Independent:
Humiliated Chelsea picked off by Radamel Falcao’s sharp hat-trick
Chelsea 1 Atletico Madrid 4
Sam Wallace
When you have just won a court case with £3bn at stake, one imagines that losing the European Super Cup final is one of those things you can live with – but then Roman Abramovich has never been keen on second best.
Earlier yesterday the Chelsea owner had come through potentially the most expensive litigation of his career with a home win over Boris Berezovsky in the Commercial Court in London. By the time he walked into the Stade Louis II stadium he will have been hoping for a reminder of the more enjoyable aspects of life as one of the richest men in Britain.
There are some things that even a Russian billionaire cannot buy and one of them, it seems, is a back four capable of controlling the prolific striker Radamel Falcao, who scored a hat-trick. The only way to solve it might be to buy Falcao himself but with time ticking down on last night’s 11pm transfer deadline and a £55m buy-out clause on the Colombian’s head even that deal was beyond the Premier League’s most famous impulse-buyer.
Falcao was the best of a very good Atletico Madrid team on a humbling night for Chelsea who were 3-0 down at half-time and in the second half did their very best to keep it respectable. Sloppy in defence, limp in attack, they did not play like the champions of Europe last night, nor like the free-flowing team they have been in three victories in the last Premier League.
The goalscorer Gary Cahill was blunt about his side’s performance saying that Chelsea "fell to pieces". He said. 2We started the game sloppy and that went right through the game. If we're honest with ourselves everyone was below par and it was embarrassing at times.
"We approach every game in the same way. It was a massive game and we let ourselves down and passed up a great opportunity. It is difficult. Obviously we will look to bounce back in the league as today was unacceptable."
Ashley Cole tweeted that the performance had been "an absolute joke – no fight, desire passion and a big reality check." With John Terry still suspended, David Luiz and Cahill were exposed time and again. They were ambushed in the first few minutes and never recovered their composure. At the other end, Fernando Torres had his name sung repeatedly by the Atletico fans but looked worryingly ineffective.
"We never really got into the game," Roberto Di Matteo said, "that is the most disappointing part of the night." By half-time, the brilliant Falcao had not only scored three goals he had hit the post and the crossbar and every time he bore down on goal the Chelsea defence seemed to be reduced to panicky indecision.
Asked about the possibility he might have joined Chelsea in the summer, Falcao said that he was aware of the interest. "I have just stayed on the sidelines. Atletico made a great effort to keep me at the club and we will see what happens down the line."
The expansively named Jorge Resurrección Merodio, also known as Koke, was excellent in midfield for Atletico. So too the Spanish winger Adrian Lopez and, on the other side, Arda Turan, an experienced Turkey international impressed. Atletico are a selling club – Fernando Torres, Sergio Aguero, Diego Forlan among others – but when it comes to acquisitions they are not too bad either.
They carved Chelsea open, hitting the bar within four minutes when Lopez crossed for Falcao. Luiz seemed to foul Koke in the area in the aftermath but the Slovenian referee did not see it. Two minutes later Falcao gave his team the lead.
Played in on goal, running at a retreating defence, the Colombia international just allowed the ball to roll out from under his feet before he chipped Petr Cech, further evidence that this man has that rare ability to take his time in front of goal. Luiz tried to scoop the ball out the goal but it was so well-placed he could not get there.
Luiz was one of a couple of Chelsea defenders who inexplicably stood off Falcao in the area on 19 minutes and allowed him to curl a shot into the top corner of Cech’s goal. He hit the post with a powerful header before Turan played the striker in and he held off Ramires to strike a shot low past Cech for his third goal.
Miranda scored Atletico’s fourth on the hour after an exchange in the area gave him room to hit a shot that Cahill tried to clear. It was not until 16 minutes from time that a corner from Frank Lampard caused problems for Atletico and Cahill drove the loose ball past Thibaut Courtois, the Chelsea goalkeeper on loan at Atletico who had much less to do than Cech.
