Independent:
Classy Juve deny Oscar his winning performance in late show
Chelsea 2 Juventus 2
Sam Wallace
Finally, they brought it home last night to Stamford Bridge: the European Cup, polished up, paraded around the pitch and introduced to each stand of the ground's four stands individually. The fulfilment of years of striving, it was a moment that no one would begrudge Chelsea but football moves on at a relentless pace.
At any club that shares Chelsea's ambitions the question is, inevitably, what's next? For a few spellbinding minutes this was Oscar's night when the 21-year-old Brazilian, on his first start for the club, scored two goals, the second of which is a dead cert for every end-of-season montage. But his effect on the occasion was abruptly curtailed by the recurrence of a few old problems.
Questions over the defensive partnership of John Terry and David Luiz? You bet. Another woeful, anonymous performance from Fernando Torres? Afraid so. Even one of the old reliables from last season, John Obi Mikel, found himself staring at his toes having given away possession in the moments leading up to substitute Fabio Quagliarella's equaliser with ten minutes left.
The second goal of the game from Oscar, a single brilliant touch and then a strike of the ball to beat the estimable Gianluigi Buffon, was an exhilarating moment for Stamford Bridge, as precious as the sight of the European Cup on home turf. But as for the big picture, and where this new Chelsea are heading, that is still yet to be resolved.
Even the European champions are permitted their off-days but already two of those nine home points that big sides in this competition like to bank have gone begging. The pressure goes up a notch for the next game against Nordsjaelland in Denmark on 2 October. Most of all, the problems that were washed aside by the scale of their achievement in Munich last season have crept back in from the margins.
Now that Roberto Di Matteo no longer has recourse to Didier Drogba, so much more depends on Torres being in the mood and on his game. Last night, save one first half header, he barely had a sight of goal– which was not entirely his own fault. Daniel Sturridge, Di Matteo later revealed, felt a problem with his hamstring in a training session on Tuesday and had he been available it is hard to believe Torres would have lasted the full 90 minutes.
There are still new players in this team who are finding their way with Chelsea, including Eden Hazard whom Di Matteo was adamant should have had a penalty for a shove in the box on him by Andrea Barzagli in the second half. The Chelsea manager is rarely exercised by referee's decisions in public but the Portuguese official Pedro Proenca got the closest to an admonishment Di Matteo is likely to issue.
The Hazard decision was marginal – he does go down easy. But the studding of Oscar by Leonardo Bonucci, a collision between boot and ankle that the Italian defender could have avoided, was dreadful and necessitated the substitution of the Brazilian. It was a pity that the night had to end that way, although the memory of his second goal will endure.
Oscar dos Santos Emboaba Junior is no Drogba, whose No 11 shirt he has inherited, but Chelsea hope the £25m man from Internacional in Brazil will take them in a new direction altogether. For the first 30 minutes it felt like he needed pointing in the general direction of the action. Then it all changed.
The first of his goals was a little fortuitous, taking, as it did, a hefty deflection off Bonucci on its way past Buffon. Nevertheless, the decision to take the shot, on 31 minutes, demonstrated a certain confidence.
As for the second goal, two minutes later, it was the kind of strike that heralds a precious talent. The first touch, with his back to goal, took Bonucci and the famous Andrea Pirlo out the game in an instant, and then Oscar swivelled and hit a curling shot with his right foot into the top corner of Buffon's goal. It was a rub-your-eyes-in-disbelief moment. Yes, that really did just happen.
Before then, Juventus had the best chances, the first when Chelsea's back four was opened by Barzagli's ball from his own half that Claudio Marchisio ran on to. Petr Cech did well to save on that occasion.
After that Mirko Vucinic should have at least forced a save from Cech when the enterprising Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal played the striker in on goal.
It was Vidal who scored Juventus' goal before the break, Kwadwo Asamoah and Marchisio working an opening for him. The Juventus midfielder went past Frank Lampard and hit a low left-footed shot out of the reach of Cech. Off-key, Chelsea might just have got away with it on another night but the champions of Italy sought out their weaknesses.
By the time Juventus got their second goal, Di Matteo had brought on Juan Mata and Ryan Bertrand in an attempt to create something of note in the second half. Massimo Carrera, the stand-in for the suspended Antonio Conte, introduced Quagliarella and he made the difference.
The striker slipped the ball between Cech's legs having sprung a weak offside trap to run on to Marchisio's pass on 80 minutes. Mikel had given the ball away earlier. It was a sorry sequence of errors. Quagliarella might have had another but his shot clipped the bar and Chelsea never looked close to a winner.
The serious teams in the Champions League do not allow a two-goal lead to slip at home, even in their first group game and at the very least they have something in reserve to rescue the result.
Chelsea need only look towards Barcelona, who came from behind to beat Spartak Moscow last night, or Real Madrid for their comeback on Tuesday against Manchester City.
It is still early days but after being flattened by Atletico Madrid in the European Super Cup final, this is a Chelsea side still trying to find their feet in the big competition.
