Sparta Prague 1-1

Independent:
Sam Wallace

Eden Hazard saves Chelsea after Torres misfires again
In the competition they never wanted to be in, the fans jeering the manager they never wanted at the club, and despairing at the £50m centre-forward who almost never scores, Chelsea squeezed through to the last 16 of the Europa League with a last-minute goal from Eden Hazard.
The Belgium international was a second-half substitute and his goal prevented the game going into extra-time after Chelsea had conceded before the break to Sparta striker David Lafata scored.
With the tie 1-1 on aggregate following Oscar's away goal in the Czech Republic last week and no Frank Lampard or Demba Ba on the substitutes' bench, it was Hazard who came on to alleviate some pressure on Rafa Benitez.
As for Fernando Torres, it was another collection of misses. He has scored once since Christmas Day, against Brentford in the FA Cup, and on this evidence it was not hard to see why. Chelsea looked for inspiration from Juan Mata, their best player, and he did much good work as his team had attack after attack but could not find a way through a robust Sparta defence.
If Torres had been in the right frame of mind then Chelsea would have been out of sight before that first-half goal from Lafata that lifted Sparta and gave them that glimmer of hope. It sounds almost redundant to say it these days, but in the first half, Torres' confidence in front of goal was so low as to be painful to watch at times. His first chance came on just four minutes when Victor Moses cut the ball back to him and the Chelsea striker hit his shot close enough to goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik for him to save.
He had an even better chance on 11 minutes when Mata's cross from the right just needed gently guiding into the Sparta goal from close range but Torres just could not manage it. He gets close on occasions like this, the problem is that close is not good enough and with every chance missed so the confidence ebbs.
In those opening stages the home side had full control of the game and despite a healthy crowd there was not the high levels of anti-Benitez tension. Then the Sparta goal came and the mood changed to one of quiet despair.
It was well-worked by Sparta who got a ball inside the right-back Cesar Azpilicueta which Vaclav Kadlec retrieved and cut back to the centre-forward Lafata to score. After that the away side rallied and Petr Cech was obliged to save from Tomas Prikryl.
In a midfield without Lampard, a lot of the creative burden fell upon Oscar. Down the left, with Ashley Cole on the bench, Chelsea did look exposed. Nevertheless they should have scored from Mata's volley into the ground which Vaclik did extremely well to save. Then, in the final moments a cross from John Obi Mikel reached Torres in the box and, although the header was not simple, it was chance. It went over.
It got little better for Torres after half-time. He seemed to take away the ball from Ramires in one misunderstanding and later got in the way of a good shot from the same team-mate. There was one excellent feint and burst of acceleration from Torres away from the Sparta defence but bearing down on goal he tried to chip Vaclik, with predictable results.
There was precious little invention from Chelsea and they got more anxious the longer the game went on. Benitez substituted Oscar on 67 minutes, a decision that must have been down to fitness, the young Brazilian was one of the better players. Hazard came on and with no centre-forward on the bench, Benitez had no choice but to stick with Torres.
No Ba and no Lampard meant that there was little Benitez could do to change the game. In the meantime, Sparta had some chances for a second but the late intervention from Hazard came so late that Sparta only had time to kick-off before the Macedonian referee blew for full-time. Benitez lives to fight another day in Europe but it was another uncomfortable evening for him.

Man of the match Mata.
Match rating 7/10.
Referee A Stavrev (Mac).
Attendance 38,642.

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Guardian:

