spreading possession wide for Juliano Belletti, who cut inside Hélio Pinto and waited for Altin Haxhi to overcommit and go to ground. The Brazilian relished the space created and calmly pulled his cross back to the unmarked Anelka on the edge of the area and the striker guided his shot beautifully across Dionisis Chiotis into the far corner. Ancelotti punched the air on the touchline, hopeful that the hosts could be picked off on the break thereafter, yet that was as impressive as this got.
Malouda scuffed a shot into a grateful Chiotis late on and Frank Lampard crashed a couple of efforts high and wide to suggest the visitors might add a flattering second on the counter but this increasingly felt like an upset in waiting rather than a dismissal of unfancied opponents. Ancelotti flapped with nervous energy as the clock ticked down, his midfield tinkering desperately searching for composure in possession, before almost apologising to his opposite number, Ivan Jovanovic, once the win had been confirmed. Top of Group D they may be but Chelsea have still to convince.

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Mail:

Apoel Nicosia 0 Chelsea 1:

You beauty, Nicolas Anelka! Pity the game did not match up

By Matt Barlow

Cyprus may be the mythical birthplace of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of beauty, but this was far from pretty. Chelsea got straight back into the winning groove after their shock defeat at Wigan and secured their first win outside England for nearly two years.
Nicolas Anelka’s fourth goal of the season, a rare moment of clear thinking in a frantic and scrappy game, has them perched neatly on the top of Group D with maximum points from two games.But manager Carlo Ancelotti was not satisfied as his team failed to sparkle and ended up clinging on against Champions League newboys APOEL.He confessed they were lucky to escape with three points, for which they can thank Anelka. Chelsea had arrived here determined to recapture the winning habit after Saturday’s surprise defeat ruined a run of eight victories.
You won’t like us when we’re angry — that was the message from inside the camp, so perhaps it was only right Anelka stepped forward. He was known as the Incredible Sulk in moodier days.
Last night, he was asked to lead the line again in the absence of Didier Drogba, who was serving the second of his three-game ban for his X-rated rant into a TV camera after last season’s Champions League semi-final loss to Barcelona.
Anelka responded well to the responsibility, sometimes dropping deep to link up play, chasing in the channels at other times and taking his goal coolly.
Salomon Kalou released Juliano Belletti in space on the right and the Brazilian jinked inside before dragging a smart pass back to Anelka, lurking on the edge of the penalty area.
Without taking a touch to control the ball, he clipped it into the far corner with his right foot, fading it beyond goalkeeper Dionisios Chiotis. It was Anelka’s fourth of the season and his second in Europe.
He scored the only goal of the game in Chelsea’s first European tie of the season, at home to Porto.Ancelotti said: ‘Anelka is scoring at a good time and that’s important. He moved very well out there, not only in scoring but in front of our attack. This is good.’
APOEL had started well against their illustrious visitors, cheered on loudly by 22,000 packed inside the GSP Stadium for their first proper Champions League game. The fans were packed in well before kick-off, whipping up a wonderful atmosphere, as it was when they beat FC Copenhagen here to qualify for the group stage.
Partizan Belgrade were another experienced team to lose in Nicosia in the qualifying rounds and the Cypriot champions held Atletico Madrid to a goalless draw in Spain in their Group D opener.
The warnings were there for Chelsea but they were slow to find their rhythm, with APOEL pinging the ball around confidently in triangles neat enough to have made Pythagoras swell with pride. Bald striker Nenad Mirosavljevic was spinning wide to cause Branislav Ivanovic problems.
Ivanovic rarely looks like a full back with everything under control but he survived his early wobble and Ancelotti’s team slowly took control. By the time Anelka struck in the 18th minute, they were in command but the goal that ought to have been a nervesettler only prompted them to lose their focus again.
APOEL squandered the opportunity to strike back immediately when the ball dropped to Constantinos Charalambides in a crowded penalty box but he slashed a shot high and wide.
Charalambides proved wasteful to the end, missing his team’s best chance of an equaliser with a diving header at the back post, which he lifted over the bar, when Chelsea’s back four had been dragged out of position.Early in the second half, APOEL manager Ivan Jovanovic sent on Kamil Kosowski, not considered fit enough to start after injury problems, and he injected new urgency into the Cypriot champions.
Chelsea panicked as the momentum swung against them. Ivanovic came under pressure again and Florent Malouda made mistakes in dangerous areas.It was a careless Malouda header which presented Savvas Poursaitides with a glimpse of goal in the 65th minute but Petr Cech, sent off at Wigan, made a fine save with his left boot.
APOEL went close again from the corner which followed as Ashley Cole had to be alert at the back post to clear a dangerous cross from Charalambides and John Terry came to the rescue more than once.
At least Ancelotti, flapping his arms in exasperation on the touchline, knew something had to be done to protect the lead.
He sent on Deco to nurture possession and it helped take the menace out of the home team’s attacking. Malouda should have made it safe when he arrived on the end of a low cross from Ivanovic but his effort was feeble and easily saved by Chiotis.
At least AC Milan, Ancelotti’s former club who lost at home to FC Zurich last night, proved it could have been far worse.
‘I’m very disappointed for this but it shows there are no easy games in the Champions League,’ said Ancelotti.‘We are happy. Joe Cole has started to play and Deco is in good condition.‘We’ve rested Michael Ballack for Sunday against Liverpool and we have Drogba and Jose Bosingwa.’
What would Liverpool have given for an ugly away win in beautiful Florence on Tuesday?
MATCH FACTSAPOEL NICOSIA (4-2-3-1): Chiotis 5;Poursaitides 6, Kontis 6, Grncarov 6,Haxhi 5; Morais 5, Michail 6(Breska 80min); Alexandrou 5 (Kosowski 58, 6), Pinto 5, Charalambides 5 (Paulista 85); Mirosavljevic 6.
CHELSEA (4-3-2-1): Cech 6; Ivanovic 5, Carvalho 6, Terry 6, A Cole 7; Belletti 6 (Deco 68, 5), Essien 7,Lampard6; Kalou 6 (J Cole 80), Malouda 5; Anelka 7.Booked: Kalou, Ivanovic.
Man of the match: Nicolas Anelka.Referee: Bertrand Layec (France).

