BETIS BATTERED BY
BRILLIANT BLUES
Chelsea's passage into the knockout phase of the Champions League
now looks assured after a magnificent victory over Real Betis at
Stamford Bridge.
Jose Mourinho had pinpointed two wins against the Spaniards as
pivotal to their progress in the competition and the first half of
the job was carried out with competent ease in London as Chelsea
took their tally to 13 goals in their last three games.
The win puts the Blues top of Group G and with Mourinho believing
nine points will be enough to ensure qualification to the next
stage, the English champions can achieve their ambitions with a
similarly classy performance in sun-kissed Seville in a
fortnight.
Prior to kick-off Betis were just a point behind the Londoners and
quietly believed they possessed the necessary firepower to inflict
the first defeat of the season on the runaway Barclays Premiership
leaders.
But they were taken apart by a Chelsea side who have yet to meet
their match either domestically or in Europe this season and who,
on this kind of form, look more than capable of going one step
further than the semi-final stage they reached last season.
The Spaniards, currently languishing in mid-table in La Liga with
just two wins to their name this season, are not particularly noted
for their attacking ambitions.
However, coach Lorenzo Serra Ferrer had the good sense to
understand that trying to defend against Mourinho's men is a futile
tactic which merely invites Chelsea to inflict maximum damage on
their opponents. Sadly for the Betis chief, it made no
difference.
They briefly threatened to shock Chelsea and Joaquin's fourth
minute free-kick would have caused Carlo Cudicini problems had
Frank Lampard not protected his goalkeeper with a timely
intervention.
Sixty seconds later it was Claude Makelele's turn to rescue the
Londoners when he cleared a header from Gutierrez Juanito off the
goal-line.
At this juncture, the Spaniards looked lively, full of invention
and goalscoring intent - a refreshing change from the lifeless
performance Anderlecht produced against the Blues in the first game
of this season's competition.
It wasn't long though before the Chelsea machine inevitably began
to crank itself into a momentum which, as most teams have
discovered this season, is difficult to halt once it reaches a
certain gear.
The hands of Betis goalkeeper Antonio Doblas had already been stung
by a vicious 20-yard drive from Joe Cole and when Shaun
Wright-Phillips evaded his marker and delivered a measured cross
into the six-yard box, Didier Drogba was inches away from applying
the finishing touch.
The Ivory coast hitman, enjoying a rich vein of form after bagging
a brace in their 5-1 Barclays Premiership demolition of Bolton on
Saturday, soon made amends - making Betis pay dearly for giving the
ball away cheaply in midfield.
The guilty party, Fernando Varela, presented the ball to Michael
Essien in the centre circle and the Ghanaian international burst
forward unchallenged as the Betis defence opted for a policy of
containment rather than confrontation.
However, Essien proved far to clever for the Spaniards and, after
fooling the retreating defenders by feigning to shoot, he supplied
the perfect pass into the penalty area for the lurking Drogba to
thread the ball under the body of the advancing Doblas in the 24th
minute.
A minute before the interval and Real's hopes evaporated completely
thanks to another present - this time courtesy of 'keeper
Doblas.
He kindly dropped Frank Lampard's free-kick at the feet of Ricardo
Carvalho on his own goal line and the Portuguese defender gleefully
smashed the ball home.
Not even the loss of Drogba at half-time could upset Chelsea's
evening although it may have imminent repercussions in terms of the
Premiership this weekend.
He felt the full force of a David Rivas tackle just before the
break and was replaced at half-time by Hernan Crespo.
In the 59th minute, Chelsea put the game beyond the reach of their
opponents with a splendid move that had Mourinho out of his seat
and celebrating along the touchline in a rare display of Portuguese
pleasure.
The prime mover was the impressive Essien who delivered the perfect
ball into the path of England midfielder Cole.
The youngster, showing yet more evidence of his growing maturity
and stature, waited for the right moment to despatch a right-foot
shot into the bottom corner of the net from the edge of penalty
area.
But the best was yet to come. It arrived five minutes later
courtesy of a stunning three man move. Lampard's superb 30-yard
pass over the top of Melli's head was met by Wright-Phillips who
volleyed the ball, first-time, back into the six-yard box for
Crespo to head home from point blank range.
It was a move of sheer quality and class and put the gloss on
another scintillating performance from Chelsea.
- credit: Sporting
Life
