Nordsjaelland 0-4 Chelsea - Match Report

Chelsea claimed their first Champions League win of the season with a solid 4-0 win over Danish outfit FC Nordsjaelland.

Juan Mata grabbed a brace for the defending champions, while Brazilian duo David Luiz and Ramires both scored second half goals to give the Blues the win.

The scoreline was perhaps flattering for Chelsea as the hosts went close a number of times. Petr Cech had to be at his best to tip an effort from Joshua John onto the post.

Their quality shone through though and they claimed a vital victory.

This was always going to be a difficult trip for Chelsea, as FC Nordsjaelland despite being a relative unknown quantity, were sure to put up a fight and make a real effort to try and cause an upset.

However they nearly went behind after just four minutes. An unmarked Victor Moses was allowed to rise at the back post to attempt to head the visitors in front. Some brave defending from Jores Okore denied the Nigerian and he was not allowed to get his effort in.

The hosts enjoyed a good spell of possession and were looking equal to Chelsea for the first half an hour, playing some nice football and keeping the likes of Fernando Torres, Oscar, Juan Mata and Moses at bay.

Nordsjaelland goalkeeper Jesper Hansen did well to save a shot from Torres after 22 minutes but they were undone not long after.

Torres did extremely well to dispossess Enoch Adu in the middle of the park before finding captain Frank Lampard who in turn found Mata with a perfectly weighted pass. The little Spaniard raced onto it to calmly convert his third goal in as many games.

The two teams came out for the second half and Chelsea carried on where from where they had left off. The impressive Torres was hard working and energetic throughout and tested Hansen a number of times. A second Blues goal was looking likely even though the hosts were controlling the possession.

As the game progressed, Chelsea become more and more frustrated at not being able to get the second goal and kill this game off. Their intricate work in midfield was lacking the cutting edge finish that they so desperately needed.

The home side were rallied by their visitor’s inability to grab a second and went all out to try and force an equaliser. Mikkel Beckman and Nicolai Stokholm had efforts on goal but they were unable to break down the European champions.

Joshua John sent a powerful strike whistling towards Petr Cech’s goal and the big man had to be at his brilliant best to tip it onto the post. That was the closest Nordsjaelland came to scoring and it proved to be the turning point in the game.

Chelsea, who had been living dangerously in the second half, brought on Eden Hazard to try and kill the game off and they finally got the second goal after 79 minutes. David Luiz curled home a sublime free kick from 27 yards out that gave Hansen no chance. He could only stand and watch as the Brazilian’s effort thumped the inside of the post and bounced into the net.

Luiz’s strike really knocked the wind out of the hosts who fell apart after that. Some sloppy defending three minutes later allowed Mata to surge into the box and slot home his second of the night before some nice work and a lovely cross from Oscar allowed Ramires to tap home.

Chelsea deserved their win in the end, but boy did FC Nordsjaelland make them work for it. Up until the second goal they were resilient and matched their opponents all over the park.

Juventus’s draw with Shakhtar Donetsk means the Blues top Group E on goal difference, with four games left to play.

__________________________________________________________________________-

So then Blues fans, what did we think?

I am overall very happy at this result. It was never going to be easy going out to Denmark to face these guys despite their underdog status. We knew it would be a tough encounter and despite making hard work of it for the most part, we did well. That was a game we could have easily drawn if we weren’t careful. Yes the scoreline perhaps doesn’t tell the whole story but I think we deserved the win.

What did everyone make of Torres’s game? I personally felt he looked sharp, hungry and willing to work hard for his teammates. There seems to be that passion in him that was perhaps absent before and I think this can only be great for him and his teammates. He really seems to be developing a partnership with Oscar and building on the one that already exists with Mata. If Fernando can keep his morale up and keep that fight and desire burning strong then I think he could have a wonderful season. He mustn’t let his head drop, that is the key.

I don’t think RDM should change this line up too drastically for our game with Norwich this weekend. I would like to see Moses get another start as I’ve really been impressed with him so far, his energy levels are superb and he looks like he can be a real success.

Thoughts on the game Chelsea fans? Where did we get it right? What do we still need to tweak? Be sure to comment!

follow me on twitter @sebbudd !

Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Cahill, Luiz, Cole, Ramires, Lampard (c), Mata (Mikel), Oscar, Moses (Hazard), TorresSubs: Turnbull, Azpilicueta, Terry, Bertrand, Romeu, Hazard, MikelScorers: Mata (2), Luiz, RamiresFC Nordsjaelland: Hansen, Pankhurst, Okore, Runje, Mtiliga, Adu, Stokholm (c), Lorentzen, Nordstrand, John, Beckman