Chelsea

Wed, 11th Apr 2007

Chelsea reached the semi-final of the Champions League in Valencia tonight with a last minute Michael Essien goal after Andriy Shevchenko had equalised Morientes' fist-half strike.

Essien was playing his first football for a month. Joe Cole played the whole of the second-half.

The early challenges brought early whistles, from the referee and from the hostile crowd. It took just two minutes for the third free-kick, Essien on Morientes, to lead to a player rolling over and over. Match winner Essien was booked and will be suspended from Chelsea's next European game.

Soon after Mikel seemed to trip Villa, and now he rolled over and over, and the referee waved play on, much to the anger of the home fans. The whistling grew more hostile.

Just as worrying, Mikel and Diarra were guilty of losing possession over-playing in their own half early on. Ballack saved Mikel and cleared, but Villa forced a corner from Diarra's error, the first of the game.

From Chelsea's first corner, won by Drogba after 11 minutes, the centre-forward collapsed holding his face as the ball came across. Again the referee waved play on.

From Chelsea's second corner, won after a good period of attacking, Carvalho's header was well won but off target.

Chelsea's third corner, won in the 20th minute came at a time when the home crowd had gone quiet with Chelsea's possession. Ballack rose to Lampard's outswinger and headed the first effort of the game on target, but it was an easy hold for Cañizares.

A minute later Ballack picked up Chelsea's second booking for a handball in the middle of the park. Furiously he claimed it was too high on his shoulder for a foul.

Chelsea might have been collecting the yellow cards, but Valencia were stocking up the fouls, and before the first half-hour was completed referee Vassaras had whistled up for the home team's 10th breach of the rules. He'd also had a strong word with captain Albelda and made it clear how he wanted the game conducted.

But in that 30th minute, Valencia came closest so far to scoring. Albelda fed Villa who had a run at Carvalho and cleverly squared the ball to the arriving Morientes whose left-footed shot bounced off Cech's right-hand post.

A minute later, Valencia were in front. Morientes slid in to meet Joaquín's cross with an excellent left-footed finish across Cech. Chelsea had played well, Valencia had produced cutting edge football.

Two minutes later Cole bravely blocked Morientes' angled drive following Villa's cross, again from the left.

Six minutes before half-time, another period of good attacking Chelsea play, during which the away side's fifth corner of the half was won, climaxed with a scintillating Drogba header from Cole's cross, but as the ball arrowed for the top corner Cañizares launched himself across goal to tip away and then grab it. This was a world class save.

Just before half-time Del Horno suffered Valencia's first booking for fouling Shevchenko from behind.

Come the interval it was clearly advantage Valencia. But Chelsea's requirement to stay in the competition hadn't changed: a goal had to be scored.

Joe Cole was introduced for the second-half and Mourinho switched to 4-3-3. Diarra was replaced, Essien going to right-back.

Immediately Chelsea's played sharper football, more one-touch, and looked livelier. Albelda was booked for arguing, and Drogba won a free-kick when fouled from behind again.

Lampard's ball into the area was cleared, Essien crossed it back in, Drogba won it but couldn't quite finish as Ayala blocked. Shevchenko, however, could. From one yard he made the aggregate score and away goals count level.

The players raced away to celebrate underneath the travelling Chelsea fans. It was only the second goal Valencia had conceded in five home Champions League games this season, the other being a Totti penalty for Roma.

Shevchenko's next action wasn't so productive. He lost the ball on the edge of Valencia's area, allowing them to break. Miguel raced forward deep into Chelsea's area and Mikel did well to shadow him and concede a corner which Cech caught.

But Chelsea began to asset authority. Ayala was booked after jumping with Drogba midway inside his own half. Unfortunately, Lampard again wasted the free-kick. Two minutes later Moretti followed for a trip on the same player.

Morientes left the park to huge acclaim midway through the second-half, replaced by Angulo. But it was Drogba who had the next shooting opportunity, regaining the ball after his own pass had been intercepted. His shot was too precise and Cañizares dropped on it easily.

Midfielder Albiol was stretchered away with 20 minutes left when he came off second best in a tackle with Lampard.

All the game now was in Valencia's half. Del Horno gave away a corner when under no pressure. Again, Lampard's kick wasn't his normal quality, and the counter was excellently defended by Mikel who got Chelsea attacking again.

If ever the old football 'law' that you have to score when on top was underlined it was now. Valencia won a corner, it wasn't cleared, and a collective sigh of Chelsea relief echoed as Angulo shot wide.

Cañizares pulled out an even better save than in the first-half when Ballack glided a header from Lampard's best set play so far - Valencia's 19th foul - in the 84th minute, and he somehow turned it up in the air and over the bar when diving across full-stretch to his left. His colleagues celebrated with him as if he had scored the winner.

But it was Essien who achieved that in the final minute. Good Joe Cole play on the left, a pas to Shevchenko on the right in space, Essien for the umpteenth time with phenomenal energy overlapped, the pass was good and the angled shot defeated the goalkeeper and Chelsea were in the semi-final of the Champions League.

You can't put this team down. Four trophies is still a possibility. Keep the faith.

Valencia (4-4-2) Canizares; Miguel, Ayala, Moretti, Del Horno; Joaquín, Albelda (c), Albiol (Viani 71), Villa; Silva, Morientes (Angulo 64).
Scorers Morientes (31).
Booked Del Horno (44), Albelda (50), Ayala (59), Moretti (61).

Chelsea (4-1-2-1-2) Cech; Diarra (J Cole h-t), Carvalho, Terry (c), A Cole; Mikel; Essien, Lampard (Makelele 90+2); Ballack; Shevchenko (Kalou 90+2), Drogba.
Scorers Shevchenko (51).
Booked Essien (2), Ballack (20).

By Neil Barnett