genk 1-1

Independent:

Luiz pays the penalty after Vossen pegs back Chelsea
Genk 1 Chelsea 1

STEVE TONGUE CRISTAL ARENA

An entirely unexpected dimension was added to Chelsea's recent problems here last night as they lost control of what had appeared a straightforward assignment that should have brought much desired relief.
Ramires marked their domination of the first half with an opening goal but David Luiz had a penalty saved and Genk, beaten 5-0 at Stamford Bridge a fortnight ago, gained new belief after the interval. Jelle Vossen equalised with his team's first goal in four group matches and although Chelsea belatedly lifted their game again, they could not find a winner. The small consolation was that Valencia's victory over Bayer Leverkusen meant the London side stayed top of the table, although even that had a downside, turning the section into a three-cornered fight again.
The next game, in Germany, now looks a tricky proposition unless they have by then rediscovered some of the fluency and crucially, what manager Andre Villas-Boas labelled the "efficiency" of earlier in the season. His team further improved their record of having forced by far the most attempts on goal of any Champions League team in this campaign with another 19 of them but the fact that only one finished in the net is worrying. Until the equaliser there appeared to be an air of inevitability to the proceedings – which was Chelsea's problem. Villas-Boas said: "When you get a bad run of results you have to get a win straightaway, but you play difficult games. We're chasing that win and we haven't found it today. We created enough opportunities to win the game but it's not happening for us in terms of efficiency."
The capacity crowd of 22,584 in a ground reminiscent in size and style to west London's Loftus Road would have had a reasonable expectation of seeing goals from two teams whose weekend matches featured 17 of them. For a long time Chelsea, slapdash in defence in conceding five against Arsenal, looked the only side likely to score. The home side went forward with more conviction than in the first meeting but they had not troubled Petr Cech with anything more than Nadson's header from the first corner of the game before falling behind in the 25th minute. Ramires brought the ball forward, exchanged passes with Fernando Torres and hit a shot from a sharp angle that defeated an unconvincing attempt at a save by the goalkeeper Laszlo Koteles.
The crowd was not to know that the assist would be Torres' only contribution in another frustrating performance in which he failed notably to build on the levels of confidence achieved when scoring twice in the first meeting. Chelsea tended to work promising positions, then waste them with a poor final pass. When Ashley Cole and Florent Malouda, seeing plenty of possession down the left, each produced a good low cross, Torres was unable to take advantage. Nicolas Anelka's service from the right was generally weaker and it was from the left that Genk almost conceded twice more.
Cole tried a higher centre that Ramires headed wide from beyond the far post and the full-back Anthony vanden Borre almost turned Malouda's cross into his own net. A similar effort from Malouda offered an even better opportunity, Thomas Buffel handling to concede a penalty. Anelka having missed one feebly in the Carling Cup at Everton, Luiz stepped up but his shot off a short run was pushed away by Koteles. "All our penalty takers have missed one now," Villas Boas lamented. "That's the efficiency again, because all of them are extremely good penalty-takers."
Genk's coach Mario Been admitted that his goalkeeper had kept Genk in the game with that save, which came just after Raul Meireles struck the angle of bar and post with a fierce drive from 25 yards. Kevin de Bruyne, watched by Chelsea for some time, and hoping for a return nearer to the maternal home in Ealing, worked hard again down the Belgian side's left but lime green boots were the most dazzling thing about him.
Given a chance to impress Villas-Boas early in the second half, De Bruyne shot weakly straight at Cech from inside the penalty area. It would prove costly, however, that Jose Bosingwa was repeatedly taking time off from marking him to venture rather recklessly forward. After Kennedy Nwanganga was played in close to goal, only to be thwarted by Cech at the expense of a corner, Fabien Camus broke into the space that Bosingwa should have been occupying and his cross found the home side's leading scorer Vossen, who turned it smartly in to register Genk's first goal of the European campaign after 331 minutes.
Villas-Boas acted quickly in sending on Daniel Sturridge and Lampard for Anelka and Ramires in like-for-like changes and Chelsea regained a foothold without improving on conversion of chances. Meireles first shot over the bar, then headed Malouda's cross at the goalkeeper. Sturridge quickly became a threat. He beat his man and crossed a fraction too far in front of Lampard, who could not turn the ball in from a couple of yards out. Before the end Cech had to save from the substitute Anthony Limbombe and in a bizarre late incident Anele Ngongca's clearance off the line from Malouda hit a team-mate and bounced to safety.

