athletico madrid 4-0

Times

Salomon Kalou double eases Chelsea to easy win over Atletico Madrid
Chelsea 4 Atletico Madrid 0
Matt Hughes, Deputy Football Correspondent


When Salomon Kalou signed a new three-year contract two weeks ago, some Chelsea fans asked in jest whether he was able to put pen to paper at the first attempt.
Applying such finishing touches in a neat and orderly fashion does not come naturally to the Ivory Coast forward, but he cast off his untidy nature to begin a rout that all but guarantees Chelsea a place in the first knockout round.
Kalou’s goals either side of half-time — a tap-in and a close-range header — were straightforward enough, but in keeping with their scorer they did not come easily. Kalou had missed four decent chances — and denied a goal to Frank Lampard by straying into an offside position — before finally repaying a show of faith from Carlo Ancelotti that initially had appeared undeserved.
Lampard added a third from the edge of the penalty area for good measure before Luís Perea’s own goal completed the scoring.
Chelsea’s desire to tie Kalou to the club was partly a response to the Fifa transfer ban that may leave them short of players in the future, but their Champions League campaign has made a mockery of fears over the depth of their squad, even if the extent of this victory flattered them. Without the suspended Didier Drogba and José Bosingwa, the latter of whom was eligible but injured last night, Chelsea have cruised to victory in their opening three matches, leaving them needing a single point from the return fixture in Madrid in a fortnight to secure their passage from group D.
Chelsea are appealing against Fifa’s transfer ban in any case. The Court of Arbitration for Sport confirmed last night that the club have asked for the suspension, covering the next two transfer windows, to be frozen while justice takes its course, which may enable them to sign players in January. Chelsea’s defence against the charge of tapping up Gaël Kakuta is unclear, but with the Roman Catholic church seemingly intent on poaching Anglican priests the club could do worse than appeal to an even higher power.
After Nicolas Anelka answered the call to replace Drogba’s goals by scoring in victories over Porto and Apoel, last night belonged to Kalou, who has been forced to wait rather longer for his day in the sun. The 24-year-old divides opinion like few others, with his infuriating unpredictability offset by the occasional moments of brilliance, and even his manager’s praise was lukewarm.
“Kalou is an important player for us because when we are without Drogba, he can play and play well,” Ancelotti said. “He started the game not good because he made a big mistake, but he maintained good motivation and good focus to score twice after that. For him it was very important to score.”
Kalou was slightly fortunate to start the match, replacing Florent Malouda in one of four changes from the defeat away to Aston Villa, including the surprise omission of Ricardo Carvalho. But Kalou appeared determined to be noticed, if not necessarily for the right reasons.