Winning it again this season was always a monumental task. Oscar's goals were a revelation last night but there was something a little too familiar about the problems.
Man of the match: Vidal.
Match rating 6/10.
Referee P Proenca (Port).
Attendance 40,918.
======================
Guardian:
Juventus steal spotlight from Oscar's early starring role for Chelsea
Daniel Taylor at Stamford Bridge
In the end, it all felt very different to those delirious scenes back in May when Didier Drogba rolled in the decisive penalty that confirmed Chelsea as champions of Europe. They had led 2-0 on a night when Oscar spectacularly announced his presence at Stamford Bridge, but their first match in defence of the trophy was to finish in disappointment, exacerbated by the clear sense they had contributed to their own downfall.
Chelsea certainly did not win the European Cup with the kind of carelessness that preceded both Juventus goals, and it will pain them that the Juve substitute, Fabio Quagliarella, nudged the second of them through Petr Cech's legs after a move that started with Mikel John Obi losing the ball with a sloppy pass.
Shortly afterwards, John Terry's mistake gave Quagliarella another chance that skimmed off the crossbar and, suddenly, Chelsea were looking vulnerable to the possibility of losing. Chelsea's success in this competition last season was based on their high levels of concentration and organisation but those qualities were not so conspicuous here and as a result, they surrendered the chance to put themselves into a position of strength in Group E.
Juventus, to give them their due, were obdurate opponents, playing with the kind of assurance and togetherness that tends to be found in the top European sides, and never losing their focus even after the two goals from Oscar that put Chelsea in command. Yet it was unusual to see Roberto Di Matteo, normally a fierce protector of his own, criticise the players and though he eulogised about Oscar's contribution, the Chelsea manager was entitled to be unhappy about the rate at which they conceded possession.
When the disappointment subsides, Chelsea will be hugely encouraged by Oscar's contribution on his first start since his £25m acquisition from Internacional. His second goal was a beauty, a strike of rare finesse that dipped, swerved and looped into the top left-hand corner of Gianluigi Buffon's net, and here was the confirmation that Chelsea have signed a player of rare quality. Audacity, too. There are not many players who would believe they can beat Buffon, one of the more revered goalkeepers of his generation, from such an implausible angle.
Oscar's first goal, just after the half-hour, had been accompanied by a decent slice of fortune given the deflection his 25-yard shot, from Eden Hazard's lay-off, took off Leonardo Bonucci to deceive Buffon. What followed, however, was stunning. Ashley Cole played the ball into Oscar's feet, just outside the penalty area, and his first touch was measured to perfection to turn away from both Bonucci and Andrea Pirlo in one movement. The second touch was even better, hooking his foot round the ball for a wonderful goal.
Juventus, however, were too worldly to lose direction. After 38 minutes Claudio Marchisio moved infield from the left wing and played a short pass into Arturo Vidal. The striker took a clever touch to move the ball into a shooting position and then drove a diagonal, left-foot effort beyond Cech.
Di Matteo will be unhappy that a player with such accuracy was allowed the room to score despite the close proximity of several opponents. It gave Juventus a new sense of belief, ensuring that the second half was suddenly that bit more complicated for Chelsea. After that it was clear the Serie A champions, unbeaten in 42 games domestically, would subject their opponents to some prolonged pressure.
For the most part, Cech was well protected. Hazard continued the good form which he has shown so far this season, always wanting the ball and eager to run at opponents. Oscar's showcasing of his talents was not restricted to his goals, with some clever touches and incisive passing also notable. Fernando Torres was a willing runner and when Juventus started to press forward with greater conviction in the second half, there were gaps for Chelsea to exploit on the counterattack.
Di Matteo made the point afterwards that he was particularly frustrated because, in attack, Chelsea had looked bright and imaginative. In particular, they will look back on that moment, at 2-1, when Hazard teed up the substitute Juan Mata for a chance that he put into the side-netting.
The equaliser came in the next attack, Marchisio capitalising on Mikel's mistake to play Quagliarella behind the defence. Terry had stepped out, trying to catch him offside, and the substitute had the time and space to put the ball beneath Cech.
Briefly Chelsea rallied again, but there were no more chances to beat Buffon. Juventus, demonstrating great qualities of perseverance, had deserved their draw.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/gallery/2012/sep/20/champions-league-chelsea-juventus-pictures
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Telegraph:
Chelsea 2 Juventus 2
By Henry Winter
Chelsea can celebrate such talents as Oscar, who certainly deserved an award for best original score last night. They can call on the military to protect the European Cup on the pitch before kick-off, but if they make elementary mistakes as against Juventus they will struggle to keep the fabled trophy at the Bridge.
Juventus were good, attacking with endless brio, but such an ambitious side as Chelsea should not be allowing a two-goal lead to slip. Under Roberto Di Matteo in the second half of last season, Chelsea progressed to last May’s Champions League final in Munich because of their concentration and determination, their refusal to waste possession or grant opponents too many glimpses of goals. But here Chelsea players were too sluggish in responding to Juventus breaks, particularly the midfielder John Obi Mikel. Such dawdling costs points.