Man of the match Camus.
Match rating 7/10.
Referee S O Moen (Nor).
Attendance 24,000

===================

Guardian:

Chelsea's defensive sloppiness exposed by resurgent Genk
Dominic Fifield at Cristal Arena

Chelsea's recent stutter has spread over into Europe. André Villas-Boas was always likely to contest that a draw secured away from home in this competition should ever constitute the extension of a blip, but his side suffered the same lapses of concentration and outbreaks of sloppiness in Belgium that have afflicted them domestically. After what the manager had described as "a disastrous week", there was to be no real respite in Genk.
The visitors could be thankful that the home side proved considerably less ruthless than Arsenal had on Saturday but there will be realisation, too, that better sides than the Belgians would have prospered when confronted with this performance. Chelsea's are familiar problems: they can be open defensively, while too many chances are being fluffed at the other end. David Luiz missed a penalty, maintaining the trend set last week by Nicolas Anelka at Everton. Yet, even from the top of Group E, this whole occasion felt like an opportunity missed.
Genk were more organised here than they had been in succumbing 5-0 at Stamford Bridge two weeks ago, with Daniel Tozser restored to defensive midfield and more resolve instilled across their back line. But they still should have been comfortably beaten. Chelsea's lax start had been salvaged by a fine Ramires goal, the Brazilian exchanging passes with Fernando Torres before shooting through Laszlo Koteles's grasp from a tight angle, and they should have built an unassailable lead thereafter. Yet conviction waned as chances were spurned and, after the interval, the hosts made their own impression.
This defence, with John Terry an unused substitute, felt exposed too often. Kevin de Bruyne, a long-standing Chelsea target, revelled in the space behind José Bosingwa while Fabien Camus, more than once, bulldozed through the gap between Branislav Ivanovic and David Luiz. Kennedy Nwanganga might have restored parity only for Cech to block his close-range attempt with his legs. Jelle Vossen duly did, converting Camus's pull-back through a cluttered six-yard box.
That was Genk's first goal in this group, and reward for their refusal to be left demoralised by their chastening experience in London last month. "We played even better than Chelsea in that second half," said their coach, Mario Been. "I know how people spoke about us in England after that first game. Maybe we'll buy the papers tomorrow and see that people talk about us a little bit better."
The side who sit sixth in the Belgian league might still have been finished off in the frantic last half-hour, with Chelsea's cavalry – Frank Lampard, Juan Mata and Daniel Sturridge – summoned from the bench, but the Londoners continue to flounder where they would expect to flourish. This team are capable of running up cricket scores but they are contriving to choke in front of goal.
David Luiz's penalty attempt had rather summed that up. The Brazil defender had taken the responsibility after Thomas Buffel's handball, with Anelka accepting the decision following his own miss at Goodison Park last Wedneday, only for Koteles to dive to his right and paw the ball away. That miss felt wasteful but not critical at the time, yet the flurry of late opportunities that also went begging reflected greater anxiety. Lampard from a yard out could not contort his body to convert Sturridge's centre, while Raul Meireles – who had earlier struck the angle of post and bar from distance – planted a header straight at Koteles.
When Anele Ngongca comically battered a clearance from the goalline into Nadson, the ball dribbling just wide of the post, Chelsea knew this would not be their night. "We created enough opportunities to win the game, but it's just not happening for us in terms of efficiency," said Villas-Boas. "We hit the post, missed a penalty, had chances in front of the posts. It seems we need to focus in terms of that efficiency. It's not a bad result away from home, but it's a game we expected to win."
This group feels trickier as a result, with Valencia sensing a reprieve and Chelsea facing an awkward trip to Bayer Leverkusen in a fortnight. Even so, four points in their last two games would be enough to win the section. "It gets a little bit tighter, but our responsibilities do not change," added the Portuguese. "Our job is to qualify first and that's what we'd like to do. When you get a bad run of results you have to get a win straight away to take you out of that run, but we're playing difficult games. At the moment, we're still trying to chase that win."
Their pursuit will be carried to Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on Saturday with improvement clearly still required. At the moment, there is angst and anxiety where Chelsea would hope to be cruising.