The Ivorian was involved from the outset, lazily heading Juliano Belletti’s cross wide of the far post in the third minute, and going on to spurn three further opportunities before being presented with a chance in the 41st minute that even he could not miss. Simão’s cynical foul on Deco was exploited by a quickly taken free kick from Lampard, whose clever, angled ball found Ashley Cole in space, and Kalou directed the full back’s left-wing cross into an empty net.
Kalou’s contribution to the second half was rather less erratic, and he managed the unusual feat of scoring with the first chance that came his way. Anelka had brought another good save from the precociously gifted Sergio Asenjo with a dipping drive, but the 20-year-old Spaniard could do nothing to prevent a second goal as Atlético showcased the type of sloppy defending that has caused them to concede 17 goals in seven league matches this season. Lampard was again the provider, with Kalou rising above Perea to head home his third goal of the season from a 52nd-minute corner.
While Kalou’s goals are a nice bonus, it is Lampard’s that have the potential to win trophies for Chelsea, so seeing the England midfield player return to the scoresheet for the first time in 11 matches was arguably the most pleasing aspect of their evening despite Ancelotti’s claims to the contrary. Lampard had not scored for Chelsea since a penalty in the second game of the season at Sunderland, but last night’s goal was worth waiting for as he cut in from the left and played a one-two with Michael Essien before beating Asenjo from 18 yards.
Perea’s stoppage-time aberration from Malouda’s free kick added gloss to the scoreline, but Ancelotti will not have been entirely satisfied as some of his side’s defending was again a cause for concern after their recent high-profile howlers. Atlético had their moments during an entertaining first half, with Chelsea equally vulnerable to the ball played neatly on the floor and the long one lumped over the top.
Atlético’s tricky attacking trident of Diego Forlán, Sergio Agüero and Simão caused the home side no end of problems and, without two smart saves from Petr Cech, Chelsea could have easily fallen behind. The goalkeeper may resemble a gibbering wreck under the high ball, but remains one of the best when one on one with an opposing striker, as he showed when making two smart saves from Forlán, who shares with Kalou the uncanny knack of inspiring mockery and marvel in equal measure.
As one of the sport’s genuine good guys Kalou should not be begrudged his moment of triumph in the group stage, but Chelsea will need all of their key players fit and firing if they are to enjoy an extended run in this season’s competition — and they will need to take all of their chances.
Chelsea (4-3-3): P Cech — J Belletti, B Ivanovic, J Terry, A Cole (sub: F Malouda, 75min) — M Ballack, M Essien, F Lampard — S Kalou (sub: Y Zhirkov, 73), N Anelka (sub: D Sturridge, 78), Deco. Substitutes not used: Hilário, R Carvalho, J Cole, J Bruma. Booked: Belletti.
Atlético Madrid (4-3-3): S Asenjo — T Ujfalusi, L Perea, Á Domínguez, A López — Cléber Santana (sub: M Rodríguez, 65), R García, P Assunção (sub: J Jurado, 54) — D Forlán, S Agüero, Simão (sub: J A Reyes, 77). Substitutes not used: D De Gea, F Sinama-Pongolle, Juanito, P Ibáñez. Booked: García, Dominguez.
Referee: F Meyer (Germany).

