Chelsea 3 - 0 Olympiakos

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Wednesday Mar 05 2008 07:45

Chelsea strolled into the last eight of the Champions League with an extremely straightforward 3-0 victory against a dire Olympiacos side at Stamford Bridge.

After drawing 0-0 in Greece two weeks ago, the Blues were always favourites to join Manchester United and Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the competition, and so it proved as Avram Grant's side dominated the outclassed visitors from the first whistle.

The Blues were without Petr Cech who had an ankle injury, so Carlo Cudicini made only his second start since December in goal.

Olympiacos had beaten Werder Bremen and Lazio earlier in the season but appeared to be suffering an inferiority complex as they immediately let Chelsea take a grip on the game.

After three minutes Joe Cole was sent clear by Didier Drogba but slid his shot against a post - although the linesman had already flagged for offside.

However, Chelsea moved ahead two minutes later. Frank Lampard latched on to a quickly taken throw-in and whipped a cross in for the unmarked Michael Ballack to head powerfully past Antonios Nikopolidis.

Olympiacos tried to settle, but their approach play was pedestrian and predictable.

In the 18th minute Joe Cole, who was very lively throughout, crossed for Drogba to crash a shot over the bar and, such was Chelsea's dominance, even Claude Makelele ambled forward to get in a shot that Nikopolidis saved comfortably.

Seven minutes later the Blues doubled their lead when Nikopolidis did well to block Ballack's fierce shot, only for the ball to drop at the feet of Lampard who lashed it into the net from all of one yard out.

At the start of the second half, Olympiacos appeared to have set out their stall for a damage-limitation exercise and Chelsea will surely expect Barnsley to give them more of a test in the FA Cup sixth round this weekend.

Three minutes after the restart Chelsea scored their third. A corner found its way through a ruck of players to Salomon Kalou who controlled the ball before forcing a shot over the line from close range.

For over an hour the Greek side showed the type of form that suggested they would struggle to give Derby County a game, but they did show some spirit in the closing stages as Chelsea eased off.

With seven minutes left substitute Fernando Belluschi lashed a long-range strike against the bar with Cudicini stranded before the Blues shot-stopper got down well to smother Ieroklis Stoltidis' free-kick.

However, the visitors were a well-beaten side by then as Chelsea eased through what must have been one of their most comfortable matches of the season.