In the closing minutes of the game, Luiz deflected a cross against his own post. Given how badly the game had gone for him it was a surprise it did not go in. Abramovich had the big win earlier in the day. The subsequent defeat will be less expensive but does beg some new questions.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech; Ivanovic, Cahill, Luiz, Cole (Bertrand, 90); Mikel, Lampard; Ramires (Oscar, h-t), Hazard, Mata (Sturridge, 83); Torres. Substitutes not used Turnbull (gk), Romeu, Moses, Meireles.
Atletico Madrid (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Juanfran, Miranda, Godin, Filipe Luis; Suarez, Gabi; Lopez (Rodriguez, 56), Koke (Garcia, 81), Turan; Falcao (Emre, 87). Substitutes not used Asenjo (gk) , Silvio, Diaz, Costa.
Referee D Skomina (Slovakia).
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Guardian:
Chelsea crushed by Atlético Madrid's sublime Falcao in Uefa Super Cup
• Chelsea 1-4 Atlético Madrid
• Cahill 75; Falcao 7 19 45, Miranda 61
Dominic Fifield at the Stade Louis II
Chelsea have spent their summer in full-scale reinvention, a process undertaken at such lavish expense that there was an irony that they should endure the last few hours of the transfer window being scorched by a player they had once coveted. Radamel Falcao claimed the European Super Cup for Atlético Madrid at the Londoners' expense here with a first-half hat-trick that, even in a contest Chelsea might instinctively have dismissed as meaningless, will have shaken the Champions League winners to the core.
This was an ugly reality check, albeit one delivered with ruthless beauty, after all the giddy spending of the last few months and Chelsea's own sprightly start to the Premier League campaign. Instead it served to expose the defensive frailties that might undermine this team against opponents of real pedigree. Atlético, Europa League winners, are magical when they click with this one of their irrepressible displays until their concentration wavered, victory long since assured. The contest had actually been decided by the interval. Roman Abramovich had come to Monte Carlo hoping to watch his team hoist silverware again and set the tone for the months ahead. He must have departed with Falcao playing on his mind.
Chelsea's centre-halves will be haunted by the memory of confronting the Colombian. The treble registered before the break was his second in five days, following three in the 4-0 demolition of Athletic Bilbao on Monday, to swell his tally in European competitions to 37 in 40 appearances. This is a player scouted extensively by Premier League clubs in the past, Chelsea included, when he would have been available at what now feels a knockdown price, but he is out of most clubs' financial reach these days. Falcao had scored the last goal of André Villas-Boas' glittering year at Porto to claim the Europa League in Dublin, and registered two more for Atlético in the final against Athletic Bilbao to win the trophy in Bucharest back in May. He has long since been prolific, with Chelsea just the latest opponents to be scarred.
It was Chelsea's own sloppiness that invited catastrophe. Atlético had swarmed all over them from the start, their tempo blistering where Chelsea had sought to ease themselves into the contest. They simply could not cope, with this a defensive mess more reminiscent of the chaotic defeat suffered in this arena by Claudio Ranieri's side eight years ago. "We were well below par and fell to pieces," said Gary Cahill. "If we're honest with ourselves, everyone was below par. It was embarrassing at times and we let ourselves down. It was unacceptable."
They were outclassed for lengthy periods, unable to suppress Atlético's attacking verve. The Spaniards' captain, Gabi, probed from central midfield while Arda Turan and Adrian López glided menacingly. The speed at which Atlético counter-attacked was ferocious and their ability to drag Chelsea defenders out of position gave them space on which they capitalised ruthlessly. This was a slaughter at times. The weary prod against his own post by David Luiz in stoppage time at the end was the third occasion Atlético had struck the woodwork. By then Chelsea's back-line looked broken.
