We've got a Kalou: The shock inclusion of Salomon Kalou was vindicated when he scored the winner
Much improved: Fernando Torres showed flashes of former glories, but was let down by his finishing
No way thorough: For the most part, Benfica and Chelsea defended excellently
Eagle has landed: fans were treated to the wonderful spectacle of the Benfica mascot swooping through the stadium
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Perhaps Frank Lampard should reassess the qualities of this Chelsea side. They might well lack the consistency that enabled them to win three English titles but they remain a team capable of rising to the occasion on the continent.
This was some victory here in the Estadio da Luz, the product not only of a brilliantly executed 75th-minute goal from Salomon Kalou but also some serious graft typified by the irrepressible Ramires and the tenacious Fernando Torres.
It was no accident that they both played their part in securing the advantage Chelsea now take to Stamford Bridge next week for the second leg of this Champions League quarter-final.
It was Ramires, a constant threat down the right flank with his relentless running, who made the initial ground, and Torres who timed his ball into Kalou to perfection with the kind of skill and composure on which he built a reputation.
Roberto Di Matteo’s reputation has certainly been enhanced, the decision to omit certain senior players paying off when much the same approach had proved so costly for Andre Villas-Boas in Naples in the previous round.
What happened against Napoli actually made the team selection of the interim manager all the more courageous.
Torres ahead of Didier Drogba, Raul Meireles ahead of Lampard, David Luiz ahead of Gary Cahill; even John Mikel Obi ahead of Essien. All big calls, all of which enabled Chelsea to record their first away win in Europe in 13 months.
Like Ramires, Luiz was outstanding against his former club. He was in the right place at the right time to deny Oscar Cardozo in the 47th minute with a terrific goal-line clearance, coolly using his chest to avert the danger.
But he was also superb in a formidable partnership with John Terry. With their defensive colleagues, they left Benfica hugely frustrated, with Paulo Ferreira also deserving praise for his display at right back given that this was his first appearance in 2012.
The strategy Di Matteo employed was an intelligent one even if the omission of Lampard looked like the kind of gamble he did not need to take.
There was a real Iberian flavour to the Chelsea team, one that would be well-equipped for the challenge Benfica would pose.
But if Di Matteo also wanted to see his side ‘run and tackle’, as he put it afterwards, for 90 minutes, then that must have influenced his thinking too.
Lampard and Drogba have looked tired of late, and in the end the decision to put them on the bench proved a good one. Benfica will have to concede that, while they had more efforts on goal, Chelsea enjoyed the better of the chances.
Yes, Cardozo would have scored had it not been for Luiz. Yes, it took a quite brilliant save from Petr Cech to deny Jardel, the defender meeting a superb cross from Nicolas Gaitan with a thumping header.
But Juan Mata sent an effort against a post after bursting clear in pursuit of a long ball forward from Cech and Kalou really should have capitalised on another perfect delivery from Torres. Much to Di Matteo’s disappointment, he instead sent his header over the crossbar.
There was also a shot from Meireles that brought the best out of Artur during a largely uneventful first half. If the sight of the Benfica eagle circling the stadium was dramatic, the football that followed was not.
It was cagey, cautious, with both sides afraid to make the kind of mistake that might prove costly. There was a chance for Cardozo thanks to a nicely weighted chip forward from Bruno Cesar, but the Benfica forward’s effort flew wide.
Chelsea created further opportunities of their own. Torres sent a volley over the Benfica crossbar and Ramires continued to trouble Emerson down that flank. At the opposite end Cardozo sent a header over.
The second half was rather more lively than the first, however. Within two minutes Cardozo had seen Luiz chest his effort off the line and Kalou and Mata then went desperately close for Chelsea.
If Benfica had one major grievance, it was the referee’s failure to punish Terry for appearing to intercept a cross from Maxi Pereira with his hand. Terry would no doubt argue it was ball to hand.
But Jorge Jesus’s side could only curse the excellence of Cech for then stopping that Jardel header, just as he probably cursed Jardel for then allowing Torres to skip past him before delivering a pass to Kalou that eluded Luisao.
It was the simplest of finishes for Kalou but a goal Chelsea deserved, not least for their work-rate and a proper team effort. It was a quality Kalou highlighted afterwards. The difference, he said, was that they ‘played like a team’.
So now to Stamford Bridge, the second leg, and what should be Chelsea’s successful passage to the semi-finals.
As someone pointed out last night, this could yet prove to be a repeat of their 2009 season when they sacked their manager, lost to Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals and then beat Everton at Wembley to win the FA Cup.
That, however, would mean writing off Chelsea before a European game, and that is never a wise thing to do.
Posted By MATT LAWTON
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