----------------------------------------------------

Telegraph:
Chelsea 4 Atlético Madrid 0
By Henry Winter

Another good night in Europe for Carlo Ancelotti, another stride taken by Chelsea towards the knockout stages courtesy of Salomon Kalou’s double, Frank Lampard’s fine low strike and Luis Perea’s own goal.
Early on, Kalou was more Clouseau in his approach to finding a lead but he grew in confidence and Ancelotti could soon relax.
Rafael Benitez cool on Premier League title talk ahead of Chelsea clashAncelotti becomes an intense, nervous figure on match-days, a contrast to the equable, humorous soul the rest of the week. The Italian had not felt under pressure following Chelsea’s stumbles, the defeats at Wigan Athletic and Aston Villa, primarily because he is aware of the quality of his squad and the support he enjoys in Roman Abramovich’s inner circle.
Still, Ancelotti also knows that the Russian oligarch craves glory in the Champions League so this untroubled victory, strengthening their control of Group D, was welcome indeed. As well as the realisation that Didier Drogba now returns from his ban, the sight of Kalou shouldering some of the goalscoring burden was encouraging for Ancelotti.
Similarly uplifting was the stirring image of Lampard back to his creative best in midfield, patently enjoying a freer, deeper role, allowing him space to run into. With Michael Essien anchoring well, Lampard kept pushing on, even scoring a fine goal after 69 minutes, a low shot that ended a 10-game drought.
For all the talk of transfer bans, and Chelsea stepped up their fight against the Fifa embargo yesterday, last night showed they have strength in depth. Ancelotti had demoted Ricardo Carvalho to the bench for Chelsea’s defensive glitches at dealing with set-pieces in recent weeks but Branislav Ivanovic did well enough alongside John Terry.
Yuri Zhirkov, an accomplished Russian international, came off the bench. So did Danny Sturridge and Florent Malouda.
Joe Cole’s return from lengthy injury gives Ancelotti another option, particularly at the forward point of the diamond. Last night’s formation was 4-1-2-2-1, more Christmas tree, and certainly blessed with rich pickings for Kalou.
Before Kalou discovered the way to goal, the game had been disappointing, starting in slightly desultory, distracted fashion with Chelsea fans initially focusing on booing those opponents with English connections, Diego Forlan (Manchester United) and the subs Florent Sinama Pongolle (Liverpool) and Jose Antonio Reyes (Arsenal).
Atletico’s fans, who had spent the afternoon busily shopping in Harrods and Hamleys, responded lustily, targeting the former Real Madrid striker, Nicolas Anelka, who was leading the Chelsea line as Drogba completed the last game of his suspension.
Anelka was supported by Deco, loosely left-sided but roaming, and Kalou, who endured a hapless opening until finally getting his penalty-box SatNav working four minutes from the break. It was worth the wait as, his confidence strengthened, Kalou added a second seven minutes into the second period.
Chelsea had to resist some early pressure, during which Forlan and Sergio Aguero went close, before Ancelotti’s men began to check on Atletico’s well-known defensive vulnerabilities. They first had to journey through a vale of frustration.
When Lampard lifted in a free-kick from near the halfway line, Sergio Asenjo fisted the ball into his own net, much to the Bridge’s delight and merriment. Chelsea’s pleasure was short-lived, Kalou rightly ruled offside.
After a brief break for Ashley Cole to receive treatment, having been struck by a Czech steam train called Tomas Ujfalusi, Chelsea pieced together a magnificent attack, bringing supporters to their feet, thrilled by the one-touch football, the speed and imagination. They then flung their hands into the air in despair at Kalou’s finish.
What a waste. Deco’s flick was sublime, transferring the ball into the path of Michael Ballack, who was gliding into the box. Germany’s captain could have shot, really should have done in the light of Kalou’s subsequent effort but he selflessly squared the ball. Kalou, unmarked, missed horribly, the ball hurtling apologetically a yard wide.
Consoled by Lampard, Kalou refused to wallow in self-pity and kept running, kept knocking at Atletico’s shaky back door, which always looked ready to fall off its hinges. At the other end, a Forlan volley that stung Petr Cech’s gloves provided a momentary scare but soon Chelsea were raiding forward again.
Kalou had a shot saved by Sergio Asenjo and then, at last, found the mark. Lampard had been increasingly involved, clearly enjoying building moves from a deeper station, slightly to the left of the holding midfielder, Essien. Lampard, looking right to deceive Atletico’s defence, delivered a reverse pass down the inside-left channel.
Ballack cleverly let it run for the overlapping Ashley Cole, whose frequent trips to the Bridge deck following Atletico fouls had not dimmed his appetite for the forward gallop. Cole’s cross was low and hard and Kalou simply could not miss, the Ivory Coast forward turning the ball into the net from five yards out.
Like the buses trundling down the King’s Road, the Bridge did not have long to wait for another Kalou goal. Seven minutes after the restart, Lampard swept over a corner that the unmarked Kalou headed easily in.
Still Chelsea looked for more. After exchanging passes with Essien 25 yards out, the outstanding Lampard beat Sergio Asenjo with a strong drive, ending the game as a meaningful contest. “Are you watching Liverpool?’’ inquired the Matthew Harding Stand. Cruel. Chelsea march on.
As Chelsea fans were flocking to the exits, disappearing merrily into the west London night, Ancelotti’s side added a fourth, Perea accidentally heading in Malouda’s free-kick.
“Adios,’’ chanted the remaining Blues fans.

-----------------------------------------------

Independent:
Lampard's strike caps Blues stroll
Chelsea 4 Atletico Madrid 0
By Sam Wallace, Football Correspondent

