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FC Copenhagen 0-2 Chelsea FC
Nicolas Anelka bagged two more goals to add to his growing
Champions League tally as Ancelotti’s Cheslea thrashed an anemic Copenhagen in Denmark.
Observations
-Carlo Ancelotti skipped his usual 4-3-3, starting with a classic English 4-4-2 with Anelka and Fernando Torres partnering up front, with Ramires and Malouda playing wide right and left respectively. Chelsea were clearly very comfortable with the change, moving the ball forward quickly, with Torres and Anelka running at the Copenhagen goal from the get-go. Drogba who?
-It didn’t hurt Chelsea that Copenhagen, who actually attempted and completed more passes than Chelsea and enjoyed 53% possession, spent much of the first half pegged back behind the ball, and were very poor in Chelsea’s final third. Copenhagen striker N’Doye was particularly poor for long spells finding space up front.
-Anelka was in great form (and didn’t require a penalty to score), although caught a break on the first goal (17′) when Copenhagen keeper Wiland failed to stop a what should have been a clean save.
-Meanwhile, Ramires provided a bit of a presence on the right for Chelsea should Ancelotti choose to further experiment with a 4-4-2 in the
Premier League, with a 96% pass completion rate (the highest in the game), although he was heavily assisted by Bosingwa in right-back.
-While Copenhagen manager Ståle Solbakken (who famously “died” for six minutes on a training ground in 2001 when his heart stopped) made some changes in the second half, in particular moving Grønkjær a bit further forward in attack, allowing his team a few more clear-cut chances, Petr Cech needed only to make a few routine saves.
-Meanwhile Anelka all-but sealed what should be Chelsea’s progression to the
CL quarterfinals with a sumptuous finish in the 53rd minute on a lovely chip pass from Frank Lampard. A bit of Chelsea “classic” there.
-Carlo Ancelotti, whose second auto result in Google search adds the word “fired,” could breathe out a sigh of relief as Chelsea rounded out the game in routine fashion. In the fashion department, I’m still rubbing my eyes from Chelsea’s orange-on-black away kits, and Carlo needs a blue toque that fits his head.
Three Stars
1. Nicolas Anelka
2. Jose Bosingwa
3. Fernando Torres (if only for vastly improving in a CFC shirt)
Lyon 1-1 Real Madrid
An under-par Real Madrid end a four year slide of losing an away game in the round of the last 16 and head home big favourites to make the quarter finals of the
Champions League for the first time in seven years.
Observations
Madrid have played worse this season but may not have come closer to winning a match with such an average performance.
In the first half they were extremely poor. They controlled the bulk of possession but created very little. Xabi Alonso was excellent in midfield but the wings were a problem as both Cristiano Ronaldo (on the left) and Angel Di Maria (on the right) cut in often and posed little threats to the Lyon full backs.
It was interesting to watch the best and the worst of Michel Bastos. Originally deployed on the right wing by Claude Puel, he moved to a more natural left side after 10 minutes to target Sergio Ramos, who had already been booked. It was a fascinating tussle (won by Ramos) until Bastos again moved to the right in the second half where his lack of tactical knowledge cost him as he struggled to track back on the right side and got booked. He will now miss the second leg.
The first half booking to Ramos was harsh but provided a great example of how a passionate, intelligent crowd can play their part in the match. The challenge was the fiercest of the game at the time and referee Walter Stark seemed hesitant to brand the card but buckled to the pressure.
It isn’t difficult to see why Jose Mourinho puts up with the much-talked about ‘off-the-field’ incidents with Ramos. He has become a true world class defender whose physical approach in big games has intimated many an opponent.
Real were marginally better in the second half and carved out three excellent opportunities but it wasn’t a coincidence to see them come from set-pieces.
I expect many of the British press to hail ‘The Special One’ for an inspired substitution when he brought on Karim Benzema for Emmanuel Adebayor but, in truth, the former Man City striker was ineffective and it was a no-brainer. Credit must go (once again) to the Stade de Gerland crowd for their reaction to Benzema as he returned to their ground. Classy.
Unfortunately for them 43 seconds later he scored the opening goal and showed his overall work rate by coming deep to win the ball, before finding space to retrieve a Ronaldo ball that he finished superbly.
Ironically, up 1-0 with a 3-man midfield installed, Real played their best stretch of
football in the 15 minutes prior to the Lyon goal. Marcelo (on for the ineffective Sami Khedira) then gave away a careless free kick in a dangerous area, the excellent Cris won the header, Alvaro Arbeloa fell asleep and Bafetimbi Gomis was left unmarked to score. It was a gift to Gomis, a player of limited ability who wasn’t good enough up until that point.
Although Real weren’t great they were professional, and the draw leaves them in pole position to move into the final eight of the competition. In each of the last six seasons they have been knocked out at this stage after performing poorly in the away leg, losing five times and drawing one match 0-0 when they had already lost the first leg 0-1 at home.
Lyon will have to be much better in the return leg. Their best hope may be for a repeat of last season when they drew 1-1 in Madrid but on this evidence it appears their chance to dethrone Mourinho has gone.
Three Stars
1. Xabi Alonso
2. Karim Benzema
3. Cris
