SOCCER/CHAMPIONS LEAGUE/Apoel Nicosia 0 Chelsea 1:CHELSEA LOOK down from the top of their qualifying group having reverted to victorious ways after the trauma of Wigan, though that is not to suggest all is rosy with them. Carlo Ancelotti prowled his technical area virtually throughout this contest against a depleted and unfancied Apoel Nicosia, his frustration at his side's early wastefulness transformed into genuine anxiety before the end.
The Premier League team did just enough to prevail, securing their first away win in the group stage of this competition since Avram Grant’s side thumped Rosenborg in Trondheim almost two years ago, yet their Italian manager expected much more.
This was a nervy and, at times, lacklustre performance and, had Constantinos Charalambides, ignored by Branislav Ivanovic, not nodded wide at the far post late on, it might have ended ignominiously. Victory will not disguise the reality that too many passes went astray, the midfield lacked fizz and a normally reliable defence appeared jittery. Rafael Benitez will have taken note.
This had loomed large as a test of Chelsea’s powers of recovery following the unsettling first defeat of Ancelotti’s reign at the DW Stadium, though in truth it should hardly have been an accurate gauge by which to measure any potential frailties before the visit of Liverpool to Stamford Bridge on Sunday. If there were initial flashes of anxiety, born presumably of a desperate desire to impress, then the cramping concern subsided once a lead had been eked out.
An awkward playing surface and enthusiastic opponents contributed to Chelsea’s early discomfort, with too many passes overhit or inaccurate.
The Cypriots had been denied a quintet of regular starters, Kamil Kosowski restricted to a place on the bench while Paulo Jorge, Joost Broerse, Marcin Zewlakow and the striker Adrian Sikora watched from the sidelines. They may not be names to lure the Premier League scouts but to pluck virtually half a team from the Cypriot champions and ask them to compete with Premier League opposition seemed cruel.
Chelsea may have had absentees but theirs is a squad better geared to coping. Some that remain are thriving in the absence of other first-team regulars. So much depends upon Anelka with Didier Drogba still suspended from European competition, and the Frenchman’s was a slick and composed presence even while his team-mates laboured initially.
The forward tormented his markers to slalom into space or burst to the byline, setting up Salomon Kalou who side-footed wide before securing his own reward 18 minutes into the game.
Chelsea’s most coherent passing exchange sliced the hosts apart, Kalou spreading possession wide for Juliano Belletti, who cut inside Helio Pinto and waited for Altin Haxhi to overcommit and go to ground. The Brazilian pulled his cross back to the unmarked Anelka on the edge of the area, with the striker’s shot beautifully guided into the far corner.
Much of Chelsea’s other approach play was far less enticing, optimistic shots peppering the supporters behind Chiotis’ goal, though Apoel offered little in riposte. Christos Kontis headed a Nektarios Alexandrou corner over the bar on the stroke of half-time, and Ashley Cole leapt in to deny Charalambides a free volley at goal, yet this felt as if Chelsea, dominant in possession, had clicked into cruise control.
Only complacency threatened to undermine them. The hour-mark brought a flurry of chances for the Cypriots to snap panicked visitors from their comfort zone. Florent Malouda’s horribly misplaced header fed Kosowski, summoned from the bench to add bite, with his pass finding Savvas Poursaitides. The full-back’s shot deflected off John Terry and forced Petr Cech into a fine reaction save with his legs.
Had Apoel boasted more composure in wide positions, then they might have profited in the frantic exchanges that followed, though the visitors survived and, with Ancelotti nervously fidgeting, somehow emerged unscathed. Liverpool, for all their shortcomings in Florence, will relish creating such clear chances on Sunday.
APOEL NICOSIA: Chiotis, Poursaitides, Kontis, Grncarov, Haxhi, Charalambidis (Jean Paulista 85), Morais, Michael (Breska 80), Alexandrou (Kosowski 58), Pinto, Mirosavljevic. Subs Not Used: Kissas, Papathanasiou, Satsias, Elia.
CHELSEA: Cech, Ivanovic, Carvalho, Terry, Ashley Cole, Belletti (Deco 68), Essien, Lampard, Kalou (Joe Cole 80), Anelka, Malouda. Subs Not Used: Hilario, Zhirkov, Sturridge, Hutchinson, Bruma. Booked: Kalou, Ivanovic.
Referee: Bertrand Layec (France).