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Telegraph:

Genk 1 Chelsea 1
By Jason Burt

Despite the travails of a “disastrous” week,Chelsea were not expected to struggle on their travels. Surely, in Flanders, they would not flounder?
Instead their “castle”, to use Andre Villas-Boas’s pre-match term, remains under siege. It was far from impregnable last night.
It was a Champions League match watched by John Terry – tactically left among the substitutes – with the Chelsea captain having found out earlier in the day that the police are to investigate his alleged racial abuse of Anton Ferdinand.
Many of the 1,100 visiting Chelsea fans, crassly, showed what they thought of that by chanting “We know what you are, Anton Ferdinand, we know what you are” during the match. Ill-judged doesn’t get close to describing the inappropriateness of it, although as their team was pegged back for periods by Belgian champions Genk, it eventually stopped.
“No, I didn’t hear that. I was concentrating on the game,” the Chelsea manager maintained afterwards.
If only some of his players had stayed as focused. Both full-backs, Jose Bosingwa and Ashley Cole, had poor evenings while once more Fernando Torres struggled.
Having been told what the supporters chanted, what did Villas-Boas think? “I have nothing to say on that,” came the reply, rather than a request for fans not to do such things.
The club itself was more forceful, with a spokesman saying: “It was wholly inappropriate and we do not condone it.”
Nevertheless, it was a disappointing response from the manager and there was also a disappointing response on the pitch after Chelsea’s early dominance was rewarded by ­Ramires’s fourth goal of the season.
Fellow Brazilian David Luiz missed a penalty and Raul Meireles hit the woodwork, but Villas-Boas said: “It’s just not happening for us in terms of efficiency. It seems we need to focus.
“It’s not a bad result away from home, but it’s a game we expected to win. We have to react.”
That reaction must start away to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday with Chelsea now having won just one of their last four matches – in the ­Carling Cup.
Villas-Boas added: “When you get a bad run of results you have to get a win straight away to take you out of the run of results. But you play difficult games. At the moment, we’re trying and chasing hard this win. But we haven’t found it.”
A draw away in this competition is acceptable but Chelsea cannot keep a clean sheet, which is not. They should have won last night, having gone ahead, and now need two points from their final two matches – away to Bayer Leverkusen and home to Valencia – to qualify and four to ensure they top Group E. It’s stickier than it should have been.
Six changes had been made by Villas-Boas from the side traumatised by the weekend defeat to Arsenal and his team took time to settle.
They assumed control when Ramires exchanged passes with Torres – the Spaniard’s one illuminating moment – and the midfielder powered into the penalty area, shooting from an acute angle with his effort squeezing under goalkeeper Laszlo Koteles.
Then Torres sent his own angled shot from the edge of the area narrowly wide after receiving a Ramires pass. The midfielder should have added a second soon after, but headed wide from close range.
Meireles’s long-range shot crashed against the post with Koteles beaten, and with the pressure telling Thomas Buffel batted down Florent Malouda’s cross with his arm and the referee rightly awarded a penalty.
Up stepped Luiz. His effort didn’t lack power but was too close to Koteles and he comfortably beat it away. Surely with Chelsea’s dominance it wouldn’t matter? But it did.
Kennedy Nwanganga should have scored for the home side, when Anthony Vanden Borre’s wayward shot fell to him, only for Petr Cech to save superbly.
Moments later winger Kevin De Bruyne, watched so often by Stamford Bridge scouts, released Fabien Camus with a clever pass. He crossed low and Jelle Vossen swept the ball home. Bosingwa had once again been horribly exposed for his bad positioning and the malaise spread. Only Genk’s limitations prevented a more difficult night.
On came Frank Lampard as Villas-Boas’s side tried to gain more control of the game, but he failed to turn in a cross from almost on the goal-line after Meireles had wasted another header.
Another substitute, Daniel Sturridge, added some impetus but so did Genk’s Anthony Limbombe and only Luiz’s challenge stopped a goal-bound shot. And late on a Malouda effort was cleared off the line by Anele, striking his own team-mate and trickling narrowly wide.
“Did we do enough to win the game? I think we did,” Villas-Boas said. Maybe so. But Chelsea also made enough errors to lose it too. The ramparts remain vulnerable; the castle under attack.


