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Chelsea stumbled through to the knockout stages of the Champions League with a 2-1 victory over CFR Cluj at Stamford Bridge.

Needing a win to guarantee progress in the competition, Salomon Kalou put the home side in front at the end of a first-half they had laboured through, although the visitors stunned Luiz Felipe Scolari's men with Yssouf Kone's equaliser nine minutes after the break.

Scolari had preferred Nicolas Anelka to Didier Drogba up front, but the Ivory Coast striker came off the bench to prod a winning goal on 71 minutes to save any embarrassment.

Roma's victory at home to Bordeaux meant that a draw would have been enough for Chelsea to qualify, although they still finish the group campaign as runners-up to the Italians, who should have a favourable draw when the competition resumes in the New Year.

Nervous tension was building in the home side after they made a stuttering start to the match, unable to find the clinical pass in the final-third as Cluj put up a strong defensive showing.

The hosts survived a genuine scare in the 17th minute when Hugo Alcantara met a cross from the tricky Juan Culio and headed back across goal, with John Mikel Obi needing to clear from a yard out with Cadu waiting to tap into an open goal.

Joe Cole, returning to the side after a two-match absence with an ankle injury, then went close as the home side gradually began to find their feet.

The former West Ham midfielder controlled Michael Ballack's cross on the edge of the box before firing wide of Nuno Claro's near post.

As it turned out, Chelsea had their goal handed to them on a plate six minutes before the break when a deep free-kick into the box somehow found its way to the feet of the Ivorian forward, completely unmarked six yards out. After some neat control, Kalou slammed the ball high into the net to break the deadlock and settle some nerves.

However, despite looking more relaxed after the break, the home side suffered the indignity of a Cluj equaliser nine minutes into the second half when Kone pulled away from marker Alex at the back post to meet Cristian Panin's cross and power a fine header past Petr Cech.

With Roma taking the lead over Bordeaux in Italy there was less urgency for a win, but the increasingly frustrated Scolari replaced Kalou with Drogba for the final half-hour and it was a move that paid almost immediate dividends.

Chelsea broke through the middle when Mikel lifted a cute pass into the path of Cole, who found Drogba inside the box. The striker took one touch to control the ball before quickly stabbing a shot under the body of Claro to put the home side back in front.

The remainder of the match was played out with complete ease as Chelsea knocked the ball about with no real urgency, content to take the victory out of a disjointed and lacklustre performance in front of an unsatisfied home crowd.

Roma 2-0 Bordeaux

Roma finished top of Group A with a comfortable victory over Bordeaux thanks to second-half goals from Matteo Brighi and Francesco Totti.

The match was goalless at half-time after a tense opening 45 minutes, both sides aware that a victory would ensure passage into the knockout stages regardless of the result at Stamford Bridge.

But midfielder Brighi controlled a low Simone Perrotta cross from the right and drove home to open the scoring just after the hour.

Totti fired in from the edge of the box to seal victory in the 79th minute.

The visitors paid the price for being too timid for a side needing a win to progress.

Roma have fought back from losing their opening game to Romanian debutants CFR Cluj to top the group with 12 points, one more than Chelsea.

Bordeaux finished third with seven and go through to the UEFA Cup.

Alex Sharratt / Eurosport