Champions League - Chelsea lose in Naples
Chelsea will have to overturn a two-goal deficit if they are to reach the Champions League quarter-finals after they lost the first leg of their last-16 tie with Napoli 3-1 at the Stadio San Paolo.
Juan Mata opened the scoring for the Blues on 27 minutes, but the Italian side overturned that lead before half-time courtesy of strikes from Ezequiel Lavezzi and Edinson Cavani.
The two then combined in the second half for Lavezzi to score his second of the match and Napoli's third which gives them a significant aggregate lead to take with them to Stamford Bridge for next month's second leg.
Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas inadvertently caused a stir in the build-up to the match by leaving his team sheet at the hotel. It revealed that Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard were left on the bench, while fellow stalwart and captain John Terry was also omitted as it was confirmed he will miss the next two months through injury.
The Chelsea back line – with David Luiz and Gary Cahill in the centre and Jose Bosingwa on the left – looked unsteady in the opening stages, and they would have been behind earlier were it not for goalkeeper Petr Cech.
The Czech keeper became the first to save a shot on target from Cavani in this season's competition when he parried the Uruguayan's low shot after nine minutes, having been played into acres of space down the right with Branislav Ivanovic out of position.
By contrast, Napoli keeper Morgan De Sanctis was left all at sea as he came out to claim a long punt forward from Cech. Florent Malouda beat him to the punch but defender Hugo Campagnaro – whose head was heavily bandaged following an earlier collision with a Chelsea player - was on hand to cover.
After all the pre-match fuss about Cole's place among the substitutes, his rare taste of life on the bench lasted all of nine minutes before he was called upon to replace the injured Bosingwa.
Cole was not given time to settle into a breathless first half, and on 19 minutes he was left for dead by the overlapping Christian Maggio, who was denied by a fingertip save from Cech.
However Napoli, whose manager Walter Mazzarri was confined to the stands by UEFA, had themselves looked uncertain at times defensively and an error at the back led to Chelsea's opener. Paolo Cannavaro attempted to clear Daniel Sturridge's low cross but could only slice it into the air, and it dropped perfectly for Mata to slot home his ninth goal in Chelsea colours.
On 37 minutes De Sanctis was again caught in no man's land at a corner but David Luiz could only head over the bar, and moments later Napoli were level. Cavani squared the ball to Lavezzi, who turned past Raul Meireles with ease before bending a fine finish around Cech's outstretched arm and into the net.
Such was the open nature of the game that soon afterwards Ramires was allowed to practically waltz through the Napoli back line, but could only hit his strike high, and Napoli made him and Chelsea pay for that miss in first-half injury time. Gokhan Inler put in a fine cross from deep on the right that Ivanovic let bounce between him and Cech, and Cavani was on hand to pounce and nudge the ball home with his shoulder for his fifth goal of the competition.
Neither side took the opportunity of the half-time break to solidify their defence and the restart heralded what at times resembled a basketball match more than a Champions League knockout fixture.
Lavezzi fired wide after Cavani played him into the space which the ball-watching Cahill should have been occupying, before Didier Drogba almost powered his way through two defenders only to be tackled at the vital moment.
Mid way through the half, David Luiz took his turn to commit a costly error when he made a hash of intercepting a long ball forward from Campagnaro. Cavani took advantage of the Brazilian's weak effort and laid the ball on a plate for Lavezzi to score his second ever Champions League goal.
Villas-Boas called for the old guard, bringing on Lampard and Michael Essien with 20 minutes remaining, but they were not able to reduce the arrears.
Instead, Cole had to prevent the Blues from going further behind in the tie when he made a heroic block on the line to deny Maggio with nine minutes of the match remaining.
Following Arsenal's 4-0 defeat at AC Milan last week, it was another miserable night for an English side in Italy, although Chelsea will fancy their chances of staging a comebacks far more than their London rivals.
Comment 238 - 257 of 257
Only trophies count.
Michael Jordan once said "the runner-up is just the first loser."
English clubs: 3 CL trophies in 22 years.
Total domination indeed!
Bring back Ray Wilkins ASAP or aint you (Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich ) Man enough to realise you cocked up big time. AVB could use him, reckon he'll settle side and sort out differences between AVB and Team. BRING BACK BUTCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bring back Avram Grant!!!
Well I am certain Fergie would be able to do it at Chelsea and the football would be great.However there is no chance the great man will leave.Never forget Chelsea fans Chelsea were starting to decline when Mourinho was there.They played boring football the crowds were dwindling and there was trouble with the ploayers.Its strange how fans sometimes have short memories,Fergie had beat him the season before and Chelsea were showing no signs of reversing it.Check the facts
why is avb still using drogba whiles he can even get a single shot at the opponents keeper in 90 minutes
Sadly he is not good enough and he will pay the ultimate price.Dont be too sad he will get a pay off which will make Sir Alex Fergusons salary look very low.I dont think he will be worrying over money do you ?
chelsea has not been the same team since ray wilkins left did they get rid of the wrong person ??????