Chelsea sneak past Sparta Prague with dramatic late goal by Eden Hazard

Dominic Fifield at Stamford Bridge

The livid chants for José Mourinho to return to these parts went up just after the hour in a contest that had long since degenerated into a slog. Chelsea remain afloat in the Europa League, though everything about their progress beyond Sparta Prague into a meeting with Steaua Bucharest in the last 16 was unconvincing, and the crowd would not be hoodwinked into believing all is rosy. The reigning European champions should not be suffering occasions as excruciating as this.
Eden Hazard's rasping shot from just inside the area, dispatched past a goalkeeper who had excelled all night, salvaged the evening but, where such dramatic last-minute qualification would normally provoke scenes of delirious celebration, the best the locals could muster was relief. Rather they were left to drift away with familiar feelings of dissatisfaction festering over everything from Fernando Torres's brittle form to the fragility in their own defensive ranks, the presence of Rafael Benítez on the touchline to the reality that a tie that should have been a formality had proved so onerous.
Sparta, after all, had succumbed at home in the first leg, are only third in the Czech league and have not played a domestic fixture for two months. They should have been there for the taking. Instead they weathered a brief flurry of early chances, each spurned by Torres, and proceeded to lead for 73 minutes plus two more of stoppage time, forever threatening a second on the counterattack, before Hazard lashed in his late reward. The concession seemed cruel, not least on Tomas Vaclik, who deserved more for the saves he had made en route. Benítez pointed to the opportunities created – "We had 22 attempts and 60% of the possession" – as evidence of home dominance but the progress still seemed fortunate.
Torres's labours summed it up. Twice in the opening exchanges he might have prospered, first side-footing Victor Moses' pass just wide of a post and then cushioning a volley from Juan Mata's delivery on to the roof of the net. Thereafter, his body language was that of a man who did not expect to excel, the ball bouncing off him awkwardly, not least when Ramires hammered a volley goalwards. The header high and wide in first-half stoppage time was dispatched with little conviction. Sometimes it can seem cruel scrutinising a player enduring such a clear crisis of confidence but Chelsea are right to expect goals as well as industry from a player with Torres's curriculum vitae, as well as his £50m price tag.
The Spaniard has changed his haircut, even switched his boot manufacturers, as if searching desperately for that form of old. Yet he has scored only once since Christmas Day, and that against Brentford of League One, which suggests the arrival of Demba Ba last month has done very little to revive him. The Cup-tied Senegalese was supposed to ease the burden but Ba feels increasingly missed when he is unavailable, as he was here. "If Fernando continues working like today and playing like he did today, he will score goals," said Benítez. "I'm convinced about that." Yet it still sounded optimistic, even unbelievable.
When Torres did have a positive effect, nodding on for John Terry, Vaclik produced yet more acrobatics and a fine save to preserve the visitors' early lead. The 23-year-old was outstanding, his best stop conjured just before the interval to deny Mata after he had plucked down a centre, flicked up and spun, then volleyed down and goalwards, only for an outstretched hand to push the attempt on to the roof of the net. Ramires eventually bypassed him by thrashing against a post after Oscar's fine run but Chelsea looked desperate. Oscar was one of their brighter performers and his substitution was greeted with jeers from a disillusioned support, even if it would be Hazard, his replacement, who saved the day.
Sparta were left crestfallen as they saluted their boisterous travelling support at the end. The manager, Vitezslav Lavicka, stressed how proud he was in the aftermath, claiming his team would travel home "with a positive feeling" despite their elimination. Their goal had been cleverly crafted, Lukas Vacha's quick free-kick inside Ramires collected by Václav Kadlec on the run. Gary Cahill tottered over as his own momentum carried him forward and the diminutive forward checked and wriggled back into play in possession, with his pull-back perfect for David Lafata, bursting into the box, to place high into the net with the entire back-line pulled horribly out of position.
They might have added more, Petr Cech denying Tomas Prikryl and both Marek Matejovsky and Kadlec close on the break late on. But this was not to be their night. Chelsea progress with Steaua to come but are still some way off convincing.


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Telegraph:

