msk zilina 2-1

Independent:

Malouda spares blushes as youthful Chelsea are unable to seize chance

Chelsea 2 MSK Zilina 1

By Mark Fleming at Stamford Bridge

Carlo Ancelotti's position at Chelsea will not be strengthened by performances such as this, a stuttering victory over the whipping boys of Group F. The manager has been undermined by the recent machinations behind the scenes at Stamford Bridge, with the sacking of his assistant Ray Wilkins and the promotion of chief scout Michael Emenalo to replace him.
However if Ancelotti wishes to wield more power within this most political of football clubs, he will need his team to play better and win more convincingly. They have lost three of their last four Premier League games, and visit Newcastle United on Sunday in dire need of turning results around.
This unimpressive victory over MSK Zilina proved little, except that Chelsea's squad desperately needs strengthening in January. Ancelotti has been made to work this season with the smallest squad in the Premier League, after owner Roman Abramovich decreed costs must be reduced and senior players were shown the door.
The Italian used the game to give greater experience to some of his younger, fringe players, but the exercise only served to highlight the limitations of those at his disposal, particularly during this testing period when John Terry and Frank Lampard are sidelined with long-term injuries.
Ancelotti handed a first start to the precocious 17-year-old Josh McEachran, tipped by many to be the finest product of the club's academy since John Terry broke through a decade ago. McEachran responded with a composed performance of maturity and assurance as the holding player, prompting Ancelotti to claim he is ready to graduate up to regular starts in the team. However it is too much to expect McEachran, who still needs to grow physically, to reinvigorate Chelsea.
Ancelotti said: "I think he can play every game. He was good defensively, won a lot of tackles. And, obviously, with the ball he's fantastic. He can play it short or long without problem. He played with personality and I'm happy with his performance. He has to grow, he has to improve, but he's ready to play."
Left-back Patrick van Aanholt also showed plenty of potential, striking the post with a thunderous left foot shot in the second half and generally giving a very decent impression of Ashley Cole. However Jeffrey Bruma, Gaël Kakuta and Daniel Sturridge did not manage to impose themselves.
Kakuta in fact was substituted at half-time by Ancelotti after the manager had spent much of the first 45 minutes bemoaning the French teenager's contribution. His contract is up in the summer, and the signs are that Chelsea are not too concerned at the moment about whether he leaves or not.
Chelsea started the game with seven changes on the pitch from the side that had lost 1-0 to Birmingham City last Saturday – and one important one off it. The much-maligned Emenalo had sat next to Ancelotti last weekend, but last night he was forced to shuffle one seat along and let Paul Clement, who works daily with Ancelotti on the training ground, occupy the favoured blue plastic chair next to the manager.
The trio watched helplessly as Chelsea produced one of the most inept 45 minutes of recent memory, or at least since their last home game, when they were tonked 3-0 by Sunderland.
Chelsea fell behind after 19 minutes, when a simple passing move by the Slovak visitors sliced through the heart of Chelsea's compliant defence. Babatounde Bello played a one-two with Zilina's captain Robert Jez before poking the ball first time past Chelsea's helpless goalkeeper Russ Turnbull. Instead of responding swiftly, Chelsea continued to flounder, and were fortunate not to go further behind when Tomas Majtan was allowed to cut in from the right. His shot however was comfortably saved by Turnbull at his near post.
Chelsea were booed off at half-time and, judging by the look on his face as he left for dressing room, Ancelotti tore into his team at the interval. The result was a far better second half, in which Chelsea hit the frame of the goal twice, and managed to squeeze out two goals from the 21 efforts on goal they created in the second 45.
Sturridge levelled from substitute Salomon Kalou's cross in the 51st minute but still Chelsea struggled. Didier Drogba's free-kick was palmed on to the post by Zilina keeper Martin Dubravka, and Van Aanholt's drive also hit the upright.
Florent Malouda finally gave Chelsea the win they craved with a close range finish from Drogba's header with four minutes remaining. It was scrappy, but gratefully received by Ancelotti. His team have a perfect five wins out of five in the Champions League, and are guaranteed to top Group F, but this was the least convincing of them all.
Ancelotti's record last season, his outstanding reputation as a coach, and his open, charming personality, are all reasons why Abramovich should stand by his coach through this tricky period. However the Russian is the most capricious of employers, as the likes of Jose Mourinho, Avram Grant, Luiz Felipe Scolari and Ray Wilkins have found to their cost. Victory, and an improved performance, at Newcastle is a priority.