It could cost them the trophy they worked so hard to secure. As holders, Chelsea are targets. Juventus came to town eager to discomfort the champions.
Little, in truth, could really disturb the Chelsea supporters’ confidence. Juventus were greeted at the Bridge by a fans’ banner that read: “Welcome to Chelsea FC; first London club to win the Champions League”. Sounds backed up the sights.
“We know what we are,’’ crowed the inhabitants of the Matthew Harding Stand in that self-knowing way of theirs, “champions of Europe, we know what we are.’’ To remain as such, Chelsea need to find a balance quickly between their desire for uninhibited attacking and the retention of the obdurate qualities that helped them past Barcelona and then Bayern Munich to win the Champions League. It is a tricky balance that Di Matteo has to get right.
Oscar’s recruitment for £25 million signalled the ambition of the owner, Roman Abramovich, for greater refinement to go with the inherent dressing-room resilience. After 33 minutes, the “Oscar ceremony” and “leading role” headlines were being prepared.
On arriving at the Bridge from Internacional in the summer, Oscar calmly informed the club’s website that he saw himself as “an elegant type of ball-player” and he lived up to his words here, particularly with his sublime second goal that managed to bamboozle both Andrea Pirlo and Gianluigi Buffon. Oscar did more to embarrass Italy’s finest in three seconds than England managed in two hours during the Euros.
Oscar really is a joy to watch. Nothing seems to faze the 21 year-old. Having been handed the Brazil No 10 shirt as a teenager, Oscar is clearly used to dealing with expectations and he wears such weighty garments lightly. He accepted the No 11 shirt here, presumably a size or two smaller than the previous owner. He was certainly fully aware of its significance after the historic feats of Didier Drogba.
Di Matteo fielded Oscar in the hole behind Fernando Torres, the Brazilian charged with the duty of dropping deep and closing down Pirlo, the Old Lady’s bearded beau. Juventus still threatened constantly, exploiting uncertainty in Chelsea’s defence.
Played onside by Branislav Ivanovic, Claudio Marchisio darted through and only the alertness of Petr Cech rescued Chelsea. Greater composure from Mirko Vucinic would then have brought Juventus the lead. First Vucinic hesitated, allowing Frank Lampard to block. Then Arturo Vidal released Vucinic, who fired wide.
That was enough sparring. Two heavyweights now went at it, Chelsea landing the first two blows. It was quickfire stuff, the first goal arriving in the 31st minute. Eden Hazard slid the ball to Oscar, whose shot seemed destined for the well-positioned Buffon until it caught Leonardo Bonucci and diverted away from the Juventus keeper.
It was a sign of Oscar’s popularity that he disappeared immediately from view as he was engulfed by jubilant team-mates. The Chelsea players clearly admire the Brazilian’s technique and imagination, gifts paraded spectacularly two minutes later.
Found by Ashley Cole’s pass, Oscar did brilliantly to spirit the ball past Pirlo on the edge of the Juventus area, (almost) reviving memories of the way Dennis Bergkamp tricked Nikos Dabizas 10 years ago.
Oscar imparted spin on the ball, taking it away from Pirlo, actually away from goal, roughly 22 yards out. He ran after it and then curled it elegantly past Buffon from the edge of the area. In thought and deed, Oscar was a step ahead of Juventus.
Cole won the race to be the first Chelsea player to congratulate the smiling Oscar. Not all onlookers were bowled over. Speaking on Sky, Graeme Souness argued that Oscar’s first touch had been fortuitous, yet the Brazilian’s eyes were on the ball throughout, indicating he knew exactly where he was manouevring the ball to escape Pirlo and fashion the scoring opportunity.
Juventus refused to play the supporting role to Oscar. Within five minutes, the Italians had pulled one back. Vidal was helped by Chelsea dithering. Granted a yard of room by Mikel, Vidal threaded a low shot past Cech.
Now fully aware of Juventus’ danger, Chelsea went hunting a third in the second half. Hazard was desperately unlucky not to be awarded a penalty after being pushed twice by Andrea Barzargli and then falling amid a tangle of legs. Oscar was then clattered by Bonucci, requiring his substitution to a standing ovation. After a warm congratulatory handshake from Di Matteo, the Brazilian went straight down the tunnel but reported later that he was “fine”.
Although Juan Mata arrived to bring his scheming skills to the occasion, the energy still seemed to be draining out of Chelsea. Di Matteo’s centre-forward options were limited by the tight hamstring Daniel Sturridge suffered in training on Tuesday, although Di Matteo said he “will not be out for long”.
Juventus grew in strength. Willed on by their fans, who rarely settled back in their seats and certainly rarely paused from their exhortations, the Italians kept charging forward in search of an equaliser. It duly, deservedly came 10 minutes from time. Again mistakes abounded.
