Anelka class tells for Chelsea at København

Round of 16, First leg - 22/02/2011 - Parken Stadion - Copenhagen

København

0-2

Chelsea

• Anelka 17' , 54'
• FC København 0-2 Chelsea FCNicolas Anelka maintained his fine UEFA Champions League form, his sixth and seventh goals of the season earning Chelsea a first-leg cushion. 

Nicolas Anelka went a long way to dispelling the cloud of doubt that has enveloped Chelsea FC of late with both goals at FC København as the visitors racked up a healthy first-leg cushion.
Left with the UEFA Champions League as their only realistic target this term following their weekend FA Cup exit, the London club set about the task with admirable focus. January signing Fernando Torres was inevitably under the microscope once again in the Danish capital, but it was strike partner Anelka who profited most from Carlo Ancelotti's 4-4-2 formation, slotting in on 17 minutes before leaving his side in firm control with another assured finish after the break.
True to their pre-match promise Chelsea made a busy and determined start at the Parken Stadion, as Florent Malouda and Frank Lampard fired off-target before a miscued Ramires effort left Torres in possession close to goal on the right. In a prime position to open his Chelsea account, the former Liverpool FC striker failed to pounce, allowing Johan Wiland to dive at his feet and clear.
The hosts gradually felt their way into the game after that but just as they seemed to be competing on equal terms, Chelsea made the breakthrough. Jesper Grønkjær was guilty of a misplaced pass near the halfway line and the erstwhile Blues winger could only watch in horror as Anelka raced down the right and blasted low into the net.
An increasingly lively Torres then teased his way past Mathias Zanka Jørgensen and forced Wiland to save with his legs, before failing to get a full touch after being played in behind the FCK defence. He, Anelka and Malouda were all making inroads and their opponents barely registered as an attacking force: set pieces seemed their surest route to an equaliser in the first half.
Even those were proving to be rare occurrences and that prompted Ståle Solbakken to introduce an extra midfielder in the form of Martin Vingaard after the interval. On for César Santin, the Denmark international made an immediate impact, requiring Petr Čech to perform a first save from just outside the area and then snatching at a chance to lob the Chelsea No1.
If those opportunities gave the Parken Stadion faithful hope, it was quickly snuffed out again as Anelka doubled his tally, rifling crisply into the far corner after being picked out by a superb Lampard pass. Torres soon looked set to join him on the scoresheet too, twisting and turning on the edge of the area only to be thwarted by Wiland at full stretch.
FCK's night deteriorated further when right-back Zdeněk Pospěch collected a yellow card that will keep him out of the 16 March decider, but they were at least spared a third goal when Oscar Wendt cleared a goal-bound effort from Torres. At the other end Čech's comfortable handling from late Vingaard, Claudemir and Dame N'Doye attempts was a microcosm of his side's dominant display.

Match statistics

København		Chelsea
0	Goals scored	2
6	Attempts on target	7
5	Attempts off target	11
1	Corners	3
40' 8''	Possession (time)	35' 23''
53	Possession (%)	47
14	Fouls committed	9
2	Yellow cards	3
0	Red cards	0

Blackpool 3-1 Tottenham Hotspur

Blackpool secured an impressive victory against Tottenham Hotspur at Bloomfield Road.

Seasiders captain Charlie Adam opened the scoring with a firm penalty in the 18th minute after Sebastien Bassong had fouled DJ Campbell in the box.
Campbell then netted his ninth goal of the season a minute before the interval by connecting with James Beattie's cross before substitute Brett Ormerod netted a third with 10 minutes of normal time remaining, rendering Roman Pavyluchenko's effort at the death a mere consolation.

Carvalho keen to end Madrid's Lyon hoodoo

Real Madrid CF have lost on their three previous visits to Olympique Lyonnais, including in the last 16 a year ago, but Ricardo Carvalho is determined that they put that right.