Chelsea (4-3-3): Turnbull; Ferreira, Ivanovic, Bruma, Van Aanholt; Ramires, McEachran (Mellis 90), Malouda; Kakuta (Kalou h-t), Drogba, Sturridge (Anelka 74). Substitutes not used Hilario (gk), Mikel, Clifford, Sala.

MSK Zilina (4-5-1): Dubravka; Angelovic, Piacek, Pecalka, Gergel; Majtan (Poliacek 85), Bello, Guldan, Jez, Vladavic (Rilke 90); Oravec (Ceesay 64). Substitutes not used Krnac (gk), Leitner, Sourek, Zosak.

Referee R Schorgenhofer (Austria).
Attendance 40,266
Man of the match Van Aanholt.
Match rating 6/10.

Group F
Results so far Marseilles 0-1 Spartak, Zilina 1-4 Chelsea; Spartak 3-0 Zilina, Chelsea 2-0 Marseilles; Spartak 0-2 Chelsea, Marseilles 1-0 Zilina; Chelsea 4-1 Spartak, Zilina 0-7 Marseilles; Chelsea 2-1 Zilina, Moscow 0-3 Marseilles.
Remaining fixtures 8 Dec Marseilles v Chelsea, Zilina v Spartak Moscow

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Mail:

Chelsea 2 MSK Zilina 1:
Shaky Blues slip through as Sturridge and Malouda seal top spot
By Laura Williamson

Chelsea earned the point they needed to progress to the knock-out stages as group winners, but this was far from a knockout performance.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side salvaged a win with four minutes to spare but, with no disrespect to Slovakian opponents MSK Zilina, it was faintly embarrassing for the 86 minutes prior to Florent Malouda’s winner.
As Ancelotti admitted, they will not win the Champions League if the play like they did in the first half last night.
Just fab, Florent: Malouda slides in to complete Chelsea's late victory and maintain their perfect Champions League record‘It’s impossible,’ said the Chelsea boss.
‘Second half, we’ll have a chance. I was upset because we didn’t play well. We changed something in the second half, changed the intensity of play. This was the difference.’
After all the turmoil that has surrounded the club in the wake of Ray Wilkins’ shock departure 12 days ago, this was a match Chelsea desperately needed to win.
As Ancelotti said himself, his side needed to take control of a season that is threatening to unravel.
The Premier League champions may already have been assured of progressing in Europe but a convincing win would certainly have helped to end the worst run of the Roman Abramovich era.
Convincing, however, this was not, particularly against a side who lost 7-0 at home to Marseille in their last European outing.
Didier Drogba said: ‘We wanted to go back to winning ways. The manager made it clear that he is here and I think we have to focus on the games, on the results. We have to try to resolve our problems because we are not playing well.
‘Of course we miss Ray but the players are still the same. If we are losing it is not because Ray has gone, it is down to the players.’Injuries may have influenced his thinking, but Ancelotti made a bold decision to turn to youth to get Chelsea’s season back on track. He made six changes to the side that lost 1-0 at Birmingham on Saturday, sending out a starting XI with an average age of just 23.The youngest, 17-year-old Josh McEachran, made his full senior debut in a central defensive midfield role and was applauded off the pitch in stoppage time. He certainly held his own.
He was eager to receive the ball in attack, playing short and long passes with equal poise, and did his job defensively.Ancelotti said: ‘He showed his quality. He played with personality and I’m happy with his performance.
'He has to grow, he has to improve, but he’s ready to play.’
McEachran was culpable in the build-up to the Slovakian side’s 19thminute opener, but he was certainly not the only one. Chelsea simply stood back and watched Bello Babatounde play a neat one-two with captain Robert Jez before he dispatched a right-foot shot past Ross Turnbull.
Chelsea, a side who did not concede a League goal for more than 16 hours at Stamford Bridge, suddenly looked shaky.
Tomas Majtan was allowed to skip past Malouda before Turnbull parried the 23-year-old’s shot.
Ancelotti’s side were too slow with their passing and lacked intensity but, as the first half wore on, they at least began to create some chances. Sturridge was the liveliest, cutting in from the left and testing goalkeeper Martin Dubravka with a 32nd-minute effort.
But Chelsea were just not good enough. They lacked tempo and width. Boos rang out around Stamford Bridge after 45 minutes for the second match in a row.
Ancelotti responded by taking off Gael Kakuta, who has still yet to sign a new contract and did little to help his case last night, and sending on Salomon Kalou.
It changed the game. Now it was Zilina’s turn to stand and watch as Kalou delivered a cross from the left. Sturridge was the first to react, stabbing the ball in at the far post after 51 minutes for his second Champions League goal of the campaign.
The relief around Stamford Bridge was clearly audible. From then on Zilina were content to sit back and defend, trying their luck at set-pieces.
They had little choice in the matter, as Chelsea attacked with more inventiveness, desire and width — particularly through Kalou. Ramires came close with a long-range shot with the outside of his right boot and Drogba drew an excellent save from Dubravka with a 60thminute free-kick.
Branislav Ivanovic then headed over the bar after Jeffrey Bruma had retrieved the rebound and Patrick van Aanholt hit the post with a blistering 72nd minute effort.
When the winner came after 86 minutes, Chelsea had a familiar triumvirate to thank. A pass from substitute Nicolas Anelka was flicked on by Drogba and Malouda poked the ball from three yards out.
The old guard had, just about, saved the day.