It might have taken 11 games and two months to arrive, but when Frank Lampard slammed a shot past the Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo last night, Stamford Bridge could at last be assured that normal service had been resumed.
Chelsea's favourite son finally broke his scoring hex, the trimming on a performance of complete and utter domination from Carlo Ancelotti's team. The Premier League may have thrown up two straight away defeats for Chelsea but the Champions League has yielded no such problems and certainly not yesterday against poor old Atletico with their third win in three.
The Premier League 1, La Liga 0. Atletico were Spain's fourth-placed team last season but this time around they have plummeted to 15th and all their problems were laid bare by a remorseless Chelsea performance. Any team that concedes two goals to the erratic blunderbuss finishing of Salomon Kalou, as Atletico did last night, do not need telling twice that they have serious problems.
By the end Atletico saved Chelsea the trouble and put the fourth goal in their own net themselves. The most impressive statistic of all after three games in the Champions League is that Chelsea are now the only team in the competition who are yet to concede a goal. For Ancelotti, whose side have lost recently to Wigan and Aston Villa, the pressure eases.
This was the last game for which Didier Drogba was banned by Uefa for his meltdown against Barcelona last season and Chelsea have not yet dropped a point. Once again Nicolas Anelka was an excellent stand-in, especially compared to Sergio Aguero, Atletico's Argentine striker. Whoever suggested he was worth £50m last summer needs to take a long lie-down in a darkened room after his hapless performance last night.
Chelsea were in such control by the end of the game that Ancelotti felt sufficiently confident to give Daniel Sturridge his Champions League debut 12 minutes from the end. There was a run-out for Yuri Zhirkov too but no opportunity for Joe Cole, substitute again, who remains, apart from one Carling Cup start and two substitute performances, strangely ignored by Ancelotti.
Last night was Lampard's first goal since his penalty against Sunderland on 18 August, and while Ancelotti later played down the significance of his goalscoring there is little doubt that the man himself sees it as a crucial part of his game. As a 20-goal-a-season midfielder, Lampard will always attract attention when he does not score goals. As for Chelsea, they have come to rely upon them.
By the end the Chelsea fans were feeling sufficiently sure of themselves to break into a few verses of "Are you watching Liverpool?" Unlike their old adversaries, Chelsea require only two points from their remaining three games to be sure of qualification and you would assume that, if Atletico's poor form continues, they will get them in Madrid next month.
Chelsea's success over the last six years has been divided between those players who are core to the club's success and others who have been happy to ride shotgun for the glory. Into the latter category falls Kalou, a perfectly adequate footballer who has never quite reached the same heights as some of his compadres.
On some occasions, Kalou, who signed a new four-year deal this month, can look the part and other times he can sink without trace in a squad so brimful of talent. He took his goalscoring record to 33 on his 160th Chelsea appearance last night but it would be stretching it to say he had a good first half.
First of all he strayed offside when Lampard hit a 30-yard free-kick and ensured that the goal, fumbled into the net by Asenjo, was disallowed. From Michael Ballack's cross on 16 minutes, Kalou arrived right on cue to place his shot from 10 yards wide of the post. A John Terry header on 37 minutes was pushed wide from Kalou, who had managed to get himself offside anyway.
The beauty of playing in front of such a gifted midfield as Chelsea's is that sooner or later they will make you a chance that you cannot fail to miss – even Andrei Shevchenko used to score occasionally. And so it came four minutes from the end of the first half. Lampard passed down the left; Ballack dummied; Ashley Cole crossed and Kalou kept his shot from seven yards under the crossbar.
Atletico have an enviable forward line in Aguero, Diego Forlan and Simao Sabrosa but, apart from an early header from Forlan, they barely threatened Petr Cech at all. On 52 minutes, Chelsea scored their second. Lampard's corner found Kalou at the back post and he headed the ball down and inside the post.
Lampard's goal came from the left. He was played in by Michael Essien and hit his shot inside Asenjo's near post. A truly dreadful display by Atletico was capped by Luis Perea heading Florent Malouda's free-kick into his own goal in injury-time. You suspect that Blackburn Rovers will provide a stiffer test for Chelsea on Saturday.
Chelsea (4-1-4-1): Cech; Belletti, Ivanovic, Terry, A Cole (Malouda 75); Essien; Kalou (Zhirkov 73), Ballack, Lampard, Deco; Anelka (Sturridge 78). Substitutes not used: Hilario (gk), Carvalho, J Cole, Bruma.
Atletico Madrid (4-5-1): Asenjo; Ufjalusi, Perea, Dominguez, Lopez; Forlan, Santana (Rodriguez, 65), Garcia, Assuncao (Jurado, 54), Simao (Reyes 77); Aguero. Substitutes not used: De Gea (gk), Sinama Pongolle, Juanito, Ibanez.
Referee: F Meyer (Germany).

