Middlesbrough 0-2 Chelsea: Blues dig deep to secure QF berth

Chelsea beat a resolute Middlesbrough side 2-0 at the Riverside Stadium as goals from Ramires and Victor Moses set up a classic FA Cup tie against Manchester United in the quarter-finals.

Middlesbrough did show plenty of resistance against the European Champions, but the overwhelming quality of the Blues brought them victory in the end.

Both managers sprung surprises in their starting elevens for this game at the Riverside Stadium. Middlesbrough boss Tony Mowbray decided to play attacking midfielder Nicky Bailey at right-back, giving his number ten license to roam down the right. Jason Steele played in goal, with Andre Bikey, Stephen McManus and George Friend lining up with Bailey at the back.

Club captain Rhys Williams slotted into midfield with Grant Leadbitter, Faris Haroun and Mustapha Carayol starting behind Scott McDonald and Curtis Main.

While Boro kept a majority of their league starting XI, interim Chelsea manager Rafael Benitez chose to start a number of his fringe players alongside his regulars.

Paulo Ferreira started at right-back with Branislav Ivanovic and the returning John Terry at centre-back. Ryan Bertrand completed the rearguard. Young Dutch midfielder Nathan Ake was given his debut in the holding role, with Ramires, Victor Moses, Oscar and Israeli midfielder Yossi Benayoun – who was making his first start since returning on loan from West Ham in a five-man midfield.

Petr Cech was chosen over Ross Turnbull in goal and misfiring striker Fernando Torres played up front.

The tempo of the game was set right from the word go. Chelsea dominated possession in the early stages and created several half-chances in and around the Middlesbrough box.

Victor Moses failed to connect with a lovely ball across the face of goal by Ferreira in the seventh minute, and Oscar fired goalwards after skinning George Friend after ten minutes had passed on the clock, only for McManus to block. A minute later, Torres attempted to put foot to ball and poke past Steele but couldn’t do so, and Benayoun’s follow up was cleared to safety by the home defence.

In response, Middlesbrough carved the Chelsea defence open, albeit on only one occasion. In the ninth minute, Scott McDonald was sent scurrying past an out of position Terry, only for the assistant’s flag to call him back after he had raced through on goal.

A 15th minute free kick conceded by Ramires was launched into the box, but Ake cleared before anything could come to fruition.

As the minutes ticked by in the first half, Middlesbrough began to look more comfortable in possession. When they did give up the ball, Chelsea spurned what came their way. Torres won possession in the 21st minute and sprinted goalwards, but his attempt was tame and directed straight at Steele, drawing ironic cheers from the home crowd.

Moses tangled with Friend on the right in the 24th minute, but his low cross was cleared to safety. In response, Williams hoiked a ball into the Chelsea box with Ramires clearing. A minute later, Middlesbrough created the best chance of the game so far. Good work from Haroun against Bertrand saw the Belgian feed Bailey. His cross was headed just wide by Scott McDonald to audible groans from the Boro faithful.

As the half settled, both sides seemed intent on matching the other blow for blow. If Middlesbrough’s poor league form was a deterrent for them in this game, they did not show it. Leadbitter looked very comfortable as he cleared with ease after good work from Torres and Benayoun down the right just before the half hour mark.

Despite the attacking prowess in the Chelsea squad, they were unable to find a way past a resolute home rearguard. The Blues won two corners in the first half, both of which were cleared with ease by the hosts.

As the first half entered its final ten minutes, Middlesbrough were forced into a change. Centre-back Andre Bikey had been struggling with a hamstring complaint throughout the first half and was hauled off for Seb Hines.

Haroun tried to play in McDonald with an early diagonal ball across the face of goal after Main brought the ball forward, but his lob was gathered easily by Cech.

The game was opening up by now.

In response, Torres and Moses led a counter-attack forward, only for Hines to clear. Middlesbrough came back in the form of Carayol who speared a shot towards Cech. His venomous effort hit Cech squarely on the chest and Terry was on hand to clear from the lurking Main.

Boro were getting more and more adventurous now. Friend forayed forward and hit a cross towards Main, but Cech was aware of the incoming ball and came forward to collect with a little under 90 seconds of regulation time to go in the first half. Carayol and Williams then tried to pick their way past the Blues defenders, but a Terry interception put paid to that attack.

An entertaining battle was beginning to sprout between Friend and Moses on the Boro left. Friend won their latest skirmish in the first of the two minutes of added time, sliding in to deny Moses an opportunity to feed one of his team mates.

Referee Martin Atkinson blew for half time soon afterwards to call an end to a goalless – but entertaining – first half, which encapsulated the mettle that the FA Cup imparts to teams.

As the two teams returned to contest their Fifth Round tie on a bobbly pitch on a night on which the temperature read four degrees, Chelsea’s fans began to gee up their team in response to the unrelenting warbles of the home faithful.

