Efficient Chelsea defeat Spartak Moscow in the Champions League
Chelsea overcame Spartak Moscow in the early Champions League kick-off on Tuesday, 19 October, winning 2–0 against the Russian team at the same ground where they lost the final of the
competition two years ago.
Carlo Ancelotti's team turned in a solid performance in the first half as Yuri Zhirkov and Nicolas Anelka built up a lead that Spartak couldn't decimate in the second half, despite several worthy attempts.
Kombarov squanders opportunity for Spartak
After a fiery start to the game, Dmitri Kombarov got a chance for the Russian side that he should have done better with. Right-back Sergey Parshivluk was tackled in the Chelsea box on the right side, and
the English defence could only clear the loose ball to the left side of the box, where the winger had been left completely unmarked.
Kombarov waited patiently for the ball before lashing his left-footed effort over the bar when he should have at least tested Petr Cech. Minutes later, the Russian crossed for Welliton, who managed to
test the Chelsea keeper at the near post, but Cech was equal to it.
Zhirkov, starting his third game for Chelsea this season, put the Londoners ahead with his first ever goal for the club on 23 minutes.
The Russian ran onto a loose ball outside the box and hit a diving, unstoppable volley into the right-hand side of the net as the Spartak defence looked on.
Anelka then doubled Chelsea's lead with a trademark move in the 42nd minute. The French striker beat the offside trap expertly to run onto Michael Essien's through ball, turned once to get a good sight
of goal and rolled the ball into the far corner for his third European goal this season.
Chelsea withstand Spartak after the break
Aiden McGeady, who joined Spartak from Celtic in the summer, tested Cech twice early on in the second half, and the keeper also had to be on his toes as Ibson came close with two efforts.
The victory leaves Ancelotti's team top of Group F with three wins from three games. They are trailed by Spartak, who now have six points, three more than Olympique de Marseille, who beat last-placed MSK
Zilina 1–0 on Wednesday.
"We have to stay focused for the next game, we want to arrive in first place, this is our aim and we have the possibility to do this," Ancelotti said after the game, adding that he intends to always field
his best team in Europe. "We don't have to give rest to other players, the Champions League is important for all the games."
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