Chelsea vs Valencia: Player ratings

Chelsea secured their passage to the knockout stages of the Champions League on Tuesday evening as they cruised to a 3-0 victory over Spanish outfit Valencia at Stamford Bridge. Here are the player ratings from the Champions League encounter.

CHELSEA

Petr Cech (8): He made a string of impressive saves to keep Valencia out and always looked assured when the visitors put pressure on his goal. His handling was superb and he never looked like getting beaten.

Branislav Ivanovic (7): Strong and effective defending from the Serb as he tracked back when required and held his own against Alba and Mathieu.

Ashley Cole (7): Looked shaky early on but settled into the game eventually. Didn’t offer much of a threat going forward as he decided to stay back and guard his goal.

John Terry (7.5): After a long time we saw the Chelsea captain put in a solid display. Refused to be beaten and will be delighted to have not conceded.

David Luiz (7.5): Like Terry, he has taken a lot of stick this season but produced a combative performance to keep out Valencia.

Oriol Romeu (8): Kept the play ticking superbly and made a few vital interceptions. His reading of the game was top notch and it seems Chelsea have found another midfield gem.

Ramires (7.5): Superb display in the middle of the park as he ran rings around the Valencia midfield. His sheer pace and determination led to his goal as he outmuscled Ruiz and calmly slotted the ball past Diego Alves. Subbed off just after the hour mark for John Obi Mikel.

Raul Meireles (6.5): Missed a good chance very early on and that was his highlight of his evening. Overshadowed by Ramires and Romeu in midfield.

Juan Mata (7.5): Two more assists for the diminutive Spaniard as he continues to impress. Was outmuscled a few times by Valencia but held his own when it counted. Replaced by Malouda.

Daniel Sturridge (7): Produced a mixed bag as he led many counter attacks but failed to produce the telling ball time and again. Needs to improve his decision making.

Didier Drogba (9): Villas-Boas has shown his faith in Drogba recently by starting him ahead of the misfiring Torres. Yet again the Ivorian justified his manager’s decision by putting in a performance of sheer quality and brutal physical power. Took his goals really well and led the line with some determination. Received a standing ovation when he was replaced by Torres.

Subs:

John Obi Mikel (6.5): Came on for Ramires and helped Chelsea see out the game.

Fernando Torres (N/A): Came on for the magnificent Drogba but didn’t really get into the game.

Florent Malouda (N/A): Replaced Mata with moments to go.

VALENCIA

Diego Alves (6): Should have kept out Drogba’s opener as he got only a tame hand on the Ivorian’s effort. Could do nothing about the other goals however as his defense failed to support him.

Victor Ruiz (4): Had a shocker. Completely misjudged Ramires’s pace as the Brazilian powered past him with ease and slotted home Chelsea’s second. Was outmuscled again in the second half by Drogba but the striker failed to capitalize.

Adil Rami (5.5): As expected, he struggled to handle Drogba. The striker had a ball against Rami and Ruiz as Valencia’s players failed to deal with his threat.

Jeremy Mathieu (6): Provided some good width whenever Valencia went forward. Had a mixed evening dealing with Sturridge but can hold his head up high compared to the rest of his team mates.

Antonio Barragan (6): The former Liverpool right back had an evening to forget as hid return to English soil ended in defeat. Used sparingly by Valencia when going forward.

Tino Costa (6.5): Impressive work rate and got stuck in midfield but he lacks the creative spark that Valencia so desperately needed on the night.

David Albelda (6.5): Like Costa, he worked hard in the middle of the park but found no way past the solid blue wall. Had a long range effort saved by Cech in the first half.

Jordi Alba (7): Hit the post from an impossible angle when the score was still 1-0 and looked the most dangerous attacking threat in the early stages. Replaced by Aduriz early in the second half after picking up a knock.

Sofiane Feghouli (6.5): Another player with an impressive work ethic performance but no creativity. Denied a goal by another outstanding Cech save.

Jonas (6): Didn’t do enough on the night to price open that Chelsea defense. Failed to provide service or support to Soldado.

Roberto Soldado (5): Hardly seen in the game as he was well shacked by Terry and Luiz. Devoid of service, his late challenge on Ivanovic summed up his evening.

Subs:

Aritz Aduriz (6): Came on for Alba early in the second half but struggled to get into the game.

Pablo Hernandez (N/A): Came on late and offered little in terms of effort.