Mikel was too lax in possession, John Terry was too sluggish in realising Fabio Quagliarella’s run and the substitute coolly slotted the ball past Cech. Moments later, Quagliarella clipped the bar. Chelsea held on, emerging with a point and a lesson.
CHELSEA
Petr Cech: Made a key save from Marchisio when the Italian was through in the first half and looked confident in everything else he did until Quagliarella scored Juve’s second. 6
Branislav Ivanovic: Much of Chelsea’s best attacking work came down the right flank where Ivanovic linked well with Ramires. The full-back is one of the club’s unsung heroes and almost scored with a second-half snapshot. 7
David Luiz: Much has been made in the past of Luiz’s defensive flaws but the signs are that he is maturing nicely. He remained concentrated for the full 90 minutes this time. 7
John Terry: The usual no-nonsense performance he always seems to produce for Chelsea in the Champions League; and although the centre-half found Vucinic tricky at times, Terry was rarely out of control. 6
Ashley Cole: Starting to look nearer his best; Cole was often the focus of Chelsea’s attack and his energy stretched Juventus. He also produced a key interception to deny Marchisio in the first half. 7
Frank Lampard: The England man ran Chelsea’s midfield from deep; spraying passes left and right and always on the move. He almost scored with a fierce second-half free-kick that was well saved. 7
Jon-Obi Mikel: Not a spectacular performance by any means; much of his work went unseen, filling holes, blocking off attacks, playing simple passes. But he looked at fault for Juve’s second goal which hurt Chelsea so badly. 6
Ramires: The Brazilian is becoming an important player for Chelsea with his trademark energetic runs from midfield and he was influential again here. Almost scored in the first half and never stopped driving forward. 7
Eden Hazard: What an interesting player he is. It’s not enough to pigeonhole him as a skilful luxury because he is strong, works tirelessly and is willing to to show determination in the tackle too. He set up Oscar’s opener. 7
Oscar: In his first Champions League game the Brazil midfielder produced a wonderful two-goal display. His shot for his first took a deflection but the second was pure quality. All that and he also man-marked Pirlo. 8
Fernando Torres: Often isolated in attack but at least he used his pace from deep whenever possible and continued to work for the team. Missed a chance from a Hazard cross and wasted another after picking Pirlo’s pocket in midfield. 6
Substitutes
Ryan Bertrand (for Ramires 68): slotted in seamlessly on the left.
Juan Mata (for Oscar 74): came on and almost scored with first touch.
Not used: Turnbull, Romeu, Moses, Cahill, Azpilicueta.
==========================
Mail:
Chelsea 2 Juventus 2: Italians blast back to knock Oscar off centre stage
By Matt Lawton
The award for best newcomer remained, of course, with Oscar, but Fabio Quagliarella shared the spotlight and very nearly ruined the night for Chelsea’s defending champions.
After scoring a quite brilliant 80th-minute equaliser that punished John Obi Mikel for yet another loose pass from deep in his own half, Quagliarella went dangerously close to snatching all three points for Juventus with an effort that clipped the bar.
It would have been harsh on a Chelsea side who had shown so much promise against the Italian champions.
Harsh, too, on Roberto Di Matteo when the evening provided more evidence that Chelsea’s young manager has a knack for making the right call on these big European occasions. In selecting Oscar ahead of Juan Mata for the 21-year-old Brazilian’s home debut, he had produced another tactical masterstroke.
Oscar succeeded in two roles — supporting the midfield by marshalling Andrea Pirlo and also in leading from the front.
Two goals in as many first-half minutes were a fine introduction to a Stamford Bridge crowd that rose to its feet after his second strike, a stunning right-foot shot on the turn that curled beyond the reach of the diving Gianluigi Buffon.
Oscar described himself as ‘an elegant ball player’ when he arrived at Chelsea and that was certainly true of the finish he produced in the 33rd minute.
The discipline Oscar displayed in tracking Pirlo, however, was not matched by his defensive colleagues. A moment’s lapse in concentration enabled Arturo Vidal to reduce the deficit within five minutes, before Quagliarella stepped off the bench to seize on Mikel’s mistake.
It was no less than Juventus deserved, even if Chelsea were denied what looked like a penalty. The visitors might have been slow to get into this contest but Juve, who won the Italian championship without losing a game last season, grew in stature as the match progressed. They were still full of running when Chelsea started to tire — their energy, endeavour and invention rewarded with a share of the points.
Di Matteo should still take some encouragement from this game, as well as the start his side have made to the season. They are top of the Barclays Premier League and for long periods last night they were on top here, coping well with Juventus’ 3-5-2 formation that certainly proved difficult for Fernando Torres. Against a solid back three, Chelsea probably needed the more physical approach of Didier Drogba.
Yet there remained plenty of positives. No team has successfully defended the European Cup in the Champions League era and the road to Wembley looks perilous given the quality of Chelsea’s group. But Di Matteo has to be happy with the way his side is evolving.