Six long years have passed since the most successful side in European club competition history last made it past the UEFA Champions League round of 16, but defender Ricardo Carvalho says Real Madrid CF are determined to put that right against Olympique Lyonnais.
It was of course the French side who knocked Madrid out at this stage last season, beating them 1-0 at the Stade de Gerland then drawing 1-1 in the Spanish capital. Since then Carvalho, eliminated in the last 16 with Chelsea FC 12 months ago by FC Internazionale Milano, has followed the opposing coach that day – his ex-Blues and FC Porto mentor José Mourinho – to the Santiago Bernabéu.
Now Carvalho is determined to put Madrid's knockout woes behind them. "We know the importance of this event for the club and the players," the 32-year-old Portuguese international said. "We'll try to score a goal and get a good result before the return game."
Carvalho, at least, knows how to knock Lyon out of the UEFA Champions League having done it with Porto under Mourinho in the 2003/04 quarter-finals, winning 2-0 at home and drawing 2-2 in France on their way to lifting the trophy. "I remember it, of course," Carvalho said. "It's still a good moment in my career."
However, in Madrid's own three UEFA Champions League trips to Lyon, going back to 2005, they have lost on every occasion – without scoring – and were held in each of the home returns, the first two in the group stage. Carvalho is sure they can now end that run. "We are confident because we are in a positive period, in particular at home," he said. "If we want to qualify, we can't be satisfied with only one good game at this stage of the competition. We have to do well [in Lyon] and be efficient during the return game."

Terry eager to show Chelsea are no fading force

John Terry denied that age was catching up with Chelsea FC as he stressed a "hunger" to put their domestic travails behind them and achieve UEFA Champions League success.

With one win from five matches and no goals in their last three, it is fair to say this is a challenging period for Chelsea FC.
The Londoners' two-year reign as FA Cup holders ended with elimination by Everton last Saturday and, with their Premier League challenge faltering too, the view in some sections of the English press is that last season's double winners are a fading force. It is a view that John Terry was eager to dismiss at the Parken Stadion on the eve of his team's UEFA Champions League round of 16 first-leg meeting with FC København.
Chelsea captain Terry defended his squad against the accusation that time was catching up with them. "We are disappointed with our recent results but talk about us getting too old is wrong," said the 30-year-old England defender. "Two years ago we experienced a similar slump everybody started talking about we were getting too old and then when we won the double last season nobody seemed to mention our age."
The average age of the Chelsea starting XI against Everton on Saturday was 28 yet the perception of an ageing side comes from the fact that key performers like Terry, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba have all reached their 30s and, in some cases, struggled with injuries. The ticking clock at least ensures this fine generation of Chelsea players will be giving everything to achieve their long-held ambition of winning the UEFA Champions League, having gone tantalisingly close several times, losing four semi-finals and the 2008 final on a penalty shoot-out.
Terry says Chelsea's domestic struggles mean they have no option but to go for broke in Europe. "The Champions League is our priority," he said. "It will be tough to catch Man. United in the league even though we face them twice, so the focus is on lifting the trophy that has eluded us so far.
"We are a side full of quality and with the arrival of Fernando Torres and David Luiz [who is ineligible] we're even stronger. The tough times this season are part and parcel of being a footballer. I am disappointed but not giving up. We have confidence and we certainly have the players to compete at the top."
The fact this season's final takes place in London offers further incentive, were it needed, to a team who, in Terry's words, are "hungry" to finally hold that elusive trophy. "Our current situation could be a blessing in disguise to do well in the Champions League," he added. "It will be tough against a strong København side that will press us and be dangerous on the counter, but we are hungry and if we man up we have a chance of lifting the trophy at Wembley come May."

Milan's Gattuso suspended for four matches

UEFA's Control and Disciplinary Body has handed down a four-match ban to AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso following incidents at the game against Tottenham Hotspur FC.

AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso has been suspended for four UEFA club competition matches by the UEFA Control and Disciplinary Body, following incidents that took place at last Tuesday's UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg against Tottenham Hotspur FC in Italy.
The Control and Disciplinary body ruled that Gattuso had assaulted the Tottenham Hotspur assistant coach Joe Jordan after the match.
Gattuso, who was also cautioned in the 76th minute of the game, is already suspended for the return leg of the UEFA Champions League tie against Tottenham after receiving three yellow cards. Consequently, the four-match suspension applies to the next four UEFA club competition matches for which he would be eligible.
An appeal may be lodged against the verdict within three days of the dispatch of this decision.