Andy. You are too stupid, ignorant, ungrateful and really bring down the good people of England with your moronic comment.
Who won the first silverwear for Chelsea? Gullit, and with which players Drogba, Malouda, Ashley cole, Essein and many more. Now all of a sudden there are too many black players.
What a shame
SAF, THE GREATEST, THE BEST, THE MOST ARTICULATE COACH OF ALL TIME. MAN UNITED, THE
BEST TEAM IN THE EPL. WE HAVE BEEN TO THE FINALS OF THE CL AND WON IT IN 2009
BEL pa zed
Managers manage the team.
Chairmans and owners run the club.
Do what your good at without interference.
The manager cannot change a game with other formations,Jose can.
Close a game down,Jose can.
His substitutes, don't get me started.
He is Jose's prot'eg'e, do me a favour.
From now on, AVB nor any other Manager with the exception of Mourinho, will never win anything for Chelsea
Bring back the "Golden one"
laughing at the yorkshire boys yea point taken
The whole thing is getting blown up out of proprtion.The press and internal politics are the problems here. Some of it down to RA, some of it seemingly down to the senior players, and RA should have stamped on it ages ago.
Sure RA wants to stay in europe and would have done without a doubt, had he not have made things unbearable for Mourinho.
Finally Ancelotti arrived, It seems he was given ineffective strikers, except, maybe Drogba. It has been clear for a long, long time that we need a reliable, reasonably prolific striker.Torres aint.I was amazed that Demba Ba was allowed to leave london!!
However it seem AVB has been instructed by RA to use Torres. The politics keep rising up. AVB said he does not always choose the players. Torres is one such player. Ineffective, yet maybe because of short sightedness, maybe due to internal politics no other striker has arrived.
JT injured before he and cahill could bed in together and luis (perhaps more politics) being played where he clearly is not cut out to play.
I blame RA for all the problems due to his interfering earlier. We have the makings of an excellent young manager who desperately needs RA's public support, but again, silence. I also blame the press for whipping up the supporters.
This is a new era. A season or two out of europe to give AVB some time to build a team would see us harvest rich rewards. RA is, it appears far too impatient and wants immediate success. It dont happen that way unless the manager is allowed to MANAGE with the full support of the board or owner. Or in United case with committment and patience, as with Alex Feruson.
Ahh, good to see those Cockney Boys getting a beating - Chelsea RIP
why is it that the usage of english has always problems to even the so called literates.this page is to address the present issues generating heat in the world of sport,you are hurling abusive words against yourself.you'd better have a rethink.To the main issue chelsea need to employ the services of a new coach if they were to go places next season.i think the return leg at stamford bridge would make the the difference if chelsea plays at their best.
SAF, THE GREATEST, THE BEST, THE MOST ARTICULATE COACH OF ALL TIME. MAN UNITED, THE
BEST TEAM IN THE EPL. WE HAVE BEEN TO THE FINALS OF THE CL AND WON IT IN 2009
BEL pa zed
MWA MWA MWA MWA MWA MWA MWAAAAAAAAA WHAT A DISGRACE. ar-sanal thumped 6-1. chel-sick
nicked 3-1 there is no CL material in the EPL, save for MIGHTY MAN UNITED. we have been
to the finals in 2010 and 2011. this year we leave it to the boys and they get whipped
badly.
BEL pa zed
@ bradley,
maybe i should help you reason in an unmyopic manner,i think every other league are leaving premier league in the dust now,so its news that EPL's best team 1 and 2 on the table are ranked with the lowest europe leagues playing UEFA CUP what a shame, if your league or championship side could cause trouble 'inside the league' please help youself not to think that people take you seriously as to what happen in the EPL, and maybe you should look at how your EPL'S FA always compromise or having double standard, and the worse is that they embraced something allien to football practice;'rugby-plus-football' which does not help EPL to grow in the europe, i laughed when you talk of la liga (king of football) just last week valencia came to england to beat rugby made stoke city,which you all claimed that it will be hard for a la liga barcelona to beat stoke, now valencia left them in the dust in england in a competitive match,
EPL now are just clueless as they are, something they do best,rugby plus kung fu plus karate plus football; no one player rated world best, while laliga BBWA boast of 3 world best.
"Carlo could have won this game with his wise tactics"
From Manny, on Wed 22 Feb 8:40AM
In Italia is said: "It's no use crying over spilled milk"...Translation: it's too late....Carletto is no more....
But, advice for Napoli: "Not to say cat if do not have in the bag" (Great Trap docet)
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