MATCH FACTSCHELSEA (4-3-3): Turnbull 5; Ferreira 5,Bruma 5, Ivanovic 5, Van Aanholt 6;Ramires 5, McEachran 6 (Mellis 90min),Malouda 5; Kakuta 4 (Kalou 46, 7),Drogba 6, Sturridge 6 (Anelka 74, 6).Subs not used: Hilario, Mikel, Clifford,Sala. Booked: Ramires.

MSK ZILINA (4-5-1): Dubravka 6;Angelovic 6, Piacek 6, Pecalka 6,Gergel 6; Majtan 6 (Poliacek 86),Bello 6, Guldan 6, Jez 7, Vladavic 6(Rilke 90); Oravec 5 (Ceesay 64, 5).Subs not used: Krnac, Leitner,Sourek, Zosak.

Man of the match: Salomon Kalou.

Referee: Robert Schorgenhofer(Austria) 7.

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Guardian:

Chelsea fight back against Zilina to claim Champions League Group F

Chelsea 2 Sturridge 51, Malouda 86 MSK Zilina 1 Bello 19

Dominic Fifield at Stamford Bridge

Carlo Ancelotti must be tempted just to cling to the positives. Group F has been secured, Chelsea having claimed five successive wins at this stage of the Champions League for the first time ever, and the slump that had seen them suffer consecutive league defeats has been arrested. There, however, the plus-points end.
The cathartic, scintillating victory the club had so craved after two weeks of unwelcome political intrigue behind the scenes, and uncharacteristic toils out on the pitch, proved elusive, even against the competition's cannon-fodder. Chelsea even flirted with humiliation, trailing to a side who had previously mustered only nine shots on target and had been thrashed 7-0 at home in their last outing.
The win, secured late, brought relief but, on this evidence, respite may be temporary. The team that trots out at Newcastle United on Sunday will not include the six reserves who started here but, by then, Chelsea might even be third in the Premier League and playing catch-up for the first time this season.
It is the seniors who continue to labour in the absence of key personnel. "We have to try to resolve our problems because we are not playing well," admitted Didier Drogba, captain for the night. Nothing about the side right now suggests they have the same resilience or confidence which had thrust them clear at the top of the Premier League.
Perhaps this narrow success will prove to be a springboard for a return to form but, for now, it is the sense of unease fuelled by Ray Wilkins' sacking and the disappointment Ancelotti felt about it that persists. By selecting such a youthful side it felt, at times, as if the Italian was attempting to make a point to the club's hierarchy. This squad still feels paper thin, with so many older bodies cluttering up the treatment room. The young players, promising as they seem, are a long-term solution and not a short-term fix.
There was encouragement to be had in Josh McEachran's assured performance, but Gaël Kakuta was substituted at the interval after another ineffective display. However, it was the seniors in the starting line-up who should take most responsibility for the horribly slack tempo with which the team began.
Zilina might have arrived braced for a battering, but they sensed the home side's vulnerability. By the time Chelsea mustered their first effort on target half an hour had passed, and the Slovakians might have already been two ahead.
Ross Turnbull produced a save to deny Tomas Majtan after Patrick van Aanholt and Florent Malouda had obligingly parted, but he had already been beaten by then. Robert Jez and Babatounde Bello encountered scant resistance as they glided downfield exchanging passes, with the former duly dissecting Jeffrey Bruma and Paulo Ferreira for the Benin midfielder to collect. Bello's finish was crisply dispatched and a disbelieving hush settled over the arena.
Ancelotti was livid by the interval, his side's attempt at a riposte having spluttered to nothing. "I was upset because we hadn't played well," he said later. "We hadn't played with any intensity or tempo, and gave Zilina the opportunity to control their defensive position. If we play like that, winning the Champions League would be impossible. If we play like we did in the second half, we'll have a chance."
There was more urgency upon the restart, with Salomon Kalou pinned wide in a four-man midfield, but the lack of bite remained. Newcastle, as well as Manchester United and Arsenal, will take encouragement from that. The equaliser owed more to Zilina's deficiencies than the home side's prowess, Kalou's cross dribbling through a wrong-footed defence, with the Slovakians apparently anticipating better quality in the delivery. Daniel Sturridge, ignored at the far post, prodded in through the unfortunate Martin Dubravka's legs.
Thereafter it was as if Zilina suddenly became aware of both their surroundings and their shortcomings. Van Aanholt and Drogba thumped efforts against a post, the Ivorian's from a 25-yard free-kick and via Dubravka's fingertips, as the visitors retreated. The winner, prised out four minutes from time, saw Drogba nod down the substitute Nicolas Anelka's cross for Malouda to convert from close range. The relief was palpable, though Ancelotti hardly mustered a smile in response.
Tension remains and better opponents than Zilina might have exploited that vulnerability. The manager has grown weary of speaking publicly about his position, and is unable to reflect upon Wilkins' dismissal given ongoing legal proceedings over his former assistant's compensation package. "Of course we miss Ray, but the players are still the same," said Drogba. "If we are losing it is not because Ray has gone, it is down to the players. The manager has told us he is here and I think we have to focus on games, on the results."
Ancelotti retains the complete faith of his squad but unless performances improve, the perception that he has been fatally undermined will be allowed to fester. The situation calls for a statement of intent. It was not delivered here.