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Sun:
Apoel Nicosia 0 Chelsea 1
IAN McGARRY in Nicosia

CHELSEA had to sing for their supper before they made APOEL crumble in Cyprus last night.
A goal from Nicolas Anelka was enough to claim the spoils in Nicosia - but this was a performance starved of any substance.
There was no goal glut, no delicious skill and certainly no feast of football.
In fact, most of what was tasty about this tie came from the Cypriots. They hassled and harried, pressured and pushed and generally made a nuisance of themselves.
And when Chelsea did think they had got on top, APOEL just kept coming back - like a kebab the morning after the night before.
For Carlo Ancelotti, it must have felt like Groundhog Day.
Last weekend his team were outfought at unfancied Wigan.
Last night they came to one of the furthest outposts of the Champions League and failed to match the effort of the minnows from Cyprus.
Skipper John Terry made the point after their first defeat of the season that every player had to stand up and be counted.
But for much of this contest, Chelsea looked more like they were still lying by the pool of their hotel.
The Blues fans - some 1,400 of them - had all opted to stay by the sea on this holiday island.
They were then bussed into Nicosia a couple of hours before kick-off but they surely did not expect to see their team treading water when they got there.
Chelsea's form in away matches in the group stage of this competition has been poor - two draws and a defeat last season. Up until last night they had not won a match in mainland Europe since beating Rosenborg in December 2007.
Progress was again patchy last night, with the visitors' best chances coming from scrappy set-pieces.
Frank Lampard supplied decent crosses but Branislav Ivanovic failed to get his head on the end of them.
The first clear sight of goal came after 15 minutes when Michael Essien and Anelka linked up and a speedy centre found Salomon Kalou in space.
He made a decent fist of a first-time shot but it trundled harmlessly past a post.
APOEL had a bad habit of giving the ball away cheaply and, when Juliano Belletti went galloping down the right, they were made to pay dearly. A simple cutback found Anelka, who pinged a gorgeous right-footer high into the far corner.
The France striker also hit the only goal in Chelsea's win over Porto on Matchday One and he is proving a brilliant stand-in for the suspended Didier Drogba.
Remarkably, it was the first time Chelsea have scored before the half-hour mark in any competition this season.
Yet, within a minute, APOEL were on the attack and the ball fell to Constantinos Charalambides on the edge of the box. He had time to do much better than scuff his volley well wide. APOEL refused to lie down and let their more prestigious opponents walk all over them.
They kept Chelsea waiting to start the second half - and, when they did, they came out fighting.
First, Terry gave the ball away 40 yards out and had to backpedal to snuff out the danger.
Just as silly, Ricardo Carvalho gifted it to Nektarios Alexandrou - and Ashley Cole had to sweep in and knock the ball out for a corner. The hosts could smell fear and swarmed forward in waves - a tactic they would not have dared risk in the first period.
Kamil Kosowski came on to add some height to the industry on the flanks and, for 10 minutes or so, Chelsea were on the back foot.
And they should have been pegged back after 64 minutes.
Savvas Poursaitides found himself completely alone just 12 yards out. But he hesitated and shot weakly at Petr Cech, who cleared with his feet.
Inevitably, with APOEL pushing forward, there were gaps left at the back and Lampard crossed with 12 minutes left.
Florent Malouda met the ball just 10 yards out but his finish was poor and straight at the feet of keeper Dionisis Chiotis.
Joe Cole came on for a late cameo which could yet be a preview to playing at the weekend.
Along with Drogba, midfielder Cole is Chelsea's top-scorer against Liverpool and, on the evidence of the last few days, Ancelotti will need all the firepower he can get if the Blues are to beat the Reds on Sunday.