Source: Team_Talk
Blues cruise to Bridge win over Marseille
Chelsea cruised to a 2-0 Champions League Group F win over Marseille on Tuesday, with John Terry and Nicolas Anelka netting for the hosts.[LNB] Carlo Ancelotti's side are now ahead of Spartak Moscow on goal difference after the Russians defeated MSK Zilina 3-0 earlier today.[LNB]Marseille, managed by former Chelsea player Didier Deschamps, now face a real struggle to qualify for the knockout stage of the competition.[LNB]Chelsea went into their Group F game on the back of two successive defeats to Newcastle in the Carling Cup and Manchester City in the Premier League.[LNB]Deschamps had called for his side to show the same physical prowess and counter-attacking guile that City used to overcome the Blues at Eastlands on Saturday.[LNB]But his plan went awry when Chelsea took the lead in the seventh minute with their first real attack of the game.[LNB]Florent Malouda's shot was deflected for a corner and when Gael Kakuta aimed it at the near post, captain Terry stole in to flick the ball home.[LNB]It was a dream start for the English champions and it could have been better in the 13th minute had Malouda been able to prevent his 10-yard shot from going just over the Marseille crossbar.[LNB]Anelka, who was roundly booed by Marseille fans from the kick-off, brought a fine save from Steve Mandanda moments later after Kakuta's ball had sent him racing in on goal.[LNB]Chelsea's night got even better in the 27th minute when Stephane Mbia was harshly adjudged to have handled Michael Essien's attempted cross.[LNB]The Marseille defender was booked for the misdemeanour and Anelka rubbed salt into their wounds by tucking away the resultant spot-kick with ease.[LNB]Anelka was a constant thorn in the side of Marseille and he was just a yard away from grabbing his second in the 42nd minute when he tried his luck from 20 yards.[LNB]Marseille had barely troubled Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech in the opening period but the French champions picked up the pace after the restart.[LNB]Andre-Pierre Gignac, who had been largely kept well marshalled by Terry and Alex, sent an overhead kick straight at Cech.[LNB]In the 57th minute, Brandao tested Cech's readiness with a 25-yard effort that the Czech Republic international did well to hold on to.[LNB]Marseille replaced Gignac and Benoit Cheyrou with Andre Ayew and Mathieu Valbuena moments later as they looked for a way back into the contest.[LNB]Chelsea reacted to Marseille's changes swiftly with coach Carlo Ancelotti opting to replace Kakuta with Ramires on the hour.[LNB]Ashley Cole and Terry then combined to keep out a fierce shot from Souleymane Diawara.[LNB]Chelsea went close to adding a third in the 67th minute but a fantastic 35-yard free-kick from Alex hit the inside of the post with Marseille goalkeeper Mandanda well beaten.[LNB]Essien was guilty of hitting the right-hand upright in the 75th minute when Chelsea opened-up Marseille with another move of fluid simplicity.[LNB]Malouda fed Ramires in the inside-left channel and the Brazilian calmly laid the ball into the path of the onrushing Essien.[LNB]But the man nicknamed 'the Train' sent his thunderous right-foot shot against the upright.[LNB]Chelsea removed Yury Zhirkov in favour of Daniel Sturridge and the youngster was later joined by teenager Josh McEachran, who replaced John Obi Mikel.[LNB]Moments later Sturridge squandered a simple chance to score when Anelka and Cole combined superbly down the left flank to provide him with the opportunity.[LNB]Sturridge met Cole's cross on the edge of the six-yard box but somehow managed to turn the ball beyond the far post.[LNB]In the 89th minute Essien was narrowly wide when Cole picked him out on the edge of the penalty area.[LNB]The Ghanaian looked to have done everything right but his left-foot effort spun inches beyond Mandanda's right-hand post.[LNB]It was the last chance of a game Chelsea had bossed throughout to leave them top of the group with a trip to Moscow looming in a fortnight.
