Chelsea 1 Schalke 1
Jose Mourinho had offered up a reminder on the eve of this contest that he is very much "part of this tournament's history", though it is the Champions League which has actually checked Chelsea's early season momentum. An opportunity to ease themselves into their European campaign was passed up here, a lead surrendered against depleted and patched up opponents. Theirs was a strangely fitful performance.
A point at home to Schalke represented an improvement on last year’s opening fixture in the group stage, an unexpected home defeat to Basel, but Mourinho will have departed this game with much to ponder for the weekend trip to Manchester City. Too often his team had been overpowered in central midfield, and the defence remains far from watertight. The German club benefited here. The champions may hope to on Sunday.
The decision to hand Didier Drogba a first start in his second spell the club had added a dose of romanticism to the occasion. He graced this arena with Galatasaray in last season's competition but mustered little impact that night as the Turkish team were dismissed. His last touch for Chelsea in the Champions League had been the decisive penalty in the shootout back at the Allianz Arena on 19 May, 2012. He had stroked the ball into the bottom left-hand corner, as Manuel Neuer slumped despairingly the other way, to claim the European Cup at Bayern Munich's expense.
Prior to this, there had only been 17 minutes in three cameos as a substitute from his second coming. His was a return to have the locals' juices flowing, even if Chelsea hardly needed him to be the rampaging brutish forward of old. Drogba occupied Kaan Ayhan and Roman Neustädter well enough thumping a header from Filipe Luis's cross straight at Ralf Fährmann, but the real incision was conjured by those at the veteran's back. Though Willian, Cesc Fabregas and Ramires interchanged effectively, Eden Hazard was irrepressible.
The Belgian had been given the build-up ahead of this fixture – "He can be one of the greats of his generation," Mourinho had said – and duly tore into Marco Höger to justify all the hype. The full-back, who had featured in central midfield as Schalke were dismantled by Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday, cut a miserable figure, utterly unable to suppress his marker's intent, with Hazard integral to so much Chelsea generated. By the interval the hosts' authority was established, even if their lead remained slender.
Schalke disputed the goal which had earned the home team their advantage. Fabregas’s foul on Max Meyer was clear – the youngster having been sold short by a pass from Neustädter – with the loose ball collected by Hazard to run at Ayhan and slip Fabregas free with a clever reverse pass. The Spaniard’s first goal for Chelsea was converted with ease, and incensed opponents crowded around the Croatian official Ivan Bebek, a late appointment after the original Serbian officials suffered visa problems. Fabregas should have added a less controversial goal just after the half-hour, only to sky an attempt over the bar from Branislav Ivanovic’s pull-back. Regardless, the German side’s makeshift rearguard retained an air of panic throughout.
Their attacks were more coherent. Kevin-Prince Boateng forced Thibaut Courtois into a fine save with a shot from distance and, just before the interval, Julian Draxler charged from inside his own half at back-tracking opponents, eking space from Gary Cahill before dragging a shot marginally wide of the far post. The young forward had departed at the break still grimacing in disbelief that his composure had deserted him at the last, but such had been his team's wretched luck to date this term. This had already constituted their worst start to a season in 46 years.
Yet, while Chelsea’s approach was undermined by profligacy, the visitors retained hope of recovery. Drogba should have converted Willian’s fizzed centre after another flowing attack, stemming from Nemanja Matic regaining possession in the centre, only to air-kick in front of Fährmann. The 36-year-old was understandably rusty, heavy limbs prompting a poor touch as he strode on to Hazard’s looped through-ball to force him too wide with his shot dribbling just wide of the far post. That miss was soon made to feel significant.
There was a whiff of retribution when Bebek waved away Chelsea’s protests as Klaas-Jan Huntelaar fouled Fabregas inside the visitors’ half, with Draxler, such a classy performer in this form, sweeping down-field and away from Ramires in possession. Ivanovic’s tackle actually speared the ball back to the Dutch international, who had charged unnoticed down the left. Huntelaar duly cut inside and finished crisply and precisely beyond Courtois to the delight of a raucous visiting support.
That had prompted Mourinho to call for the cavalry, Diego Costa and Loic Remy flung on in desperation, with the Frenchman forcing Neustädter into a fine goal-line clearance from his first involvement. But the half-chances continued to be spurned, the best a thrashed volley from close-range by Hazard that flew into the stand, and a toe-poke from a Fabregas' pass which Fährmann did well to turn aside. This all felt wasteful.
Guardian Service