Live Commentary

  • 90
    Full-Time: CHELSEA 3-0 OLYMPIACOS.
  • 90
    Chelsea are safely through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League after what has been one of their easiest games of the season.
  • 89
    Sisic tries his luck with a 35-yard free-kick but it is narrowly off-target.
  • 88
    Olympiacos have improved in the last quarter of the game, but they were absolutely dreadful for over an hour.
  • 87
    Drogba, who has been poor tonight, blasts a shot virtually out of the ground when several team-mates were demanding a simple pass.
  • 85
    Cudicini gets down well to smother Ieroklis Stoltidis' free-kick as Olympiacos belatedly come out of their shell.
  • 83
    Terry is rightly booked for a clumsy challenge on Belluschi. At least the England captain didn't try to take the yellow card off the referee.
  • 83
    Belluschi, who has been very lively since coming on, lashes a long-range strike against the bar with Cudicini stranded.
  • 82
    Leonardo leads a rare Olympiacos attack but it comes to nothing.
  • 80
    Paulo Ferreira goes into the referee's notebook for shoulder-charging an opponent.
  • 79
    Another Chelsea change - Joe Cole comes off and Shaun Wright-Phillips has 11 minutes of action to look forward to.
  • 78
    The match is petering out into an easy win for Chelsea. In fact it's been petering out since half-time.
  • 76
    Michael Essien comes on for the wronged Lampard.
  • 75
    Olympiacos make their final alteration with Mirnes Sisic coming on for Torosidis.
  • 75
    Drogba's ambitious long-range free-kick is easily gathered by Nikopolidis.
  • 73
    Lampard is still moaning to the referee that he shouldn't have been booked. I'm sure Jeremie Aliadiere will have every sympathy for him.
  • 71
    Grant makes a change as Florent Malouda comes on for Kalou.
  • 70
    Lampard is booked for diving as he looks for a penalty.
  • 70
    Makelele races forward again and shows great skill to make some room for a shot as he forces Nikopolidis to make a smart save.
  • 68
    Olympiacos are enjoying their best spell of the match, by far, but unfortunately it's far, far too late for them.
  • 67
    Drogba thinks he's scored Chelsea's fourth - but the linesman has his flag raised and the effort is ruled out.
  • 66
    Chelsea have certainly taken their foot off the gas, but at least Belluschi has livened things up for the visitors.
  • 64
    The flurry of activity leads to an increase in volume from the easily impressed Olympiacos fans.
  • 63
    It comes to nothing though as Chelsea easily clear their lines.
  • 62
    Much better by Olympiacos as they win a corner.
  • 61
    At last the visitors have their first shot on target as Belluschi's free-kick goes through the Chelsea wall and is saved by Cudicini.
  • 59
    Olympiacos almost have a shot on goal - until Belluschi tangles with Terry and concedes a free-kick.
  • 57
    Another change by Olympiacos - Leonardo replaces Djordjevic.
  • 56
    Quite how Olympiacos drew with Real Madrid and beat Werder Bremen twice before Christmas is a mystery on this form.
  • 54
    The visitors make their first change - Ledesma makes way for Fernando Belluschi.
  • 52
    Kalou strolls through a non-existent Olympiacos defence and lays the ball off to Lampard who fires weakly wide when he should have made it 4-0.
  • 52
    The visitors have hardly had any possession to work with - and when they do win the ball they promptly pass it straight back to Chelsea.
  • 50
    It's starting to get embarrassing. On this form Olympiacos would struggle to give Derby County a game.
  • 48
    CHELSEA 3-0 OLYMPIACOS. From the corner, the ball finds its way through a ruck of players to KALOU who forces his shot over the line from close range.
  • 47
    Drogba feeds the ball inside to the onrushing Lampard but Cristian Ledesma gets in a great blocking tackle to deny the England man a second goal for himself and third for his team.
  • 47
    Not a great start to the second half by the visitors as Predrag Djordjevic gives the ball away in midfield.
  • 46
    Olympiacos get the second half underway. No changes by either side at the interval.
  • 45
    Half-Time: CHELSEA 2-0 OLYMPIACOS.
  • 45
    Chelsea can't have had an easier 45 minutes all season, surely Barnsley will give them more of a test in the FA Cup sixth round this weekend.
  • 44
    The crowd is silent as the pace of the game drops to walking pace.
  • 42
    Yet another Joe Cole cross - this one finds Kalou who loops a header over the bar.
  • 40
    The outstanding Joe Cole races to the byline and gets in another cross that Julio Cesar manages to cut out.
  • 38
    All the pace of the game has gone as Chelsea stroll around the pitch and Olympiacos continue to stand off them.
  • 36
    Olympiacos already appear to have set out their stall for a damage-limitation exercise.
  • 35
    Good play by the visitors until Darko Kovacevic is caught offside.
  • 33
    John Terry races forward and almost sets up Ballack on the edge of the area before the ball falls to Joe Cole who fires wildly over the bar.
  • 31
    Nikopolidis is forced to race out of his goal and hack the ball away as Kalou tries to latch on to a long pass.
  • 29
    Unless Internazionale stage an unlikely comeback against Liverpool at the San Siro next week, it looks as though there will be four English clubs in the last eight of the Champions League this season.
  • 27
    That's effectively game over and now it's simply a case of how many goals Chelsea feel like grabbing.
  • 25
    CHELSEA 2-0 OLYMPIACOS. Nikopolidis does well to block Ballack's fierce shot, but the ball drops at the feet of LAMPARD who lashes it into the back of the net from all of one yard out.
  • 24
    Lampard is running the show from the centre of midfield and Olympiacos seem happy to let him have all the time and space he needs.
  • 23
    A quarter of the game gone, and Chelsea could not have hoped for a better start.
  • 22
    Olympiacos enjoy a spell of possession, but can find no way through the packed Chelsea defence.
  • 20
    Chelsea are in complete control - even Claude Makelele ambles forward to get in a shot that Nikopolidis saves comfortably.
  • 18
    Joe Cole, who has been very lively in the opening stages, finds Drogba with his cross, but the Ivorian can only crash a shot over the bar.
  • 16
    Ashley Cole thinks he's won a corner. He hasn't but berates the referee for having the temerity not to agree with him anyway.
  • 15
    Better by the visitors, but no-one can get on to the end of Vassilios Torosidis' curling cross.
  • 13
    Olympiacos try to settle, but their approach play is pedestrian and they're in danger of being outclassed.
  • 11
    It's one-way traffic as Joe Cole tries to engineer another opening.
  • 10
    Lampard's free-kick is poor though and the visitors have no trouble clearing their lines.
  • 9
    Chelsea appear to be in the mood for a few more goals tonight as Ballack wins a free-kick in a dangerous position.
  • 7
    To add to Olympiacos' woes, Anastasios Pantos is booked for a foul on Paulo Ferreira.
  • 6
    The visitors have started poorly and their marking was non-existent for the goal.
  • 5
    CHELSEA 1-0 OLYMPIACOS. Frank Lampard latches on to a quickly taken throw-in and whips a cross in for the unmarked MICHAEL BALLACK to head powerfully past Antonios Nikopolidis.
  • 3
    Joe Cole is sent clear by Drogba but slides his shot against the post - the linesman has flagged for offside anyway though.
  • 3
    The visiting fans are in full voice and are generating a good Stamford Bridge atmosphere.
  • 1
    There's an early touch for Cudicini, starting only his second game since December.
  • 1
    Chelsea, in their traditional all-blue kit, get the game underway.
  • 0
    Olympiacos will be no pushovers though. They are second in the Greek League and have beaten Werder Bremen and Lazio already in Europe this season.
  • 0
    However, Avram Grant is without Petr Cech who has an ankle injury, so Carlo Cudicini starts in goal. John Terry and Frank Lampard both start while Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou are in attack with Nicolas Anelka on the bench.
  • 0
    Surely there will be more drama at Stamford Bridge than in the dreary first leg encounter in Greece as the Blues aim to follow Manchester United and Arsenal into the quarter-finals.
  • 0
    Chelsea start as favourites to reach the last eight of the Champions League after drawing 0-0 at Olympiacos two weeks ago.

Statistics

Chelsea
Shots on target 8
Shots off target 7
Shots off bar/post 0
Fouls 19
Offsides 4
Corners 4

Olympiakos
Shots on target 4
Shots off target 2
Shots off bar/post 1
Fouls 18
Offsides 6
Corners 4

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