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Star:

CHELSEA 2, MSK ZILINA 1

Chelsea's Daniel Sturridge and Florent Malouda spared the blues blushes

By Paul Brown

CARLO Ancelotti played his ‘get out of jail free card’ – and Daniel Sturridge and Florent Malouda did the rest.
One of the biggest shocks in ­Champions League history was on the cards when Babatounde Bello fired tiny Zilina in front on 19 minutes.
The Slovakian minnows are probably the worst team in the competition – but they went in at half-time ahead and good value for it.
So Ancelotti was breathing a huge sigh of relief when Sturridge finally got Chelsea going by scoring the ­equaliser in the 51st minute.
The Italian had just sent Salomon ­Kalou on as an emergency substitute and it was the Ivory Coast striker who set up the goal.
And another sub played his part late on as Chelsea snatched an 86th-minute winner through Malouda.
Nicolas Anelka, who replaced ­Sturridge in the 74th minute, crossed for Didier Drogba, whose header on was volleyed home by in-form French winger Malouda.
It’s been a week of drama and ­intrigue at Stamford Bridge, with ­Ancelotti forced to deny he was about to quit the club after the shock sacking of ­assistant Ray Wilkins.
But there was no denying Chelsea’s ­recent struggles on the pitch, where a run of three defeats in four Premier League matches had set alarm bells ringing.
The last time the Blues had lost back-to-back games like that was at the end of the 2005/06 season – when they had already won the title!
So the pressure was on for a return to winning ways, especially after their last home game, the embarrassing 3-0 thumping by Sunderland.
There was also the small matter of finishing top of Group F and ­guaranteeing an easier opponent in the first knockout phase. But however long and hard Ancelotti talked about how important that was in the build-up, he still saw fit to hand full ­Champions League debuts to three of his ­youngsters.
After all, Chelsea had beaten Zilina 4-1 in Slovakia back in September and they weren’t expecting much ­resistance from a team who are already out of the competition.
How wrong they were. Zilina took just 19 minutes to snatch a shock lead through Nigerian-born ­Benin ­international Bello and turn the Bridge into a ghost town.
The 21-year-old had never scored a Champions League goal before, but he made no mistake after receiving a neat through-ball from Robert Jez.
The centre of Chelsea’s back four has looked shaky in recent matches and that was the case again here, with ­Paulo Ferreira and Jeffrey Bruma all over the place.
But if you were expecting a quick-fire response, forget it. The Blues didn’t manage a shot on target until Didier Drogba headed tamely into Martin ­Dubravka’s arms on the half-hour.
Maybe recent events had unsettled last season’s Double winners more than anyone thought because they were ­lethargic and wide open at the back.
They could have been further behind when Tomas Matjan waltzed unopposed into the box and unleashed a shot which Ross Turnbull did well to parry.
And it was only when Sturridge cut inside and drew a fine full-length save from Dubravka at the other end that the home side began to threaten.
Malouda then wasted a free header from a Drogba cross before ­firing wildly over the bar from 25 yards. The ­pressure was building, but luck was certainly not with the Blues when Malouda watched a shot deflect ­wickedly off ­Stanislav Angelovic and drop inches wide of goal.
And the half-time whistle was met with little more than stunned silence by the home crowd, who couldn’t ­believe their eyes.
Zilina had gone into the game having ­managed fewer shots on target (nine) and ­conceded more goals (15) than any ­other side in the competition. They had even suffered the heaviest home defeat in Champions League ­history, a 7-0 ­defeat against Marseille earlier this month.
Yet they went into the break leading against the cream of English football.
Ancelotti knew it wasn’t good enough and threw on Kalou after the break.
It proved to be a stroke of genius as Kalou helped fashion Chelsea’s ­equaliser just six minutes later, with his bobbling cross reaching ­Sturridge through a crowd of bodies.
Sturridge scored his first Champions League goal against Zilina two months ago and made no mistake, tapping home at the far post from four yards. Chelsea began to turn the screw and Drogba was only denied from a free-kick by a spectacular save from Dubravka.
However, the visitors’ resistance was ­shattered late on when Malouda fired home, much to the relief of Ancelotti.