Chelsea 1 Sparta Prague 1, agg; 2-1:
By Paul Kelso, Stamford Bridge

Eden Hazard rescued Chelsea’s credibility and Rafael Benítez’s reputation with a late, late equaliser that denied Sparta Prague a famous victory and averted another tremor of instability at Stamford Bridge.
Given the implications of defeat for club and manager it seemed almost incidental that the Belgian’s goal also booked Chelsea’s place in the last 16 of the Europa League, where they will face Steaua Bucharest.
Hazard’s injury-time goal, a loose-ball driven home left-footed from the edge of the box, averted the prospect of extra-time that, on the evidence of what went before, would have been deeply uncomfortable for the home side.
On a night when Fernando Torres again missed a clutch of clear chances to settle the game, this was not the way it was supposed to be for the Champions of Europe. Squeezing past second-rank opposition in Europe’s B-list competition is not what Roman Abramovich had in mind for this season, and for a while even that was in jeopardy.
Sparta led from the 17th minute to the 92nd, and after David Lafata’s opener cancelled out the 1-0 victory Chelsea earned a week ago in Prague, mutiny again stewed inside Stamford Bridge. Thanks to Hazard, however, the manager can enjoy a little more breathing space.
This was the second time in seven days he had cause to thank a substitute for sparing him. A week ago in Prague Oscar settled the game from the bench after a deeply disjointed performance. This time it was Chelsea’s other summer signing, and the goal even more valuable.
Benítez felt Chelsea deserved to progress. “We had two or three chances before they scored, and we knew scoring the first goal would make it difficult for them mentally. But it was the opposite: they scored and we had to manage the anxiety. We made two or three mistakes and gave them opportunities to counter, but we still did enough to deserve to go through.”
A stiffer test against Manchester City in the Premier League at the Emirates awaits on Sunday.
Regaining Champions League status remains the priority for Roman Abramovich, and Sunday’s appointment prompted Benítez to drop Hazard and David Luiz to the bench, and leave out Frank Lampard altogether.
For long periods those actions appeared to have left him exposed as Sparta produced a display of discipline, skill and commitment matched by their magnificent supporters. The 3,000 fans who made the trip to London made a great spectacle in matching blue, orange and red hats also sported by the substitutes. They found their team similarly well-drilled, diligent in defence, quick to counter, and with goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik in exceptional form. After surviving a shaky opening in which Torres should have settled the tie, they went ahead.
Like Torres Lafata is a record January signing, but unlike the Spaniard he has proved an instant hit. His goal, scored as the self-flagellating chants in praise of former manager Roberto Di Matteo stirred in Chelsea throats, earned him hero status.
The goal owed much to Vaclav Kadlec’s determination, the midfielder chasing down Lukas Vacha’s free-kick on Prague’s left flank. Retrieving the ball at the byline he cut it back and Lafata profited from Gary Cahill’s inopportune slip to side-foot past Petr Cech.
The Spartans in the Shed End erupted, as did a furious Benítez in the home technical area. He was again without a coat despite the cold, and his team without excuses.
Most exposed of all was Torres, who managed to miss twice from inside 12 yards in as many minutes. The first saw him opt for precision over power and achieve neither after Victor Moses cut the ball back, only to see it roll wide. The second was worse, a volley from three yards landing on the roof of the net.
With a goal to defend Sparta set about denying Chelsea and making their own chances on the break. The Czech’s came close to extending their lead on the half-hour, Petr Cech forced into action to deny Tomas Prikryl at his near post after the midfielder shot powerfully on the run.
Chelsea pressed in search of an early response but foundered on a Sparta defence well led by Ondrej Prikryl and backed by Vaclik’s safe handling.
The goalkeeper tipped over a first-half shot from Juan Mata and saw a drive from Ramires career back off his near post as Chelsea pressed at the start of the second half.
These efforts brought a rare bout of positivity from the stands, with cries of “Come on Chelsea” heard for the first time in what seemed like months. It did not last long, and the abuse of Benítez returned as he threw on Hazard in place of Oscar.
Prompted by desperation it proved Chelsea’s inspiration. Europa League equalisers were not what Chelsea paid £32 million for, but in the circumstances it was valuable.

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Mail:

Chelsea 1 Sparta Prague 1 (agg 2-1): Hazard leaves it late to seal Blues' progression
By Matt Barlow