-----------------------------------------------

Guardian:
Salomon Kalou double helps Chelsea keep perfect record
Chelsea 4 Kalou 41, Kalou 52, Lampard 69, Perea (og) 90 Atlético Madrid 0
Kevin McCarra at Stamford Bridge

The Champions League ought to be a stern test and, in due course, it will bring severity to bear on Chelsea but this encounter was more of a therapy session. Atlético Madrid, worn down in the end, posed a challenge and the victors could tell themselves that the solidity missing in the 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa had been recovered.
There were nuances, too, that had the resonance to warn everyone that Carlo Ancelotti is more ruthless than his benign manner would suggest. The manager was determined to drop Ricardo Carvalho, who had floundered at Villa Park, even though the natural alternative Alex was not quite fit enough to displace him.
Ancelotti instead put Branislav Ivanovic at the core of the defence with Juliano Belletti at full-back. Carvalho will do well to realise that talk of his being rested is mere euphemism. The squad now appreciate the steep price to be paid by those who let the manager down. The win will be recalled for sunnier reasons as well.
Frank Lampard, for instance, got his first goal from open play for the club in this campaign when he put a low shot into the corner of the net after 69 minutes to stretch the lead to 3-0. Atlético, bright and incisive at times, were ultimately despondent. In stoppage time, Luis Perea diverted a free-kick from the substitute Florent Malouda into his own net.
There had been encouragement for Chelsea, as well, in the sight of Salomon Kalou shedding initial haplessness to claim the first two goals. Atlético were ideal adversaries. They had more than enough ability to merit respect but the inherent brittleness ensured that they would succumb in the end.
That team is 15th in La Liga and has so far collected a single point in the Champions League. Even the goalless draw should make them cringe since they had been at home to Apoel Nicosia. The Atlético players were either stirred initially by the sense of occasion at Stamford Bridge or just angry with their lacklustre efforts.
They could have been ahead when Simão crossed for Diego Forlán, whose header had to be saved smartly by Petr Cech. The goalkeeper also needed to beat away a drive in the middle of the first-half from the same attacker, who has long since demonstrated that he is far from the misfit he appeared in his Manchester United period. Ancelotti must have fretted that something must soon go right for such opponents. Chelsea, after all, were faced by a line-up with a glaring potential for goals in the attacking partnership of Forlán and Sergio Agüero.
In the wake of events at Villa Park, the manager must have hoped that this competition would be a setting in which the team donned its customary vigour. With Atlético committed to an attacking style in the quest for revival, Chelsea could not afford simply to be patient.
They went in search of the visitors' defects. A fine move opened up the Spaniards and Kalou can be relieved his bungled finish in the 12th minute was irrelevant since he had wrongly been ruled off-side. The officials seemed skittish and Agüero had wasted an opening when his marginally off-side position was overlooked after 10 minutes. Kalou's goal did not call for forensic examination. A dummy by Michael Ballack let a Lampard ball run to Ashley Cole and the cut-back was forced home by the Ivorian after 41 minutes.
There had been indications of Kalou locating composure when Sergio Asenjo made a particularly good save from his deflected drive in the 36th minute. Atlético had come up with some of the spirit that, presumably, had been dormant until now but it was no longer enough to hinder Chelsea once they held the lead.
There was a hungry persistence to Ancelotti's line-up. Asenjo made an excellent save from a Nicolas Anelka drive but was merely delaying the second goal that Chelsea sought so urgently. After 52 minutes, an unmarked Kalou struck again as he headed in a Lampard corner.
Atlético had been worn down and the brittleness that has typified them in this campaign started to become apparent once more. They were also hurt, too, by bad challenges here and there from Michael Essien. He was not cautioned by the referee, Florian Meyer, even when a tackle on Paulo Assunção ended the midfielder's involvement.
The visitors flickered into life on occasion and Agüero made space before firing at Cech from an angle on the left. To their annoyance, the Atlético players would have appreciated that they were doing no more than giving Chelsea a work-out for which Ancelotti will have been grateful.