Falcao, inevitably, had contributed the other two near misses, thumping against crossbar and post either side of his opening two goals. Not that this was an occasion to be critical. The sheer brilliance of the chances he did take drew the focus. There was a burst on to Gabi's slide-rule pass and an astute clip over the advancing Petr Cech seven minutes in, the shot placed cleverly to by-pass the retreating David Luiz as the Brazilian sought out the goal-line. His second was arguably more impressive, a stunned collection and deliciously curled left-footed finish from the edge of the box after coaxing rare space from Ashley Cole. The ball arced gloriously past the full-back, over Luiz and Cech's out-stretched hand. Even Chelsea's players might have considered a spontaneous round of applause.
His reward was complete in stoppage time at the end of the period, Atlético breaking upfield from defending a corner with Arda Turan liberating Falcao behind Ramires. The shot scuttled through Cech's legs. Everything thereafter was a stroll. "Ours was a slow start and, if you give Falcao space, he's dangerous," said Roberto Di Matteo. "We should have blocked him before that. But we had a slow start and were never really in the game."
The goals exchanged after the break felt incidental, messy scrambles as defensive discipline evaporated. Miranda's finish was delicate, Cahill's thumped in frustration at an evening far from enjoyed. Fernando Torres, who had hoped this might be his night against the club who had nurtured him, was reduced to one scuffed shot wide and a rousing chorus of his name from Atlético's vociferous fans, who will always appreciate one of their own. Yet, in Falcao, they have still a player impossible to forget.
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Telegraph:
Chelsea 1 Atletico Madrid 4
By Henry Winter
Roman Abramovich had a more successful defence than his team did. On the day that Chelsea’s owner resisted attempts to take £3 billion off him in court, he watched his side slump to deserved defeat in the Super Cup final as Falcao ripped them apart. Falcao was magnificent, giving a master-class of centre-forward play.
The Colombian hit a first-half hat-trick and Miranda added a fourth in the second as the winners of the Europa League outclassed the winners of the Champions League. Even though Gary Cahill pulled one back, it was a brutally dispiriting evening for Chelsea and Fernando Torres in particular against his old club.
Chelsea defender Ashley Cole tweeted afterwards: “Well that was a lesson, absolute joke no fight, desire, passion, and a big reality check!!!!!! sorrycfcfans.”
Torres’ name had drawn huge cheers from the Atletico faithful when the teams were announced but they were swiftly singing in praise of their current No 9. From the first whistle, Falcao was all movement, all menace.
Always on his toes, always looking to race in behind Chelsea’s defensive line, the Colombian scored his second successive hat-trick in the space of four days. After putting three past Athletic Bilbao, Falcao dismantled Chelsea’s defence clinically.
John Terry, suspended from another Uefa showpiece event, had only just taken up his seat in the stands when Falcao first came calling, hitting the bar as Chelsea’s defence opened up embarrassingly.
He was merely adjusting his sights. After six minutes, Falcao sped down the inside-left channel before cleverly dinking the ball over Petr Cech and in off the post. And so it began. Chelsea hinted at a riposte, Eden Hazard shooting wide, before the Falcao Show resumed.
This time, the 26 year-old worked his magic on the right, teasing some space around Ashley Cole before sending the ball curling with his left foot past Cech. Named after the legendary Brazilian, Falcao was adding further lustre to his celebrated name. Chelsea were being outplayed and outmuscled with Falcao showing his willingness to become involved in the physical fray.
The European champions were so poor, managing only a few attempts on goal. Hazard dummied his way past Mario Suarez and then slipped the ball down the inside-left channel to Torres. Miranda stepped across calmly to clear. Miranda Hart could have played in Atletico’s defence such was the Europa League winners’ total control.
For the small knot of Chelsea fans this must have been excruciating and alarming to behold. Barring Terry, Chelsea were arguably at full-strength. Torres led the line, Ramires, Hazard and Juan Mata sought to support him while Frank Lampard and John Obi Mikel attempted to shield the back-four. Unsuccessfully.
Branislav Ivanovic looked vulnerable to pacey insurgents while Gary Cahill and David Luiz suffered the jitters whenever Falcao came into view. Cole, usually so certain, was below his high standards in the first half in which Chelsea’s defenders resembled blue shirts on a washing line in a tempest. Everyone was flapping.