Another lucky escape or was it another tactical switch of masterful proportions?
The Chelsea faithful are unlikely to give Rafael Benitez the benefit of the doubt but, just as in the first leg of this tie, a late substitute made the difference.
This time it was Eden Hazard who came off the bench, injected urgency and prevented extra time with a brilliant solo goal, bursting past two defenders and beating the Sparta Prague goalkeeper with a ferocious left-footer in the second minute of added time.
Relief washed over Stamford Bridge as the European champions stumbled into the last 16 of the Europa League. They next meet Steaua Bucharest, who put out Ajax on penalties.
The anti-Benitez songs which had erupted in the last half-hour of the game were silenced and the jeers aimed at the interim manager when he sent on Hazard for Oscar, 22 minutes from time, were forgotten.
There was just enough time for Sparta to put the ball on the centre spot and kick off before the referee blew for full time. But if Chelsea truly have designs on winning this competition and becoming the first English club to collect the classic set of all three European trophies, they must improve.
In Prague in the first leg, it was Oscar who came on to win the game 1-0 in the 82nd minute, also with a beautiful goal. It ought to have made last night a formality but Benitez weakened his team with Manchester City on Sunday in mind and Sparta seized the initiative.
The Blues went behind after 17 minutes and nerves took hold. Fernando Torres, starting in the absence of cup-tied Demba Ba, misfired badly once again and suddenly the decision to give Frank Lampard the night off did not look such a smart move. When you are in desperate need of a goal, the man with 199 of them might come in handy.
Ramires came closest to equalising when he hit a post and goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik made a string of wonderful saves but the Czechs had opportunities on the break and two fell to the otherwise splendid Vaclav Kadlec in the final seconds.
Kadlec rolled the first wide, the second was blocked by John Terry and, moments later, Hazard pounced. The visitors sank to their knees and their 3,000 fans — all wearing red, blue and yellow hats in protest at Chelsea’s refusal to let them bring in a big flag — were stunned.
They had glimpsed a famous victory. Chelsea fans were just  finishing a muted version of their regular ode to Roberto Di Matteo in the 16th minute, out of respect for his old shirt number, when the visitors took a quick free-kick and released Kadlec down the left.
Gary Cahill slipped as he tried to intercept the low cross and David Lafata arrived to clip the ball high into the net from 12 yards. The striker is the top scorer in Czech football this season and was playing only his second game for Sparta after a transfer from Jablonec last month. He missed some decent chances in the first leg but made no mistake with this one, registering his first goal for his new team.
After three wins on the spin — albeit against the unheralded opposition of Wigan, Sparta and Brentford — and with all his players available again, Benitez thought a corner had been turned. This,  however, was a bad development.
The visitors grew in confidence. They seemed a little sharper in their second game back after a winter break, better for the first leg.
Petr Cech saved low to his left when Tomas Prikryl capitalised on the space behind Ashley Cole’s left back deputy, Ryan Bertrand. Cech turned the low drive for a corner which was not cleared and Marek Matejovsky arrived late to blaze over.
Chelsea’s early assurance drained away and they were unable to stir the tempo. Ramires, deep in midfield alongside John Mikel Obi, playing his first game for the club since Boxing Day because of Africa Cup of Nations duty, was poor in possession until he found Juan Mata with a good pass into the penalty area just before half-time.
Mata collected the ball on the outside of his left foot and thought he had scored as his volley smacked into the turf and spun towards the corner, but Vaclik clawed it away.
Released by Oscar after the restart, Ramires slammed a shot into a post and Torres was clean through but could not profit. His new adidas boots were having the same problems as the old Nike ones. He has scored once since Boxing Day — against Brentford.
Chelsea dominated the second half. They had 22 attempts in total, according to Benitez, but Vaclik was not easily beaten, saving well from Terry, Victor Moses and a fierce free-kick from Hazard.
Cesar Azpilicueta flashed a 25-yarder wide in the closing minutes and the game was destined for extra time until Hazard appeared.
The last time he hit the headlines in a cup tie, he was kicking a ball-boy in Swansea. This time he reminded us why the best teams in Europe were chasing him last summer, willing to pay £32million.

EUROPA LEAGUE LAST-16 DRAW

Anzhi Makhachkala v Newcastle
Basle v Zenit St Petersburg
Benfica v Bordeaux
Levante v Rubin Kazan
Steaua Bucharest v Chelsea
Stuttgart v Lazio
Tottenham v Inter Milan
Viktoria Plzen v Fenerbahce
Matches to be played March 7 and 14

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

Mirror:

Eden project: Hazard lights up a dull night for Chelsea with a late, late winner
John Cross