-----------------------------------------------------

Mail:
Chelsea 4 Atletico Madrid 0
Frank Lampard back on goal trail after Kalou lands the KO
By Simon Cass

Frank Lampard is so often the man Chelsea rely on when they are in need of a little inspiration - the same cannot be said for Salomon Kalou.
But those roles were reversed on Wednesday night as Kalou provided the breakthrough, Lampard added the gloss and Atletico Madrid defender Luis Perea completed his team's misery.
Kalou's display was peppered with a little of the sublime and a fair share of the ridiculous, but will have done wonders for his confidence.
Confidence-wise, the same is true for Lampard, who ended a 10-game spell without a goal for his club and moved to fifth place in Chelsea's all-time scoring charts.
Didier Drogba should be very grateful to his team-mates for taking Chelsea to within one point of the Champions League knockout stages during his self-inflicted absence.
He will be available after a three-match suspension for his abuse of referee Tom Henning Ovrebo when Chelsea aim to complete the job in the Vicente Calderon Stadium in a fortnight.
And after laboured victories over Porto and APOEL Nicosia, courtesy of solitary Nicolas Anelka goals, Drogba owes his team-mates a performance in the Spanish capital having blotted his copy book so spectacularly in last season's semi-final.
But if Drogba's presence was missed in Chelsea's first two Group D games, the same cannot be said of last night's meeting with Atletico.
After some initial ebb and flow, normal Stamford Bridge service was resumed as Chelsea extended their unbeaten home run in Europe to 20 games.
Chelsea's suspect defending of late - six of the eight goals they have conceded in the league this season have come from opposition set-plays - may have prompted Carlo Ancelotti to wield an axe which fell on Ricardo Carvalho.
But any problems at the back are mild to those of Atletico. Arriving at Stamford Bridge with an atrocious defensive record of 21 goals conceded in 11 games - 17 away from home.
Neither have Atletico been helped by the loss of form by the strike partnership of Sergio Aguero and double Golden Boot winner Diego Forlan. The South American duo left Stamford Bridge without adding to the combined total of four goals this season as their team shipped the same amount.
That said, the early exchanges suggested this might turn out to be a tighter affair than transpired.
Chelsea were first to show their teeth, Juliano Belletti testing Sergio Asenjo inside a minute before Kalou planted a header wide.
But Atletico were soon giving cause for concern, Forlan's bullet header from Simao's ball forcing a smart stop from Petr Cech before Aguero blasted into the side netting. The pulsating pace did not abate, both sides mounting attack after attack while the high percentage of sloppy passes only added to the spectacle.
Chelsea thought they had drawn first blood when Lampard's looping free-kick found the back of the net with a helping hand from Asenjo. But the strike was ruled out with Kalou deemed to have been offside.
If that decision was harsh then there was no excuse for the miss which followed. Deco worked the ball to Michael Ballack on the right who crossed unselfishly only to see Kalou side-foot wide with the goal at his mercy.
With 10 minutes of the half remaining Kalou came within a whisker of atoning for his howler with a deflected shot, although the linesman's flag saved his blushes when he appeared to clear John Terry's goalbound header of the line.
Such calamities were soon forgotten four minutes before the break when Lampard found Ashley Cole on the overlap and his cross was too inviting for Kalou to miss from point-blank range. The alarm bells started ringing again after the restart for Atletico when Anelka picked up a loose ball on the edge of the box and crashed a rising drive which required a spectacular one-handed stop from Asenjo.
Their chaotic defending was in evidence once more when Belletti's long throw was allowed to bounce in the box, nearly deceiving Asenjo who was forced to claw it away for a corner. The respite was brief, however. Lampard sent in the resulting centre and Kalou rose the highest to power home his header from close range in the 52nd minute.
With a defence this porous, it was on the cards that Lampard would end his barren spell. But still his 20-yard skimmer into bottom corner was certainly one to savour as it moved him ahead of Jimmy Greaves in the Chelsea record books.
Perea completed his team's misery, heading substitute Florent Malouda's free-kick past his own keeper.
No doubt the pasting prompted angry recriminations among the Atletico players like those among the Chelsea squad after the defeat at Aston Villa.
Thanks to Kalou and Lampard, there were no such harsh words in the Chelsea dressing room.