Falcao charged around, sensing vulnerability. He almost completed his hat-trick after 35 minutes. He accelerated one move, controlling the ball under pressure and then releasing the excellent Arda Turan. Adrian Lopez failed to turn in the cross. Falcao, lurking close by, threw himself at the loose ball, sending it against the post.
His third arrived just before the break, following a lightning break by Atletico form the wreckage of a Chelsea corner. Arda cleverly chose the ideal moment to release the ball across to Falcao. Again the control was instant. Again the finish was unstoppable.
At the break, after Atletico had departed to a standing ovation, the stadium announcer somehow managed to stop himself laughing when mentioning that Patrick Kluivert had been given the assignment of establishing who the man of the match was.
There was more. Miranda made it four, chipping the ball over Cech and in past a despairing Cahill. Chelsea gave their fans something to sing about, Cahill slamming in a loose ball, which prompted chants of “we’re going to win 5-4”.
Yet it was Atletico who came closest to scoring again. Felipe Luis raced 50 yards, being chased by Daniel Sturridge, who had been linked with a move to Liverpool. Atletico’s left-back just managed to find enough space to shoot but was denied by Cech.
The game finished as it began with Atletico’s marvelous fans singing Torres’ name for almost a minute. To nobody’s surprise, Falcao was then announced as man of the match.
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Mail:
Chelsea 1 Atletico Madrid 4: Falcao runs riot as Di Matteo's Blues are crushed
By Matt Lawton
After saving himself a fortune in the High Court, Roman Abramovich must have been tempted to blow a few million before the transfer window closed here on Friday night.
If Chelsea’s owner was as interested as we think in Atletico Madrid’s Radamel Falcao, the Colombian demonstrated why with a brilliant performance that almost single-handedly conquered the Russian billionaire’s team to win the European Super Cup.
Presumably Fernando Torres was nothing like as disappointed considering he has just seen off Didier Drogba. By the time Falcao had completed his first-half hat-trick, one imagines Torres was rather relieved to see his fellow striker wearing the same No 9 shirt he made his name in back in Spain.
Falcao tweeted: ‘AM made a great effort to keep me and tonight they got their reward.’
Falcao might just be the finest striker in the world right now. He is the scorer of 37 goals in 40 UEFA matches, the scorer of six goals this week — having struck three against Athletic Bilbao on Monday — and third only to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the goal charts in 2012.
He showed that he has everything. Great pace, awareness, skill and strength and a technique that makes him deadly.
In the absence of the suspended John Terry, the Chelsea defence had no answer to him as they looked to add a third cup to their collection this year.
Ashley Cole tweeted: ‘well that was a lesson. No fight, desire, passion and a big reality check.’
And Gary Cahill said: ‘It was difficult facing him [Falcao] and all of their team especially when we were way below par. We started sloppy and stayed that way. It was embarrassing at times.'
Chelsea might have started the Barclays Premier League season well, winning their opening three games, but the alertness they have displayed was missing here.
Manager Roberto Di Matteo added: ‘The first half we started sloppy and they punished us. The early goal helped them. They defended well and countered on us.’
Chelsea were swamped by the Spaniards and, in particular, Falcao. The 26-year-old had already seen one effort rebound off the bar when he opened the scoring in the sixth minute, accelerating on to a super ball from Gabi before chipping an advancing Petr Cech.
Chelsea had no response, with further chances coming for Adrian Lopez and Arda Turan, who directed a header narrowly wide.
When Falcao drifted wide in the 19th minute, he struck again with a brilliant left-foot shot that curled beyond Cech’s grasp.
Atletico then broke again with five forwards facing three Chelsea defenders, and it required Cech to make a fine save to deny Gabi.
But there was no stopping Falcao. One good pass from Turan and a burst of acceleration that took him past Ramires and the South American had struck again, completing his hat-trick shortly before the interval with a left-foot shot that slipped under Cech.