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Mail:

Genk 1 Chelsea 1: Disgraceful fans taunt Ferdinand as Blues blow lead
By LAURA WILLIAMSON

Chelsea were forced to condemn their own fans after supporters sang a disgraceful chant about Anton Ferdinand.
‘Anton Ferdinand: you know what you are’ they chanted loudly and clearly during the first half in Genk — a reference to the allegation their captain, John Terry, called the QPR defender a ‘black ****’ 10 days ago.
The police announced they were investigating the incident.
Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas said he did not hear the song and refused to comment. But a club spokesman said: ‘It was wholly inappropriate and we do not condone it.’
Terry was named only as a substitute, but if Villas-Boas hoped to take his captain out of the firing line, Chelsea’s 1,100 fans in Genk did nothing to help his cause.
Overall, it was another frustrating evening for the Premier League side. The Chelsea castle may still be standing, but it did not look particularly imperious.
Villas-Boas had insisted before this match that Chelsea’s ‘disastrous week’, with defeats by QPR and Arsenal, had not brought down the castle walls, but their defensive frailties were exposed once again — by a side who had not scored a single goal in three Champions League group stage matches until this tie.
Chelsea were the architects of their own downfall, in a game in which they should have been out of sight by half-time. Instead, they had only Ramires’ goal to show for a dominant first 45 minutes after seeing a David Luiz penalty saved and were punished when Jelle Vossen equalised after 61 minutes.
With Valencia beating Bayer Leverkusen, Chelsea now need four points from their last two games to be sure of qualifying for the knock-out stages as group winners.
Villas-Boas said: ‘It’s not a bad result away, but it’s a game we expected to win. We have to react.
‘The group gets a little bit tighter, but our job is to qualify first and that’s what we’d like to do. When you get a bad run of results you have to get a win straight away. At the moment, we’re trying and chasing hard this win.’
The manager made five changes from the side beaten 5-3 at home by Arsenal on Saturday, but the same problems continued: missed opportunities and a lack of shape and organisation at the back.
They were carved open inside five minutes when Kevin de Bruyne played a neat ball and Petr Cech saved from Vossen. David Luiz was fortunate Genk did not pick out Kennedy Nwanganga, as the 6ft 2in Nigerian had managed to sneak in front of the defender who would rather do anything than defend.
The gaping hole where Jose Bosingwa should have been was also obvious, but the Belgian side failed to exploit it. There was another let off from a Daniel Tozser corner, with unmarked Khaleem Hyland producing only a weak header.
But Chelsea had no such difficulties at the other end in the first half, almost coasting into the lead after 25 minutes. With Oriol Romeu again anchoring the midfield with poise, Raul Meireles and Ramires were given the freedom to orchestrate the attack.
Ramires played a one-two with Fernando Torres and the Brazilian’s momentum took him into the box, where he beat the goalkeeper at the near post with a bobbling right-foot shot.
Genk were fortunate not to concede an own goal when Florent Malouda’s cross bounced off Anthony Vanden Borre, but conceded a penalty after 39 minutes when Thomas Buffel handled Malouda’s cross.
There was little debate about the spot-kick, but there should perhaps be more discussion about why Luiz took it with a £50million striker lurking around the box.
The Brazilian, a nominated penaltytaker alongside Anelka, saw his poor right-foot strike comfortably saved by Laszlo Koteles.
His misery continued in the second half, as Vanden Borre slipped a pass to Nwanganga, who stole half a yard on Luiz but shot wide.
It was a sign of things to come, as Vossen then fired a low shot past Cech after a pass from Fabien Camus.
Villas-Boas threw on Daniel Sturridge — who tested Koteles with a stinging shot — Lampard and Mata, and Chelsea seized back the initative, but could not force a winner.
Meireles aimed a header at the goalkeeper from a Malouda cross, and the Frenchman saw a floated shot cleared off the line after a chipped pass from Lampard.



