Champions League: MŠK Žilina v Chelsea full time report
Žilina 1 Chelsea 4
Chelsea opened their Champions League campaign by easing to victory over Žilina in Slovakia.
Michael Essien started the scoring with a precise low finish from Nicolas Anelka’s cross, and forward Anelka extended his side’s lead twice more in the opening half an hour, first with a low shot and secondly from point blank range after a John Terry header had struck the crossbar.
Yossi Benayoun released Daniel Sturridge to score his first Champions League goal shortly after the break, but the hosts grabbed a consolation when Tomas Oravec benefitted from a Petr Čech mistake to score from close range.
Florent Malouda came close to adding to the scoresheet, on what was a comfortable night for the English champions.
It was all too easy for Chelsea, who eased into their Champions League campaign in style.
A gap in quality was evident from kick off, and while Chelsea didn’t carve out a huge amount chances in the early stages, a goal always looked inevitable, and it duly arrived on 13 minutes.
Benayoun did well to evade a couple of challenges in the centre circle, and after his precise through ball fed Anelka, the French forward laid the ball across the face of goal for an onrushing Essien to sweep in to the bottom corner. After two goals in the win at West Ham at the weekend, the Ghanaian midfielder is really showing what his club have missed during his frequent absences through injury.
Undeterred, the hosts began to show somewhat of an attacking threat, and after Čech had fumbled a Robert Jez free kick dangerously close to his own net, giant Gambian forward Momodou Ceesay – a former Chelsea reserve player – snatched an effort wide. Moments later, Ceesay’s cross was headed straight at Čech by Babatounde Bello. If the difference in the quality of both sides wasn’t already evident though, it was about to be.
Chelsea had barely registered an attack since Essien’s goal, but they sprang forward with menace on 24 minutes, when Malouda’s ball over the top set the pacy Anelka clear, and the forward’s low, left-footed effort went through goalkeeper Martin Dubravka and into the bottom corner of the net.
Things were soon to go from bad to worse for the Slovakians. Malouda’s corner found Terry, and after Dubravka had tipped the Chelsea skipper’s header onto the crossbar, Anelka was on hand to stab home from the closest of range. Žilina, in their first ever Champions League group stage match, were being given a lesson.
Shortly before the break, Čech was forced into a good save from Admir Vladavic’s long range effort, before Bello headed the rebound wide.
But when Chelsea had chances, they usually scored them, and after Benayoun released Sturridge in the opening moments of the second half, the young forward rounded Dubravka and coolly finished with his left foot to make it four.
Perhaps feeling generous, the visitors then decided to help their opponents out, and after Čech came for a cross and missed it, the ball struck first Branislav Ivanovic, before brushing past Alex on its way towards the goalline, where Oravec turned it in from underneath the crossbar.
Inspired by the possibility of an unlikely comeback, Vladavic was soon firing wide from distance, before Lubomir Guldan saw a free header fly wide. The hosts had actually had more efforts at goal than their visitors.
Yet Chelsea were in control, and Carlo Ancelotti even allowed himself the luxury to give 17-year-old Josh McEachran a late debut in place of the impressive Benayoun.
The match petered out, with Žilina no doubt delighted that they didn’t end up on the end of a real rout.
As for Chelsea, their frightening form goes on.
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