----------------------------------------------------

Sun:
Chelsea 4 Atletico Madrid 0
IAN McGARRY at Stamford Bridge

NO defensive cock-ups, no goals conceded, no doubt they'll qualify.
Chelsea answered all of the questions that have been asked of them in the last few days with a thumping four-goal victory over Atletico Madrid last night.
After all the stick they took for the way goals were shipped at Aston Villa, the action in their own penalty area was as important as their attacking thrust.
But Chelsea's indomitable spirit ensured a clean sheet which meant that when the goals came, they were more than a consolation.
Salomon Kalou got a goal either side of half-time and Florent Malouda forced an own goal from Luis Perea in the dying seconds.
But it was Chelsea's third strike which will resonate for years to come as it set another landmark in the career of a club legend.
Frank Lampard went into last night's match without a goal in his last 10 club games.
It is the kind of statistic the England midfielder hates but never lets it affect his game.
Against Atletico, he worked tirelessly for 90 minutes making chance after chance for his team-mates.
By his standards, opportunities to grab a goal for himself were rare but, when he sniffed a gap in the Spanish defence, his instinct kicked in.
Lampard took one touch to create some space and drilled his shot low into the net to make it 3-0.
It was goal No 133 in his Chelsea career as Lamps moved to No 5 in the list of the club's all-time goalscorers.
It put him above the great Jimmy Greaves and sees him perched on the shoulder of the legendary Peter Osgood.
Both men are considered perfect examples of the predatory striker which makes Lamps' achievement even more remarkable.
Humble as ever, the most Lampard would say about the achievement was "not bad for a midfielder".
Between Lampard, John Terry and Petr Cech, the Blues got the best out of their big players in this contest and they made sure there were no slip-ups.
Keeper Cech put his indecisiveness of last weekend behind him and made great stops from Diego Forlan and Sergio Aguero.
Terry was the most angry man in England after the way the team defended in the defeat by Villa but last night the skipper turned frustration into excellence.
There were some hairy moments in the opening 20 minutes but once Chelsea found their stride there was never any doubt about the outcome.
Even though Kalou - in for the suspended Didier Drogba - did his best to infuriate his team-mates with a few off-key moments to start with.
On 16 minutes he was given the kind of chance every striker dreams of. Michael Essien fired a brilliant quick pass to Michael Ballack to spring the offside trap and Germany's captain drew the keeper before squaring to Kalou.
It was genuinely harder to miss the target than hit it. Kalou managed the difficult part.
Forlan, on the other hand, was making things look easy as he smashed a brilliant half-volley on the angle which Cech parried well.
It was just as well for Kalou. With eight minutes to half-time he was on the Atletico goal-line to clear Terry's header from under the bar AND get caught offside.
In the circumstances, the Ivory Coast striker must have thought nothing would go his way. But after 41 minutes he was advancing on goal when Lamps' reversed a brilliant ball to Ashley Cole.
His cross fell at Kalou's feet two yards out and this time he managed to hit the target.
A goal up, Chelsea returned after the interval with every intention of building on the lead rather than sitting on it.
Maybe boss Carlo Ancelotti's nerves over the defending saw him insist on more attacking - if so he got his wish.
Anelka blasted a brilliant right-foot drive which produced the save of the night from Atletico stopper Asenjo.
The series of corners and throw-ins which followed, however, proved to be decisive.
Asenjo parried a simple cross out for a corner which Lampard hit into the six-yard box and there was that man Kalou to meet it.
This time his aim was true and he bulleted a header low into the corner of the net.
It was the striker's second of the night and third of the season - which partly explains his form in the first half.
Lampard added the third with his historic strike before Malouda's excellent delivery led to the own goal which completed the rout.
Chelsea are now the only team in the Champions League who have not conceded a goal this season - strange given the stick they've taken over here for defending in the Premier League.
Now all they need to do is emulate their form in Europe against Blackburn on Saturday and even the ever-dour Roman Abramovich will be happy.
But then again...

--------------------------------------------------