There was an almost biblical theme to Chelsea’s spending during the summer when Victor Moses followed Eden Hazard but the latter, like Oscar, offers a new dimension to the current kings of Europe.
Having paraded their trophy before kick-off, Chelsea started much as they concluded the last campaign on the Continent. They were confident and composed, with David Luiz the first to threaten when he met a Frank Lampard corner with an effort that bounced into the arms of Buffon.
Pirlo has not been his peerless self since the summer and with Oscar snapping at his heels, some of his early passes were not as precise as an English side might expect.
But the best of the early chances did fall to Juventus, the excellent Claudio Marchisio escaping the attention of the Chelsea back four in pursuit of a Vidal ball that called on Petr Cech to react fast and make a courageous block.
Juve were a threat on the counter-attack. Mirko Vucinic was sent clear by Vidal, only to send his shot into the side- netting when he should have tested Cech. But Chelsea remained the more positive of the two teams and their reward came with the two goals from Oscar. The first was a simple move. A throw-in from Ashley Cole and a ball across the face of the Juve penalty area from Hazard saw Oscar unleash a shot that took a significant deflection off Giorgio Chiellini to fly over Buffon.
If that was a little fortunate, there was nothing remotely lucky about the goal that followed. It was a beauty. After collecting another pass from Cole with his back to goal, the £25million summer signing turned to beat Buffon again from more than 20 yards.
That Juventus responded as quickly as they did disappointed Di Matteo. Only a five minutes had passed when the excellent Vidal guided a left-foot shot through a crowded penalty area and beyond Cech.
But the advantage remained with Chelsea going into the second half and they performed with a real sense of urgency to begin with. Branislav Ivanovic and Lampard both tested Buffon, before Hazard burst into the Juventus box with a run that almost certainly should have earned him a penalty given the blatant shove in the back he received from Andrea Barzagli.
It made what followed all the more painful for Di Matteo, even if his frustration may have been directed more at Mikel. It was the Nigerian who failed to challenge Vidal when he scored his goal and Mikel whose loose pass was intercepted by the magnificent Marchisio.
In response came a rather superior pass that invited Quagliarella to run off the shoulder of John Terry and guide his shot through the legs of Cech.
No prizes there for anyone in blue.
==============================
Mirror:
Chelsea 2-2 Juventus: Italians rip up the script on Oscar's night
Blues' Brazilian new boy scores twice, including one of the goals of the season, but then the defending champions let a 2-0 lead slip away
A goal to bring Europe to its feet. But not, it seems, a team to bring the continent to its knees.
Roberto Di Matteo knows he has to conquer history to become the first man to retain the Champions League.
The Chelsea boss, too, has to try to do that while his team remains a work in progress, a high-wire act that runs the risk of falling off into the abyss.
Di Matteo’s new-look Blues will thrill and delight at times, play some football to take the breath away.
Proof of that, for Stamford Bridge to savour, was the stunning goal by Oscar that looked to have given Chelsea clear Blues water and a winning start to Group E.
Of all the goals scored under Roman Abramovich’s watch, few have been better than the one which Oscar scored to mark his full debut after his £25million move from Internacional, snatched out of Tottenham’s embrace.
When Ashley Cole played up to Oscar, two minutes after his deflected opener, he was hemmed in by Andrea Pirlo and Leonardo Bonucci, with seemingly nowhere to go.
Juve clearly thought so too, and they were wrong, sheer genius seeing the 21-year-old spin away from the duo, twist into space and then pick out the postage-stamp top corner of Gianluigi Buffon’s net.
It was a moment reminiscent of the last man to wear that No.11 shirt, Didier Drogba, whose final kick as a Chelsea player ensured they, not Spurs, are taking part in the competition.
But the team that Drogba starred in was built on a rugged, determined rock of blue-shirted defiance, a side that rarely gave anything away, that conquered Europe last term out of old-fashioned bloodymindedness and guts.
And while Di Matteo’s Blues promise far more flair, from Oscar, Eden Hazard, Juan Mata and the still-absent Marko Marin, they need far more from the anonymous Fernando Torres than he produced last night to off-set the fundamental vulnerabilities the new approach exposes.
A few years ago, there was no way Chelsea would have squandered a two-goal lead, let alone ending up thankful for the intervention of the woodwork to prevent sub Fabio Quagliarella adding a winner to his late leveller.
But this Chelsea are not the same force, the gap between the midfield pivot duo of Frank Lampard and John Obi Mikel and the back line again seeming to be a potential Achilles heel.
In truth, before Oscar’s first - a huge deflection off Bonucci’s toe giving Buffon no chance - Juve had been the more dangerous side.
While Oscar’s attentions stopped Pirlo doing to Chelsea what he did to England in the summer, Marko Vucinic was allowed to drop off unhindered to create dangerous situations.