Genk: Koteles, Vanden Borre, Hyland, Nadson, Ngcongca, Tozser, Buffel (Dugary 69), Camus, De Bruyne, Vossen (Barda 86), Nwanganga (Limbombe 82). Subs not used:Sandomierski, Sarr, Durwael, Ofori-Appiah.
Booked: De Bruyne.
Goal: Vossen 61.

Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Luiz, Ivanovic, Cole, Ramires (Lampard 66), Romeu (Mata 77), Meireles, Malouda, Torres, Anelka (Sturridge 66). Subs not used: Turnbull, McEachran, Kalou, Terry.
Goal: Ramires 26.

Attendance: 24,000
Referee: Svein Oddvar Moen (Norway).


=================

Mirror:
Genk 1-1 Chelsea
By Martin Lipton

Andre Villas Boas may be thankful Roman ­Abramovich is somewhat distracted by events in the High Court.
But unless the Chelsea manager starts to quickly turns things round, he may become the latest to discover what happens when the Russian rushes to judgement.
Last night, as the shadow of the John Terry racism allegations hung over the Cristal Arena and Blues fans damaged their club with distasteful chants towards Anton Ferdinand, it was again on-field matters that concerned Villas-Boas.
Chelsea were not as exposed as they had been against Arsenal, yet still became the first team this season to concede a Champions League goal to Belgian minnows Genk.
As if that was not bad enough, a shockingly complacent display in a match that should have been done and dusted before the break means Chelsea need four points from their final two matches, in Leverkusen and at home to Valencia, to be sure of topping Group E.
Villas-Boas had insisted the “disastrous week” had not harmed his side’s self-belief yet David Luiz’s woeful penalty miss before the break sapped their confidence far too swiftly, with home striker Jelle Vossen’s simple finish cancelling out Ramires’ first-half opener.
Failing to beat Genk, so pitiful at Stamford Bridge, made Villas-Boas’ decision to omit Terry, Frank Lampard, Juan Mata and Daniel Sturridge look ill-judged, exactly what he did not need. Chelsea were three up inside half an hour when the outgunned Belgians visited two weeks ago and could have been as far ahead last night as well.
But wasted opportunities, ill-luck and Luiz’s shocker – what makes a Brazilian centre-half the penalty-taker? – meant the lone goal, after 25 rather tame and tortuous minutes, was not enough.
Ramires, impressive through the opening half, exchanged passes superbly with Torres, scampering onto the Spaniard’s return ball and then squeezing the ball under home keeper Laszlo Koteles.
It was a finish out of keeping with much of what had gone before.
Genk were as limited as previously but there were moments of uncertainty and positional complacency from familiar suspects Jose Bosingwa and Luiz even before Chelsea lost their way so badly after the break.
Luiz looks far better striding out with the ball than when asked to perform the defensive basics but Ramires’ goal looked to have settled the visitors.
Torres was just wide of the far post from 18 yards before playing his part in a clever move which should have brought Ramires a second but he headed wide Ashley Cole’s cross.
Raul Meireles, in for Lampard, was desperately unlucky to see his fierce strike come back off the
angle of post and bar, although Chelsea were literally handed another chance seconds later as Thomas Buffel batted down a cross from Florent Malouda. With Lampard on the bench and Nicolas Anelka having missed against Everton last week, Luiz took ­responsibility but the stuttering run-up was followed by a shot far too close to Koteles, who saved easily to his right.
Genk, who should have been dead and buried, suddenly started to threaten. Kevin De Bruyne – again doing little to make a case for a move to SW6 – shot weakly before Petr Cech bailed out his defence at Kennedy Nwanganga’s feet after former Portsmouth man Anthony Vanden Borre was allowed to run 40 yards.
The luck did not hold and just after the hour Bosingwa’s deficiencies were punished as Fabien Camus had time to pick out Vossen eight yards from goal.
Villas-Boas responded, sending on Lampard and Sturridge for Ramires and Anelka and Chelsea dominated again.
Meireles should have converted Malouda’s excellent cross and Lampard, a yard out, could not get the touch as Sturridge, later denied by Koteles, played in a terrific ball.
Cech saved from Anthony Limbombe with Bosingwa again missing in action and Chelsea were frustrated when Anele Ngongca and Nadson somehow managed to clear Malouda’s shot off the line between them.
Not good enough. Not even close to good enough.

