Chelsea 2 - 1 FC Porto

rss feed for news items | England News

Tuesday Mar 06 2007 07:45

Chelsea came from behind to beat FC Porto 2-1 at Stamford Bridge and clinch a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 3-2 aggregate triumph.

With the tie evenly poised after a 1-1 draw in Portugal in the first leg, the Blues started brightly with Andriy Shevchenko thundering an effort over from 30 yards out on the left.

The game then settled into a low-key midfield battle, before the visitors silenced most of Stamford Bridge with a superb breakaway goal after 15 minutes.Lisandro Lopez fed Lucho Gonzalez in midfield and his superbly weighted throughball allowed Ricardo Quaresma to sprint clear and fire his shot under the advancing Petr Cech.

That setback clearly upset Chelsea's rhythm and it took them until the half-hour mark to fashion an opening.Michael Ballack looked set to score from eight yards out, but Ricardo Costa got in superbly to clear the danger after another Ashley Cole cross.

However, the rest of the first period saw Porto stand firm and offer the Blues few opportunities to worry keeper Helton.

Jose Mourinho brought on John Obi Mikel for Claude Makelele and the change paid dividends three minutes in as Arjen Robben found space 30 yards out and fired in a left-foot shot which Helton fumbled into the back of the net.

That brought a total change in the flow of play, with the Blues starting to impose themselves on their opposition.

Twenty minutes from time Ricardo Carvalho headed over after Frank Lampard's free-kick caused all sorts of problems in the Porto area.

Nine minutes later Chelsea struck the decisive blow as Cole's deep ball into the area was nodded on by Didier Drogba to Shevchenko, he cushioned a header down to Ballack and the German drilled a left-foot shot into the corner of the net from eight yards.

From that point Porto were beaten and they didn't extend Cech in the closing minutes, while at the other end Lampard almost set up substitute Salomon Kalou for a clincher.

Soon after the final whistle brought relief to most of Stamford Bridge as Chelsea progressed to the last eight of the competition.