It seemed to have the desired impact immediately. In the 51st minute, Benayoun played a bit of head tennis in the Boro box before knocking the ball back to Ramires. The Brazil international made no mistake in blasting home a powerful drive which took a defelction off Torres as it ended up in the back of the Boro net.

The game immediately began to step up a few gears in the aftermath of that goal.

Carayol showed endeavour on two separate occasions to test the Chelsea defence, with cries of ‘come on Boro’ echoing throughout the Riverside. Soon afterwards they won their first corner. McDonald’s header had power but no direction as it flew wide for a goal kick.

Fernando Torres then attempted to end his goal drought by unleashing a lethal-looking drive toward’s Steele’s goal, but his effort was deflected narrowly wide for a corner.

Immediately afterwards, Chelsea made their first substitution of the game, bringing on Eden Hazard for Yossi Benayoun.

Carayol won another corner just past the hour mark but that amounted to little. Mowbray then decided to inject some more attacking flair by taking off Curtis Main for Ishmael Miller.

A good one-two between Hazard and Oscar saw the Belgian in acres of space in the box, but the Brazilian’s pass to his team mate was overhit and rolled out for a goal kick. Chelsea, however, continued to look threatening and the presence of Frank Lampard warming up on the sidelines — as he searches for that elusive 200th Chelsea goal — would have done little to calm the Boro nerves.

With Chelsea looking the more assertive side, Middlesbrough’s lines between defence and attack looked stretched, forcing the hosts to either give up possession or play the ball sideways.

Midway through the second half, a long ball found Miller, who teed up the advancing Williams. Fortunately for Chelsea, Ramires stuck to the Australia defender like a limpet and was able to rob him of the ball before any damage could be done.

The Brazilian was having an excellent game, and showed his positional awareness a minute later by dispossessing Miller just inside the box seconds before the Englishman pulled the trigger.

Hazard flashed a shot wide in the 72nd minute after a great run from Ramires brought the ball to the edge of the box, as Chelsea looked to pull the trigger.

Almost immediately, Chelsea made in 2-0.

Hazard an Oscar recreated their 1-2 and the former Lille man rolled the ball to Moses, who made no mistake in poking past Steele to double his team’s lead and virtually seal passage into the Sixth Round.

With the state of things being the way they were, Middlesbrough’s players flew into a couple of rash tackles. McManus found himself entering the referee’s copybook after ploughing through a Chelsea player.

Both managers then made contrasting substitutions in the 75th minute. Marouane Zemmama came on for Carayol in an attacking change, while David Luiz replaced Moses as Chelsea attempted to protect their lead. Four minutes later, Marko Marin was brought on in place of Oscar as both managers completed their three allotted changes.

Middlesbrough were then awarded a free kick as they looked for an opportunity to claw their way back into the game. Zemmama took command of a free kick from 25 yards. While it was hit well, his 82nd minute effort did not trouble Cech. The hosts were then awarded a corner, and while Seb Hines rose highest, his header was planted wide.

Seconds later, Haroun blazed wide after being put through by Miller to howls of agony from the home fans.

Bailey was then booked for chopping down Ake four minutes from time. The resulting free kick was headed wide by McManus. A minute from time, Marin picked his way past the Boro defence, but delayed his shot for too long and allowed the hosts to clear the ball forward.

That clearance ended up at the feet of Miller, who stung Cech from an acute angle. Leadbitter then put a corner across the face of goal and the ball popped out to Zemmama, who scuffed his shot well wide.

After seeing out three minutes of added time, Atkinson called curtains on the game, which saw a workmanlike Chelsea defeat a dogged Middlesbrough team. While they did not stroll past their opponents, they will have to raise their game for their quarter-final fixture…

…away at Manchester United

Lineups:

Middlesbrough 0-2 Chelsea (Ramires 51′, Moses 73′)

Referee: Martin Atkinson

Middlesbrough: Steele; Bailey, Bikey (Hines 35′), McManus, Friend; Williams, Leadbitter, Haroun, Carayol (Zemmama 75′); Hain (Miller 63′), McDonald

Subs not used: Leutwiler, Emnes, Ledesma, Smallwood

Manager: Tony Mowbray

Chelsea: Cech; Ferreira, Terry (c), Ivanovic, Bertrand; Ake, Ramires, Benayoun (Hazard 60′), Oscar (Marin 79′), Moses (Luiz 75′); Torres

Subs not used: Turnbull, Cole, Lampard, Ba

Interim Manager: Rafael Benitez

Stats:

Middlesbrough: Shots (on target): 11 (5), Corners: 3, Fouls: 6

Chelsea: Shots (on target): 7 (4), Corners: 5, Fouls: 11

Possession: Middlesbrough 47%-53% Chelsea

Next Fixture:

Middlesbrough vs Cardiff City, 02 March 2013, NPower Football Championship, Riverside Stadium

Chelsea vs West Bromwich Albion, 02 March 2013, Barclays Premier League, Stamford Bridge