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Sun:

Genk 1 Chelsea 1
By MARK IRWIN

THE castle might not be crumbling but some of the residents could do with being chucked into the moat.
Andre Villas-Boas had defiantly declared that Fortress Chelsea was still intact following back-to-back Premier League defeats by QPR and Arsenal.
But, though the Blues remain firmly on course for the knockout stages of the Champions League, some of their supporters will not be so welcome around Europe.
As their team secured an unimpressive draw in Genk last night, a large section of the 1,100 travelling fans continually chanted 'Anton Ferdinand, you know what you are'.
It was a disgracefully misplaced show of support for beleaguered Blues captain John Terry, who has been accused of racially abusing QPR defender Ferdinand during last week's 1-0 defeat at Loftus Road.
Terry, who has vehemently denied the allegations, was left squirming on the bench as the mob delivered their verdict on the dispute.
Neither Terry nor Frank Lampard had been required to beat Genk 5-0 at Stamford Bridge last month and Villas-Boas calculated that he could get by without his most experienced duo again last night.
Yet the decision to rest the captain prompted fresh questions about Terry's state of mind just hours after the police raised their "assessment" of his alleged racist abuse to a full-blown "investigation".
After Saturday's defensive debacle against Arsenal, how Terry would have loved the opportunity to put things right last night.
Instead, he was left to kick his heels on the sidelines for the third time in four Champions League games this season.
And how Chelsea were made to pay in Terry's absence against one of the worst sides to ever qualify for Europe's premier club competition.
Without a goal in any of their group games prior to last night's match, Genk had previously given the impression of a team that would be out of their depth in a bath.
At least they held out for 26 minutes this time before a defence with all the mobility of a Dale Farm traveller was undone by Ramires' pace and movement.
Exchanging passes on the edge of the area with Fernando Torres, the lively Brazilian squeezed his shot beyond keeper Laszlo Koteles from the tightest of angles.
That was Ramires' fourth goal of the season and after that it seemed it would simply be a question of how many more Chelsea could score before they lost interest.
Torres drilled a fierce shot just wide and former Portsmouth defender Anthony Vanden Borre almost turned Florent Malouda's low cross into his own goal.
The impressive Raul Meireles struck the bar and seconds later another Malouda cross was blocked by the hands of Thomas Buffel.
But, just like Nicolas Anelka at Everton last week, David Luiz was unable to score from the penalty spot, shooting close enough to Koteles for the Genk keeper to save.
The Belgian side almost took full advantage of Luiz's generosity seven minutes into the second half when striker Kennedy Nwanganga found himself clear on goal.
Vanden Borre's attempted shot was blocked by Oriol Romeu and ricocheted straight to Nwanganga, whose tame shot was saved by acting captain Petr Cech.
Suddenly Chelsea were not looking so serene and after 61 minutes they paid the penalty for their lack of ruthlessness when Genk, incredibly, levelled.
Once again there were huge questions about Jose Bosingwa's positioning as Fabien Camus was allowed far too much space down the flank before pulling the ball back for Jelle Vossen to sidefoot home.
Yet rather than shut up shop and settle for a point, Villas-Boas went flat out for victory by sending on Lampard, Daniel Sturridge and Juan Mata for a final onslaught.
It was a bold gamble which almost paid off when Lampard was just inches away from turning Sturridge's 79th-minute cross over the line.
Sturridge was just out of luck again with a fierce 25-yard drive which was well turned over by keeper Koteles.
Chelsea thought they had snatched a dramatic last-ditch victory in the final minute when Lampard sent Malouda in on goal.
But, though the Frenchman flicked the ball beyond the advancing Koteles, his shot was scrambled off the line by Nadson.
Few could begrudge Genk that moment of fortune for their spirited second-half performance.
And even fewer would have wished to see those Chelsea followers celebrating after the way they had embarrassed their club earlier in the evening.