Petr Cech had to race off his his line to deny Claudio Marchisio when he was played onside by Branislav Ivanovic before a shocking pass by the Serbian was pounced on by Vidal only for Vucinic to slam wide.
Enter Oscar, that fortunate first followed by the brilliant second, and Chelsea seemingly in control.
Not for long.
Vidal was limping heavily as Marchisio squared outside the box but Lampard failed to close down the Chilean, whose left-footer hit the bottom corner.
Chelsea pushed at the start of the second period, Buffon plunging to his right to deny Ivanovic’s dipper then punching away Lampard’s free-kick, won in theatrical style.
It was certainly with far less contact from Bonucci than when Andrea Barzagli first tugged Hazard and then clipped his heels twice in the box, the verdict then from Portuguese whistler Pedro Proenca hard to fathom.
While Oscar, victim of a sly hit by Bonucci, was forced off, his replacement Mata deserved to end some great interplay with Hazard by finding the target rather than the side-netting.
But nine minutes from time Chelsea were undone as Mikel gave the ball away, John Terry stepping up too late as Quagliarella ran on to Marchisio’s pass to slot through Cech’s legs.
The substitute could even have won it, hitting the top of the woodwork from 16 yards with Cech beaten.
Oscar’s night spoiled.
And nothing to suggest a Wembley acceptance speech next May.
==========================
Sun:
Chelsea 2 Juventus 2
By SHAUN CUSTIS
THE Drog days are over at Chelsea.
But Oscar, who now wears Champions League hero Didier Drogba’s famous shirt, ensured the legend of No 11 lives on.
Brazilian Oscar bagged a brace, which featured a majestic 25-yard curling shot, on his full debut.
The downside was that the midfield genius could not celebrate with a victory as Chelsea gave away their two-goal advantage and let Juventus off the hook.
Arturo Vidal pulled one back for the Italians in the 38th minute and substitute Fabio Quagliarella equalised with 10 minutes left, sliding the ball between Petr Cech’s legs following a mistake by Jon Obi Mikel.
Quagliarella nearly stole all three points with another shot which scraped the top of the bar.
That would have been cruel on Oscar, who by then was in the dugout nursing an ankle injury but did not deserve to be robbed of his rightful place in the headlines.
The 21-year-old’s performance had the Stamford Bridge masses drooling at the prospect of what more might be to come.
Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo had said he wanted his Blues to be the first side to win back-to-back Champions League crowns.
However, Juve were always expected to be a serious opening test of their trophy defence.
The Old Lady of Turin have notched up 42 games without defeat in Serie A.
There was a familiar name in the visitors’ line-up, one that would send a shudder down the spine of any Englishman.
Andrea Pirlo.
The midfielder showed up the Three Lions at Euro 2012 with a fantastic display for Italy in the last-16 clash which Roy Hodgson’s men eventually lost on penalties.
England had no one to match Pirlo that summer night.
But Chelsea, unbeaten in a home group match in 26 outings, believed they had a man to steal his thunder.
He was £25million man Oscar, who was handed his first start and told to take the game to the Italians and not allow Pirlo to dictate proceedings.
Fair to say he did his job.
After Manchester City’s extraordinary 3-2 defeat at Real Madrid the previous evening, this was an equally enthralling encounter.
Chelsea could have been behind when Andrea Barzagli knocked a long ball over the top and Claudio Marchisio beat the offside trap.
But, as Marchisio attempted to control with his thigh, the ball bounced just too far in front of him and Cech smothered his shot.
Mirko Vucinic also got clear when put through by Vidal and should have done so much better than to hit the side-netting after he was given plenty of time to weigh up his shot.
And Juventus were made to pay when Oscar struck with two quick goals. In the 31st minute he collected the ball after industrious play by Eden Hazard and his shot flew past Gianluigi Buffon off the boot of Leonardo Bonucci.
The home fans were still celebrating when Oscar struck again two minutes later — and this one was an absolute beauty.
Ashley Cole played a ball into the Brazilian’s feet and he checked back to turn round the completely bamboozled Pirlo before arrowing a shot into the top corner. But just when it seemed Chelsea were cruising, they stood off the Italians five minutes later.
Vidal, who was always lively, dropped a shoulder and cracked a left-foot strike beyond keeper Cech and low inside the right-hand post.
It was game-on again and on the stroke of half-time Pirlo, who had struggled to dominate like the man who took England apart in Kiev, whipped a long-range free-kick just past the post.
After half-time, the great Buffon had to be alert to prevent his side going two goals in arrears once more.
The Italian keeper got down well to his right to push away a drive from Branislav Ivanovic.
And then he stood firm to beat out a Frank Lampard free-kick which flew through the defensive wall.
Chelsea were also claiming a penalty as Hazard broke into the box and tumbled over. It was a debatable one with Hazard stumbling under the challenge of Barzagli.
But Portuguese ref Pedro Proenca — who took charge of Chelsea’s Champions League final win against Bayern Munich and England’s Euro 2012 clash with Italy — was having none of it.