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Sun:

Chelsea 2 MSK Zilina 1

By MARK IRWIN

NEVER mind the League Managers' Association, many more performances like this and Carlo Ancelotti will be calling the Samaritans.
On a night when the Chelsea boss needed a comfortable, straightforward victory to steady the Stamford Bridge nerves, he got a display which will stoke the fires of uncertainty.
Only a fool would walk away from a £6.5million-a-year contract. And the wily Ancelotti is certainly no fool.
But he knows he can never take his position for granted with a boss as unpredictable as Roman Abramovich.
And even a team at the top of the Premier League and safely through to the last 16 of the Champions League is no guarantee of job security at the Bridge.
Ancelotti might scoff at talk of a Chelsea crisis but nobody was laughing after this unconvincing effort.
Florent Malouda's 86th-minute winner was enough to secure first place in Group F but did not spare Ancelotti the embarrassment of another painful inquest.
And it does nothing to dispel the growing belief that all is not well at the home of the Premier League champions.
Virtually nothing has gone right for Chelsea since their mysterious decision to part company with assistant manager Ray Wilkins.
Three defeats in four games coming into last night's match represented the worst run of results since Abramovich took control seven years ago.
So it was probably a good job for all concerned that the ruthless Russian gave this one a miss.
The visit of the struggling Slovak champs should have given Chelsea the perfect opportunity to steady the ship.
Instead, it simply raised fresh questions about the club's ability to remain at the forefront of European football.
This was supposed to be the game when Chelsea's youngsters showed off the talent waiting in the wings. Instead they simply froze in the glare of the Stamford Bridge spotlight.
Jeffrey Bruma, Daniel Sturridge, Ross Turnbull and Patrick van Aanholt all failed to rise to the occasion of a rare Champions League chance.
Brazilian Ramires was once again anonymous in midfield and 17-year-old Josh McEachran struggled to make an impact on his first start for the club.
Zilina had arrived at Stamford Bridge still smarting from a 7-0 home thrashing by Marseille in their previous Euro match.
The Slovak minnows are on course to become the worst ever team to compete in the Champions League.
But that was no excuse for the arrogance of a painful first-half performance which will give Ancelotti sleepless nights for weeks.
If the Italian thought he had hit rock-bottom in the previous home game against Sunderland, goodness only knows what he was thinking when his team fell behind in the 19th minute.
For there was not a Chelsea challenge in sight when Babatounde Bello exchanged passes with captain Robert Jez before drilling his shot past the static Turnbull.
He could have driven a bus between the gap left by Bruma and Paulo Ferreira in the channel, with Ramires trailing in his wake.
The lack of communication between the players was just as alarming with Didier Drogba almost embarrassing Turnbull when he pulled his foot away from a Jez free-kick at the last moment. Turnbull was back in action again to beat out another low shot from Thomas Majtan as Chelsea threatened to implode.
It was a full half hour before Ancelotti's players woke up to the realisation that another defeat would not look too good for their under-pressure boss.
But it was not until Salomon Kalou was introduced as a half-time sub for the ineffective Gael Kakuta that the Blues finally seized the initiative.
The change had an almost instant effect and it was Kalou's 51st-minute ball across the six-yard box which was finally turned in at the far post by Sturridge.
It was a goal which knocked the stuffing out of Zilina, who sensed that their chance of glory was slipping away.
Drogba's free-kick on the hour was pushed against a post by Martin Dubravka and Van Aanholt also hit the woodwork.
But their winning goal did not arrive until four minutes from the end when Drogba headed down Nicolas Anelka's cross for Malouda to score.
It was a victory which maintains Chelsea's hopes of becoming the first team since Barcelona in 2003 to win all six of their group games.
But Ancelotti knows they will not go much further unless they get their act together - and quickly.

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