DREAM TEAM RATINGS
STAR MAN - RAUL MEIRELES

CHELSEA: Cech 7, Bosingwa 5, Luiz 5, Ivanovic 7, Cole 6, Meireles 8, Ramires 7, Romeu 6, Malouda 7, Torres 5, Anelka 6. Subs: Lampard (Ramires 66) 6, Sturridge (Anelka 66) 6, Mata (Romeu 77) 5. Not used: Turnbull, McEachran, Kalou, Terry. Booked: Meireles.


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Star:

GENK 1 CHELSEA 1: ICE-COOL JELLE'S SWEET FINISH WOBBLES BLUES
By Scott Coleman

JELLE VOSSEN’S leveller did ­nothing to lift the gloom hanging over Chelsea as their wobble continued.
Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas admitted the past week had been a disaster for the cub.
And his team sloppily threw away a precious Champions League win which could leave them struggling to go through.
Leading thanks to a Ramires strike, Chelsea wasted the chance to ensure qualification from Group E – and their cause was not helped when David Luiz missed a penalty.
Chelsea now need four points from their final two games. A tough trip to Bayer Levekusen looms followed by a home clash with Valencia.
Coming after back-to-back Premier League defeats against QPR and Arsenal, it was the last thing they needed.
Villas-Boas surprisingly left John Terry on the bench. The skipper learned last night he also faces a police investigation into allegations of racial abuse against QPR defender Anton Ferdinand, as well as an FA inquiry.
Villas-Boas also rested Frank Lampard against the Group E minnows, who were beaten 5-0 at Stamford Bridge two weeks ago.
Chelsea were four goals up by the 42nd minute in the first game, but this was much more cagey.
Ramires finally broke the deadlock. The Brazilian raced into the area, exchanged passes with Fernando Torres and squeezed the ball under Laszlo Koteles.
It was Ramires’ fourth goal of the season and one Chelsea badly needed to settle their nerves.
Raul Meireles slammed a shot against the angle and a minute later Chelsea had a penalty as Thomas Buffel handled.
But Luiz hit his spot-kick far too close to Koteles, who saved well. It was the second penalty in a row ­Chelsea had missed.
Genk went close to levelling when Daniel Toszer curled a free-kick just over the bar.
Luiz then wasted a free-fick from just outside the area, this effort flying high and wide.
Chelsea were then in total control, moving the ball about smoothly and confidently, but Genk started to find some form.
Winger Kevin De Bruyne – a Chelsea target last summer – came close with a curling shot, then Kennedy
Nwanganga should have done better when he was put clean through.
Meireles tested Koteles again with a stinging 25 yard drive, but Chelsea should have been further ahead. And they were duly punished after 61 minutes.
Fabien Camus raced down the left to cross and Vossen stabbed it home as the Chelsea defence ­dithered. It was Genk’s first goal in the competition this season.
Chelsea hit back and Meireles shot straight at the keeper, then substitute Lampard missed from a couple of yards with the goal at his mercy.