Ramires was replaced by Oscar at the start of the second half in the hope it might enable Chelsea to battle back. But the misery continued, the side that finished fifth in the Spanish league last season — but won the Europa League — adding a fourth in the 61st minute when Miranda beat Cech with another marvellous finish.
Chelsea did grab a second-half consolation but it didn’t come from Torres, Oscar or Eden Hazard who, despite working hard, failed to dominate the game in the manner he has so far in the Premier League. After a scramble, Cahill poked home but there was no comeback.
A relatively meaningless encounter this might be. Chelsea could perhaps be accused of not taking it seriously enough. But it remained a painful experience, and not just because they were so soundly beaten.
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Mirror:
Chelsea 1-4 Atletico Madrid:
"Absolute joke, no fight, passion" tweets humbled Cole
Radamel Falcao hits second hat-trick in four days to turn Super Cup showdown into a rout and leave Blues defender seething
Fernando Torres was upstaged by the new darling of European football her in Monaco.
Atletico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao tore Chelsea to shreds with a brilliant first-half hat-trick as Roberto di Matteo’s men looked guilty of not taking the European Super Cup seriously enough.
Defender Ashley Cole went on Twitter to apologise after the humbling defeat, saying: “Well that was a lesson, absolute joke. No fight, desire, passion and a big reality check!!!!!! #sorrycfcfans.”
Cole's team-mate Gary Cahill, who snatched a late consolation, admitted: “We fell to pieces. If we’re honest with ourselves everyone was below par. It was embarrassing at times.
“We approach every game in the same way. It was a massive game tonight and we let ourselves down and passed up a great opportunity.
“It is difficult. Obviously we will look to bounce back in the league as today was unacceptable.”
Falcao has inherited the No.9 shirt Torres wore in his days at Atletico and the changing of the guard was also completed on the pitch.
The Colombian is quite simply the hottest striker in the world - only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have scored more goals in 2012, and neither of them are true centre-forwards.
Falcao was on Chelsea’s hit-list this summer and yet Atletico made it clear they were not interested.
Roman Abramovich probably felt like making them an offer they could not refuse at half time!
Falcao's hat-trick was all about ruthless finishing, pace and power. It left Chelsea’s defence in a complete mess and chasing shadows.
Torres, too, was left completely in the shade as the Champions League winners were embarrassed by the winners of UEFA’s lesser tournament.
Incredibly, Atletico are not even in the Champions League this season either, as they only finished fifth in La Liga.
Chelsea have made an impressive, 100 per cent start to their Premier League campaign but maybe that was put into context here by stronger opposition - and an unstoppable striker.
Falcao unnerved Chelsea’s defence as early as the fifth minute as he crashed a shot against the bar.
From then on, he made no mistake.
Just two minutes later, captain Gabi’s through-ball found Falcao. He chipped onrushing keeper Petr Cech and the ball hit the far post, then trickled over the line.
Chelsea just never got going.
Maybe there was a certain amount of uncertainty in their team as Di Matteo was still trying to shuffle his pack on the last day of the summer transfer window.
But with captain John Terry suspended, their defensive frailties were exposed time and again.
The midfield did not offer the back four much protection but Chelsea’s defence looked like the department in need of strengthening.
The Londoners were all over the shop.
Falcao’s second goal came after 19 minutes when he curled a stunning left foot shot over Cech and into the far corner.
He had another effort scrambled away before he completed his hat-trick just before the break as he accelerated past Ramires before firing past Cech.
That made it 37 goals in 40 UEFA matches for the red-hot Atletico striker.
Even more incredibly, he has scored six goals in four days having netted another hat-trick to beat Athletic Bilbao on Monday.
Defender Joao Miranda made it four after 61 minutes and while Cahill pulled a goal back in the 75th minute, it was not enough to ease any of Chelsea’s embarrassment.
Chelsea Cech 6; Ivanovic 5, Luiz 4, Cahill 5, Cole 5 (Bertrand, 89); Mikel 5, Lampard 6, Ramires 4 (Oscar, 46, 5); Hazard 5, Mata 5 (Sturridge, 82), Torres 5.