The whistler did not endear himself to the Stamford Bridge masses because he also missed Bonucci’s nasty challenge on Oscar, which left the midfielder writhing in agony clutching his ankle.
Oscar tried to carry on but had to give way to substitute Juan Mata in the 75th minute.
And Spaniard Mata should have made the game safe 11 minutes from time after a good run into the area — but he was badly off target with his strike.
And to compound Mata’s misery, Quagliarella equalised when Mikel carelessly gave the ball away.
In a dramatic late cameo, Quagliarella was just inches away from a winner with a shot which beat Cech and then flicked off the bar. That would have really hurt.
DREAM TEAM
STAR MAN - OSCAR (Chelsea)
CHELSEA: Cech 7, Ivanovic 6, Luiz 6, Terry 6, Cole 6, Mikel 6, Lampard 6, Ramires 6, Hazard 7, Oscar 8, Torres 5. Subs: Bertrand (Ramires 69) 6, Mata (Oscar 75) 6. Not used: Turnbull, Romeu, Moses, Cahill, Azpilicueta. Booked: Ramires.
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Express:
CHELSEA 2 - JUVENTUS 2: CHELSEA’S OSCAR NIGHT RUINED
By Tony Banks
OSCAR went wild last night – but even two goals from the brilliant young Brazilian could not get Chelsea’s Champions League campaign off to the start they so desperately needed.
Juventus fought back from two goals down at Stamford Bridge – the second coming just 10 minutes from time from substitute Fabio Quagliarella – to frustrate the holders.
Oscar, the £25 million summer capture from Internacional grabbed a superb brace of goals with two long-range strikes within 90 seconds of each other on his full debut for the club.
But Arturo Vidal pulled one back for a tough and in-form Juventus side, and unlike last season when they foiled so many of Europe’s elite, Roberto Di Matteo’s men could not do it again and hold on for the win. It was a warning to Chelsea that this campaign is going to be very tricky indeed.
Just four months after that extraordinary night in Munich, Chelsea embarked on yet another Continental adventure. If it was to be half as thrilling as the last one, everyone was in for a roller-coaster ride.
But as if to emphasise just how hard it is to retain Europe’s blue riband trophy, the draw handed Di Matteo’s men the toughest of starts. No team has successfully defended the Champions League, and it is 22 years since anyone held on to the European Cup. Easy it isn’t.
But then Chelsea under Di Matteo made an extraordinary habit of upsetting the odds in this competition last season: That astonishing last-16 win over Napoli, that epic conquest of Barcelona, the win in the final against the mighty Bayern.
Last night, another of the elite in the form of the Old Lady of Turin, twice European Cup winners, arrived as the first test. And a test it was against a side unbeaten in 16 months in Serie A.
Di Matteo sprang a surprise as he named Oscar for his full debut in his starting line-up, leaving Juan Mata on the bench.
For the Italians, who amazingly had not won on English soil in 16 years before last night, manager Antonio Conte was forced to sit in the stand, banned from the bench for 10 months as part of his involvement in the match-fixing scandal at previous club Siena.
Chelsea had never failed to get out of the group stage before, but with the ever-dangerous Shakhtar Donetsk also in Group E, the bet was that this one would be going to the wire.
Di Matteo’s men almost got off to the best possible start as Frank Lampard’s corner fell invitingly for David Luiz, but the Brazilian shot straight at Gianluigi Buffon. It was strange to see a Chelsea team up against one of Europe’s grandees without the rampaging figure of Didier Drogba as their spearhead.
As Juventus calmly pressed back, there was England’s Euro 2012 nemesis Andrea Pirlo, now sporting a beard, pulling the strings.
Ominously, Andrea Barzagli’s ball from the back caught the holders out, and Claudio Marchisio was clean through. Fortunately for Chelsea, Petr Cech dashed out to dive at his feet and save. Then Mirko Vucinic picked the ball up and wastefully hit the side netting.
Oscar had been anonymous up to that point, but he exploded into life. The 21-year-old picked up Eden Hazard’s square ball, shuffled, and cracked a drive that took a deflection off Leonardo Bonucci and flew into the corner. Two minutes later it was even better. Cornered by Bonucci and Pirlo, the Brazilian span off them, turned onto the loose ball, and curled it brilliantly into the top corner from 25 yards for a glorious goal.
The Old Lady was stunned. But she recovered instantly and impressively. Vidal picked up the ball on the edge of the area, twisted past Lampard and fired the ball inside the post.
In the second period Branislav Ivanovic forced a save out of Buffon, and Lampard tested the veteran with a free-kick. Then, when Hazard burst into the box and was felled by Barzagli, referee Pedro Proenca ruled out what looked like legitimate claims for a penalty.
They were chances that needed to be taken as the tension grew and Juventus continued to break dangerously. The attacking was forgotten, it was a return to the backs to the wall stuff again. That familiar thin blue line from last season. Hold what you have.