Eden Hazard rescued Chelsea from Europa League embarrassment with a stunning injury-time strike.
The Blues’ Belgian supersub's stunning winner deep into injury time spared Fernando Torres' blushes - and probably kept Rafa Benitez in a job.
Torres missed four big chances, which left Benitez enduring a torturous night on the touchline as the Chelsea fans turned on the under-pressure manager yet again.
Benitez said: "We could be talking about Fernando not scoring goals, and he had four chances. But he had four chances.
"Let's turn it into a positive - I've seen him in games not having these chances because he's not in the right position.
"The goalkeeper stopped him and he missed some, but he did a good job for the team, was in the right position. It wasn't the situation where the striker disappeared. He was in the right place at the right time.
"Are we disappointed he didn't score? Yes, we are. But he was still giving his all to the team.
"When we came he was scoring in the first few games, but not now. But I have to take the positives. He was working very hard for the team.
"If he continues working like today and playing like he did today, he will score goals. I'm convinced about that.
"I'm really pleased with the result. I'd prefer to score two goals and be more relaxed in the game, but in terms of the confidence and belief of the team, it's quite positive. You can have the belief that you can still always get a result."
Ironically, Benitez took most stick from the home supporters when he took off Oscar to bring on Hazard in the 68th minute, only for the Belgian to make it look like a master-stroke by the final whistle.
Benitez will not be expecting any hero-grams from the Chelsea fans who would never have expected such a tough night after winning the first leg in Prague last week.
But Sparta Prague stunned them with David Lafata's first half opener and the visitors even had late chances particularly when Vaclav Kadlec blasted just wide in the closing stages.
It left Chelsea facing a nerve-wracking finish and another potential upset for last season's Champions League winners.
The home fans still proudly sing, "Champions of Europe" but that Munich miracle seems a distant memory, especially on nights like these when Chelsea seem to be going backwards under Benitez.
And Torres looked to be in meltdown as the £50m flop wasted three gilt edged openings and even inadvertently even blocked Ramires' late effort.
Torres can never have been lower than this during his 25 painful months at Stamford Bridge since his mega-bucks move from Liverpool in January 2011.
Spain international Torres could have scored twice in the opening 11 minutes but steered a glorious chance wide after four minutes from Victor Moses' low cross.
Then Oscar and Juan Mata - Chelsea's best and most creative players - combined to set up Torres again but the faltering frontman somehow hooked the ball over the bar as he stretched with his right foot rather than risk an attempt with his left.
 Mind you, Chelsea are still waiting to discover whether Torres actually has a stronger foot...
Sparta duly punished Chelsea's wasteful finishing in the 16th minute when Gary Cahill's slip allowed Vaclav Kadlec to pull the ball back for Lafata to fire a perfect shot into the roof of the net.
That sparked Sparta's best spell of the game and Petr Cech was forced into a terrific save to stop Tomas Prikryl's low drive on the half-hour mark.
Mata's close-range effort produced a stunning save from Tomas Vaclik, who somehow managed to push his effort over the bar but it was Torres again who headed Jon Obi Mikel's cross over the bar.
Chelsea stepped up the pace after the restart and Oscar's run and pass set up Ramires, whose shot deflected off Matej Hybs and cannoned against the post.
Torres wasted his fourth opening of the night after going through in the 52nd minute only to be denied by Vaclik's brave block.
Finally, Hazard saved Chelsea with a stunning goal after making a strong run, breezing past two defenders and then rifling a left foot shot high into the net.
If only Torres could find it so easy.

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Sun:

Rob Beasley

EDEN HAZARD conjured late magic to fire Chelsea into the last 16.