  • 90
    Full-Time: CHELSEA 2-1 FC PORTO, Chelsea win through 3-2 on aggregate.
  • 90
    Ballack and Kalou waste a few more precious seconds.
  • 90
    Lampard almost sets up Kalou for a clincher, Helton gathers the loose ball.
  • 90
    Four minutes of added time to be played.
  • 89
    Into the final minute of normal time, Chelsea are nearly home.
  • 87
    Adriano is booked for unsporting behaviour.
  • 86
    Ferreira gets a ball in from the right and Porto are forced to hack clear, time is running out for the Portuguese.
  • 85
    Shevchenko leaves the field and Salomon Kalou takes over.
  • 83
    Fucile is booked for blocking the run of Robben on the left touchline.
  • 82
    Porto throw on Bruno Moraes for Lopez up front.
  • 81
    Time to be careful for the Blues now, a Porto reply would win the tie on away goals.
  • 79
    CHELSEA 2-1 FC PORTO, Drogba heads on to Shevchenko, he cushions a header down to BALLACK and the German drills a left-foot shot into the corner of the net from eight yards.
  • 78
    Shevchenko drives a right-footer over the top from 30 yards.
  • 77
    Helton finally gets his hands on the ball as he collects a Robben ball in from the right.
  • 75
    A Robben free-kick is eventually cleared and a resulting Cole cross is somehow smuggled away from danger.
  • 73
    Porto have enjoyed a bit more possession, but haven't been able to puncture a hole in the Blues defence.
  • 70
    Ricardo Carvalho heads over after Lampard's free-kick causes all sorts of problems in the Porto area.
  • 68
    Lopez leads a Porto counter before going down under the challenge of Mikel.
  • 67
    Mikel wins a free-kick around 30 yards out, he's made a difference since coming on at the break.
  • 66
    Chelsea replace Diarra with Paulo Ferreira.
  • 65
    Ballack has now hurt his knee and is hobbling around.
  • 63
    Shevchenko and Ballack both need treatment, but both are able to continue.
  • 62
    Ibson is almost through, but Cech is out quickly to gather.
  • 61
    Diarra hacks down Quaresma and goes into the book.
  • 58
    Quaresma is cautioned for timewasting as he takes an age to take a free-kick.
  • 57
    Drogba powers forward but shoots high and wide from 25 yards.
  • 56
    Porto bring on Ibson and Adriano for Raul Meireles and Marek Cech.
  • 55
    Helton flaps at a Robben corner but gains a free-kick.
  • 53
    The home fans are a lot more vocal now, although it's extra-time if the score stays the way it it at the moment.
  • 50
    Cole and Robben combine well down the left as Chelsea begin to up the pace.
  • 49
    What a boost for the Blues and what a sickener for Porto.
  • 48
    CHELSEA 1-1 FC PORTO, ROBBEN finds space 30 yards out and fires in a left-foot shot which Helton makes a total hash of and it nestles in the back of the net.
  • 46
    Chelsea have brought on John Obi Mikel for Claude Makelele.
  • 46
    Porto get the second half underway.
  • 45
    Half-Time: CHELSEA 0-1 FC PORTO.
  • 45
    Drogba tries to play in Shevchenko, but Porto stand firm, as they have done throughout the half.
  • 45
    Jorge Fucile is down with a badly cut eye after being caught by team-mate Paulo Assuncao.
  • 44
    Robben whips in a ball from the right, but it drifts a couple of yards wide of the far post.
  • 42
    Porto are happy to knock the ball around and allow the time to tick away.
  • 40
    Half-time's just around the corner and Chelsea have it all to do at the moment.
  • 38
    Robben's free-kick is just too high for Shevchenko at the far post.
  • 36
    Diarra blasts forward from right-back and is blocked off just outside the Porto area.
  • 35
    Robben tries to win a penalty and rightly goes into the book for a shameful bit of diving.
  • 32
    Essien covers well to dispossess Costa after a fluent Porto attack down their left.
  • 31
    Shevchenko drifts clear on the left, but his ball across to Frank Lampard is miscontrolled and Helton collects.
  • 29
    Michael Ballack looks set to score from eight yards out, but Ricardo Costa is in superbly to clear the danger after another Cole cross.
  • 27
    Lisandro Lopez beats a couple of Chelsea players in midfield as Porto continue to enjoy the better of the possession.
  • 24
    Ashley Cole fires a ball in from the left, but Shevchenko and Drogba are thwarted by the Porto backline.
  • 23
    It's all a bit quiet at Stamford Bridge, Jose Mourinho looks a little frustrated on the bench.
  • 20
    Chelsea look a little rattled and have to settle down quickly to get back into the tie.
  • 17
    That goal has rocked Stamford Bridge and it's the first the Blues have conceded at home in Europe this season.
  • 15
    CHELSEA 0-1 FC PORTO, Gonzalez's superb throughball releases QUARESMA and he races clear to finish with a low shot under the advancing Cech.
  • 14
    Drogba is down injured after a clash of heads with Alves.
  • 12
    Didier Drogba drives in a cross from the right and Bruno Alves makes an excellent interception at the near post.
  • 11
    Lucho Gonzalez tries his luck from 35 yards, his effort is straight at Petr Cech.
  • 10
    A goalless draw will be enough to take the Blues through, Porto have to score.
  • 7
    Arjen Robben makes ground down the left as Chelsea look to open up the visitors' defence.
  • 5
    A bitty start to the game so far, neither side has forged an opening as yet.
  • 3
    Ricardo Quaresma looks to be the dangerman for Porto.
  • 1
    Andriy Shevchenko thunders an effort over from 30 yards out on the left.
  • 1
    Chelsea get the game underway.
  • 0
    The tie is evenly poised after a 1-1 draw in Portugal in the first leg.
  • 0
    The Blues again have to use midfielder Michael Essien at the heart of defence, with Lassana Diarra at right-back.
  • 0
    Chelsea host FC Porto in the second leg of their Champions League last 16 tie.

Statistics

Chelsea
Shots on target 3
Shots off target 8
Shots off bar/post 0
Fouls 11
Offsides 0
Corners 4

FC Porto
Shots on target 2
Shots off target 0
Shots off bar/post 0
Fouls 10
Offsides 3
Corners 0

See Live Commentary

odds checker

  • All the latest football odds from oddschecker.com
  • Manchester United v Chelsea odds : Manchester United 6/4 Draw 11/5 Chelsea 9/4
  • Champions League Top Goalscorer odds : Cristiano Ronaldo 1/3 Didier Drogba 41/13 Frank Lampard 100/1