Only this time it did not work. Marchisio’s pinpoint pass broke the offside trap once again and substitute Quagliarelli rolled the ball home. It could have been worse, as the striker then clipped the bar with a shot on the turn.
Two dropped points. This one will definitely go to the wire.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech; Ivanovic, Luiz, Terry, Cole; Mikel, Lampard; Ramires (Bertrand 68), Oscar (Mata 74), Hazard; Torres. Booked: Ramires. Goals: Oscar 31, 33.
Juventus (3-5-2): Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner (Isla 77), Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, Asamoah; Giovinco (Quagliarella 75), Vucinic (Matri 88). Booked: Vidal. Goals: Vidal 38, Quagliarella 80.
Referee: P Proenca (Portugal).
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Star:
CHELSEA 2 - JUVENTUS 2: OSCAR IS THE TOP DROG
Chelsea paid Internacional £25m for 21-year-old forward Oscar this summer and he repaid them with two goals on a full debut Hollywood could not have scripted better
By Paul Brown
A BOY named Oscar stole the spotlight from one of the all-time greats last night.
Andrea Pirlo tormented England at Euro 2012, but he was overshadowed by a new leading man taking his first bow on the Champions League stage.
Chelsea paid Internacional £25m for 21-year-old forward Oscar this summer and he repaid them with two goals on a full debut Hollywood could not have scripted better.
The first came with the aid of a deflection, but the second will be shown on highlight reels for years to come, and Pirlo was helpless to stop it.
Skipping past the wily old Juventus veteran, Oscar took aim to curl a beauty into the top corner from 25 yards – and a star was born.
But for all Oscar’s magic, Chelsea surrendered a 2-0 lead after Fabio Quagliarella’s 81st-minute equaliser added to Arturo Vidal’s 38th-minute strike.
Even so, the night belonged to Oscar. Didier Drogba used to wear No.11 at Stamford Bridge. But a new hero now lays claim to his old shirt.
Drogba’s winning penalty in the final shoot-out against Bayern Munich in may is still a memory that will live long in the minds of Chelsea fans.
But Di Matteo used the build-up to this tie to warn them that retaining the Champions League crown will be a whole lot harder than winning it.
That is some statement considering Chelsea needed a miracle against Barcelona and another backs-to-the-wall performance against Bayern to lift the trophy for the first time.
No-one fancied them to do it then, and no-one fancies them to do it this time around, despite spending £80m on new talent this summer.
Add to that the fact that no team has successfully retained the trophy since AC Milan in 1990 and you start to feel the odds are against Di Matteo’s men.
Oscar wasn’t even born when Milan achieved their historic double, but he was handed his first start against Juventus.
The Italian giants are unbeaten in 42 Serie A matches and boast one of the world’s best players in Pirlo.
The midfielder has 12 years more experience than Oscar, and used it whenever the youngster came near him, tempting the Chelsea youngster into a couple of early fouls.
But the boy from Brazil had the last laugh with two goals in two minutes in the first half – and even left Pirlo for dead with one of them.
It was far from plain sailing up to that point though. The Blues have made a decent start in the Premier League this season but in Europe it had been a different story.
Thrashed 4-1 by Atletico Madrid in the Super Cup final last month, the flaws in their more attacking system were ruthlessly exposed.
They looked alarmingly open again last night, and were lucky not to go behind when Andrea Barzagli picked out Claudio Marchisio with a pinpoint long ball.
Marchisio was being played onside by Branislav Ivanovic but his touch was too heavy and Petr Cech raced out to smother the danger. Moments later Ramires had the goal at his mercy at the other end but could not find a shot and Juventus scrambled the ball clear.
The Italians again went close in the 21st minute, with Vidal playing Mirko Vucinic in down the right and he should have done better with his shot.
He was made to pay when Chelsea went right up the other end and scored.
Eden Hazard picked up a throw-in and laid it off to Oscar. But his shot took a huge deflection off Leonardo Bonucci before looping over Gianluigi Buffon into the top corner.
If there was an element of luck about his 31st-minute strike, there was nothing wrong with his stunning second two minutes later. There seemed little on when he picked up a pass from Ashley Cole, but he turned on a sixpence to leave Pirlo marking air before unleashing a 25-yard special past Buffon.
Juventus did not have to wait long to strike back though.
Vidal picked up a pass from March-isio and stepped inside a static Frank Lampard on the edge of the box before shooting low into the bottom corner.
It came at a vital time for the Italians, giving them a way back into the match just before half time.
Chelsea should have had a penalty when Barzagli twice shoved Eden Hazard in the back, but Portuguese referee Pedro Proenca waved away appeals.
Yet Juventus weren’t done, and only a fine interception from David Luiz stopped Marchisio going clean through.
Jean Mata missed a great chance when he fired into the sidenetting after a one-two with Hazard after 79 minutes.
Two minutes later Marchisio pounced on a poor Mikel clearance to send through a pass for Quagliarella to beat the offside trap and put Juve level.