Atletico Madrid Courtois 7, Juanfran 7, Miranda 8, Godin 7, Felipe Luis 7; Suarez 7, Gabi 8; Lopez 7 (Rodriguez, 57), Koke 7 (Garci, 80), Turan 8; Falcao 9 (Belozoglu, 87).
Man of the match: Radamel Falcao. Brilliant, sensational. Awesome to watch. The hottest No9 in the world
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Sun:
Chelsea 1 Atletico Madrid 4
From MARK IRWIN in Monaco
ASHLEY COLE slammed Chelsea’s Super Cup flops in a Twitter volley.
After a night of humiliation in the billionaires’ playground, the Blues left-back tweeted: “Wellll, that was a lesson, absolute joke, no fight, desire, passion and a big reality check!!! Sorry CFC fans.”
As in Barcelona and Munich last season, Chelsea were totally outplayed by technically superior European opponents.
But this time there were no backs-to-the-wall heroics from Roberto Di Matteo’s Champions League winners. Just a good, old-fashioned battering.
Even the absence of suspended captain John Terry could not begin to explain away a defensive shambles as Chelsea were torn apart by a ruthless Atletico team.
Centre-half Gary Cahill confessed: “Everyone was below par and it was embarrassing at times. It was a massive game and we let ourselves down. The way we fell apart was just unacceptable.”
No one caused Chelsea more problems than Radamel Falcao, the Colombian superstar who scored 111 goals in his first three seasons in European football.
Falcao could easily have followed Andre Villas-Boas from Porto to the Bridge last summer, but Chelsea refused to meet the £35million asking price and stood by as he was snapped up by Atletico.
And how foolish does that decision now look after spending £83m this summer alone and still not replacing Didier Drogba up front?
Boss Di Matteo admitted: “We were never in the game, but if you give Falcao that sort of space he is always dangerous.”
Having warmed up for the Super Cup with a Monday hat-trick against Bilbao, Falcao needed just four minutes to penetrate Chelsea’s porous defence and fire against the bar from Adrian Lopez’s cross.
Last season’s Europa League winners were convinced they should have had a penalty when David Luiz bundled over Koke.
But their first goal arrived after just six minutes when Falcao was sent clear of the labouring Blues defence by Koke’s through ball.
Yet even though Luiz read Falcao’s intentions to chip the advancing Petr Cech, his attempts at a goal-line clearance were still futile.
Worse was soon to follow as Luiz made a complete mess of trying to catch Falcao offside and succeeded in giving the hotshot the yard of space he needed to curl a great left-footer beyond Cech.
Falcao hit the woodwork again with a close-range header before completing a superb first-half hat-trick when he ghosted past Ramires to shoot low into the far corner.
A fourth arrived on 60 minutes when Chelsea failed to deal with a free-kick and Miranda scored.
Cahill reduced the deficit in the 74th minute from a Frank Lampard corner but his goal could not hide the severity of this beating.
Chelsea might not have been able to park the bus but at least owner Roman Abramovich found room to leave two of his super-yachts in the marina for a quick getaway.
The last time Chelsea played in Monaco, Claudio Ranieri had committed career suicide in the 2004 Champions League semi-final and opened the door to the Jose Mourinho era.
But on the day he was celebrating a £3billion High Court victory over former business associate Boris Berezovsky, it was hard to imagine anything putting a dampener on Abramovich’s mood last night.
Even so, watching his expensive team taken apart so easily only confirmed the transfer window might have closed but the cheque book cannot be put away just yet.
SUN RATINGS
CHELSEA: Cech 5, Ivanovic 4, Cahill 4, Luiz 3, Cole 4 (Bertrand 3), Mikel 4, Lampard 5, Ramires 4 (Oscar 5), Hazard 5, Mata 5 (Sturridge 4), Torres 5. Subs not used: Turnbull, Romeu, Moses, Meireles.
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