With only seconds left and extra-time beckoning the £32million Belgian tricked his way past two defenders on the edge of the area to go clear.
And the Blues supersub earned a standing ovation for a stunning left-footed strike that was Chelsea’s leveller on the night — but settled the tie following the Blues’ first-leg 1-0 win in Prague
And no-one was more relieved than Chelsea’s reviled interim-boss Rafa Benitez.
A master, match-winning substitution?
Or a blunder in the first place for leaving him on the bench along with Ashley Cole and David Luiz with Frank Lampard and Branislav Ivanovic rested in the stands with the cup-tied Demba Ba.
It all smacked of a manager thinking the hard-work had been done by winning 1-0 in Prague. So why not rest your big guns before Sunday’s clash at Manchester City?
The trouble was that air of complacency spread through to the team.
And it was only the brilliance of Hazard that spared the Spaniard’s blushes.
But while his strike was one to remember the Spaniard had a night to forget.
He had a stinker — AGAIN!
This was a torrid night even by his miserable standards.
The positives? He kept arriving in scoring positions.
The negatives? The £50m flop missed them all.
His first-half showing in particular was surely the nadir. First he side-footed wide after Victor Moses had teed him up.
Then he skied over the bar and guided a near-post header off target. In his pomp he might have been celebrating an incredible hat-trick. But his zenith was a long time ago and it was for Liverpool.
Since his move to West London, a football icon has turned into a laughing stock.
But it is no laughing matter in SW6.
And the atmosphere at the Bridge turned sour when Sparta took a 17th-minute lead on the counter — to level the tie.
Vaclav Kladec raced clear and cut the ball back for David Latafa to fire home.
On the half hour, Tomas Prikryl saw a shot turned behind by Petr Cech for a corner.
Then Marek Matejovsky blazed over before again testing the Czech No 1. They did rally towards the break, Oscar feeding Juan Mata, whose shot was saved.
And in first-half injury time came the worst miss of all. Torres again, centre stage, centre of goal but sending a woeful header so embarrassingly high over the bar.
It did not improve after the interval.
After Ramires hit a post with a drive — Torres was through one-on-one with Vaclik. Was this the moment? No!
The misfit tried to lift the ball over the keeper but did not make it and the shot was blocked.
The Czechs should have won the tie in injury-time. Twice Kladec was in the clear but blew it Torres-style.
First shooting tamely wide and then seeing one blocked by Gary Cahill after taking too much time. And Hazard made them pay.

DREAM TEAM
SUN STAR MAN — EDEN HAZARD (CHELSEA)
CHELSEA: Cech 7, Azpilicueta 7, Terry 7, Cahill 7, Bertrand 6, Ramires 7, Mikel 7, Moses 5, Mata 7, Torres 4, Oscar 6. Subs: Hazard (Oscar 67) 8. Not used: Turnbull, Cole, Luiz, Ferreira, Marin, Benayoun. Booked: Bertrand.

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Express:

Chelsea 1 - Sparta Prague 1: Eden Hazard hammer nails it for Rafa Benitez

AS A progession into the last 16 of the Europa League, this was hardly glorious because Chelsea simply don’t do things the easy way.

Tony Banks

Of course, we should all know this by now. But last night just about stretched credulity to breaking point.
Eden Hazard’s goal, struck in the 92nd minute of a game that looked destined for extra time and penalties, spared Rafa Benitez and Fernando Torres’ blushes in the end.
All the talk before this tie, Chelsea first in Europe’s second tier since 2002, was about whether the Champions League holders would take the Europa League seriously, whether they would be able to raise themselves for a tournament they normally never have to bother with.
Well, after this narrowest of narrow squeaks, the warning shots have been fired.
Chelsea had better take this competition seriously from now on – because they very nearly went out at the first time of asking last night.
In fact, had Sparta midfielder Vaclav Kadlec not shot wide when clean through in the final minute, and then seconds later had skipper John Terry not executed a quite superb block tackle on the same player, it might have been much worse.
Going out of two European competitions at an early stage in one season after being the champions of the entire continent last summer would have been some feat even for Chelsea, ever capable of the unlikely. But it could have happened.
What did happen though, after Terry so crucially cleared the ball, was that it went straight back up the field for substitute Hazard to collect in the inside-left position.
The Belgian slalomed past two challenges and cracked a rising shot past Sparta goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik and into the top corner of the net. Stamford Bridge exploded with both delight and relief.
It was the penultimate kick of the night. Sparta had time to kick off and then the whistle was blown.
Their players slumped to the pitch in disbelief. A goal down from the first leg and written off by many, the Czech side had played a strong counter-attacking game in only their second match back after their winter break.
Chelsea did deserve to go through, because they made and missed plenty of chances with poor old Torres having yet another horrible night, missing four excellent opportunities.
It is one goal since Christmas Day now for the Spaniard and the situation just does not seem to be getting any better for the £50 million man.
Benitez, as ever, defended Torres after the game and it was at least true that the striker, listless in the first leg, did at least get into position to miss those chances.
But it is painful to watch his struggles these days. Had Chelsea had a confident player up front in this tie, it would have been over much earlier. Left out was Frank Lampard, just one goal away from his 200th in Chelsea colours, kept back presumably for Sunday’s Premier League fixture at Manchester City.
Torres almost gave Chelsea the perfect start when he shot wide from 10 yards and it was a portent of things to come.
Then he fastened on to Juan Mata’s neat cross, but his volley went just over.
Sparta promptly made Chelsea pay for their profligacy and the tie was alive once again. Kadlec burst down the left to pull the ball back and David Lafata had plenty of room to shoot home from 12 yards.
Mata, as ever these days, was Chelsea’s most incisive weapon and when Ramires put him through in the first half Vaclik pulled off a brilliant save.
Torres wasted his third good chance of the night as headed over from six yards.
The chances then came and went as Oscar released Ramires but his deflected shot came back off a post.
Later Torres galloped clean through with only Vaclik to beat but the goalkeeper again raced out to block.
Hazard also saw his free-kick saved in the desperate mayhem of the finale and Ramires somehow blazed wide.
Chelsea then had to repel, or survive, those two late and potentially decisive breaks by Sparta before Hazard arrived to save the day.
The Blues did it the hard way last season and it looks like it will be same story this.