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Express:

GENK 1 CHELSEA 1: BLUES ARE GIVEN TOUCH OF THE JELLE WOBBLES
By Tony Banks

CHELSEA manager Andre Vilas-Boas labelled Chelsea’s last week as “disastrous”.
This was not quite on that scale, but as his team sloppily threw away a precious win, it could be very damaging indeed.
Leading thanks to Ramires’s excellently taken goal in rainy Flanders, careless Chelsea wasted the chance to be in a strong position to qualify from Group E last night, as David Luiz missed a penalty and then Jelle Vossen equalised.
Chelsea now need four points from their final two games to guarantee winning the group – and it is by no means a straightforward task, with a tough trip to Bayer Leverkusen looming and then a home clash with Valencia.
A group which had at one stage looked to be totally within their grip has now slipped away and, coming after back-to-back league defeats against QPR and Arsenal, it was the last thing Chelsea needed.
Villas-Boas surprisingly left John Terry, who learned last night that he will now face a police investigation into allegations of racial abuse against QPR defender Anton Ferdinand as well as an FA inquiry, on the bench.
But the Chelsea fans made their voices known by singing “Anton Ferdinand, you know what you are.”
As the storm around the Chelsea captain seems to gather pace day by day, Villas-Boas took Terry out of the firing line, also leaving out Frank Lampard against the Group E minnows, who were beaten 5-0 at Stamford Bridge two weeks ago. Nicolas Anelka returned to the attack.
Beaten by QPR and left stunned 5-3 at home against Arsenal on Saturday, Chelsea badly needed a morale boost after as rotten a week as the club have had in years.
Genk were, in many ways, ideal opposition; the whipping boys of the group.
But in pouring rain it was the Flanders team who looked livelier early on, but then Ramires tested Laszlo Koteles with a snap shot.
Chelsea were four goals up by the 42nd minute in the first game against the club in only their second season in the Champions League, but this was a much more cagey affair.
But it was Ramires who finally broke the deadlock. The nippy Brazilian raced into the area, exchanged passes with Fernando Torres and squeezed the ball under Koteles as the goalkeeper came out, for his fourth goal of the season.
Torres had up until then been quiet, but suddenly the £50million Spaniard, who scored twice against the Belgians in the first game, woke up and flashed a 20-yard shot an inch wide.
Ramires’s speedy breaks into the area were causing Genk considerable trouble and, when Ashley Cole crossed from the left, the Brazilian popped up at the far post and should have done better than nod the ball wide.
Then Florent Malouda tore the Belgians apart down that flank again and defender Anthony Vanden Borre was within a fraction of an own-goal as the ball bounced freakishly off him. Raul Meireles then slammed his shot against the angle and a minute later Chelsea had a penalty as Thomas Buffel handled in the area.
But this time a Brazilian was not as accurate, David Luiz hitting his spot-kick far too close to Koteles, who saved well. It was the second penalty in a row Chelsea had missed.
Genk actually came close to levelling the scores, when Daniel Tozser curled a free-kick an inch over from 25 yards.
Luiz was even further away with a free-kick from just outside the area than he had been with his penalty, this effort flying high and wide.
Winger Kevin de Bruyne, a Chelsea target last summer, came close with a curling shot, but Petr Cech saved comfortably.
Then striker Kennedy Nwanganga should have done better when put clean through than to allow the Chelsea keeper to block his shot, before Meireles tested Koteles again with a stinging 25-yard drive.
Chelsea were duly punished for their profligacy on the hour, as Fabien Camus raced down a yawning gap on the left to cross low and Vossen stabbed in his low cross.
It was Genk’s first goal in the competition this season.
Villas-Boas threw Lampard and Daniel Sturridge on to try to tighten matters up, because a game that Chelsea had had firmly in their grip was in real danger of slipping away.

Genk (4-4-2): Koteles; Vanden Borre, Hyland, Nadson, Ngongca; Buffel (Dugary 69), Camus, Tozser, De Bruyne; Vossen (Barda 86), Nwanganga (Limbombe 82). Booked: De Bruyne. Goal: Vossen 61.

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Bosingwa, Luiz, Ivanovic, Cole; Ramires (Lampard 66), Romeu (Mata 77), Meireles; Anelka (Sturridge 66), Torres, Malouda. Booked: Meireles. Goal: Ramires 25.

Referee: S Oddvar Moen (Norway).