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Star:

CHELSEA 1 - S PRAGUE 1: EDEN RESCUES BOSS BENITEZ

By Ian Winrow

SUPER-SUB Eden Hazard struck deep into added-time at Stamford Bridge, to send Chelsea spinning into the Europa League’s last 16.
The Belgian star ran 30 yards and fired a left-foot rocket into the back of the net to send the home fans wild.
It was a dramatic end on a night when Rafa Benitez’s hopes of a trouble-free passage had looked wrecked when David Lafata cancelled out Chelsea’s first-leg advantage.
Benitez knew defeat would mean yet another emotion-charged inquest into his controversial reign.
And the last thing that manager and players wanted was a drawn-out night that would test the nerves.
But that’s exactly what the evening threatened to turn into when Sparta struck to wipe out the lead Oscar’s strike had given Chelsea in Prague.
And to add to Benitez’s misery, Lafata’s shot flew into the net in the 16th minute, just as the home fans were starting up the now familiar ‘One Di Matteo’ chant in homage to Benitez’s sacked predecessor.
Blues skipper John Terry had talked-up Chelsea’s ambitions in this competition, urging his team-mates to add the Europa League trophy to the club’s collection.
But it was hard to escape the feeling that the biggest show in town had been staged on Tuesday night, when Arsenal faced Bayern Munich in the Champions League. And rather than gunning for a repeat of last May’s glory in Munich, Chelsea were battling to avoid another tale of failure in a forgettable campaign.
The interim boss had left himself open for criticism with a team selection that had one eye on Sunday’s trip to face Manchester City.
Benitez has always insisted a top-four spot is his – and the club hierarchy’s – number one priority.
And that shone through as he decided to rest Frank Lampard and Branislav Ivanovic completely and leave Ashley Cole, David Luiz and Hazard on the bench.
Without Lampard and with Demba Ba cup-tied, it was up to Fernando Torres to provide Chelsea’s goal threat.
But it soon looked as though it would be one of those nights for the sullen Spaniard, when he missed two good chances in the opening 10 minutes.
The first opening came when Torres side-footed inches wide after being set up by Victor Moses.
And he was off target again when he volleyed Juan Mata’s cross over from close range. Torres fluffing his lines has become a familiar sight.
And when the striker headed over from just six yards out on the stroke of half-time, fears began to grow Torres could cost Chelsea this tie.
Sparta had been forced onto the back-foot at the start but looked a class act once they took the lead.
Lafata’s effort was a clinical finish from 10 yards and wrecked Petr Cech’s hopes of marking his 100th European game with a clean sheet.
From that point the visitors looked the side most likely to force their way ahead.
Sparta’s slick passing was stretching Benitez’s men, who looked short of ideas.
But there were signs the momentum of the game was tilting back Chelsea’s way before half-time and Hazard’s last-gasp blast sealed a famous win.