Match reports
The Guardian, Dominic Fifield: “The Champions League was supposed to have done away with mismatches like this. Chelsea won Group B at a canter last night, ripping a floundering Rosenborg to shreds and ensuring that, when this competition resumes for the knockout phase, they will be paired with a runner-up rather than a group winner. Avram Grant’s conviction that a first European Cup can be secured in Moscow in May remains unswayed.”
The Times, Matt Hughes: “With a typically powerful demonstration of his art, [Drogba] fired Chelsea into the knockout phase as group B winners last night, scoring two early goals to set them on course for a comfortable victory. Alex, the Brazilian who resembles an old-fashioned English defender, and Joe Cole, the Englishman who plays like a Brazilian, scored the others to finish off limited opponents in style.”
The Independent, Jason Burt: “Drogba didn’t so much overwhelm Rosenborg as humble them, taking control inside the first minute. The Ivorian, known as “King Drogba” in his homeland, struck twice in the first-half – he now has 21 goals in 38 appearances in this competition – to make a mockery of the pre-match claim by the home side’s veteran defender Vidar Riseth that they had “devised” a plan to stop him. Some plan.”
Daily Telegraph, John Ley: “With Christmas less than a month away Chelsea banished the ghost of managers past with another hugely impressive performance, to move into the knockout stages of the Champions League with a game to spare. Norway traditionally gift Trafalgar Square a Christmas tree; last night, Christmas came early for Chelsea in Norway.”
Official Chelsea FC Website, Andy Jones: “After sealing qualification on a cold night in Trondheim, Chelsea’s Champions League campaign is just hotting up.”
The goals
07′ Drogba 0-1
20′ Drogba 0-2
40′ Alex 0-3
73′ J. Cole 0-4
The good
- Four goals. Brilliant performance. Qualification for the knock-out stages. Group winners. No fresh injury concerns. A good night all round.
- Didier Drogba. It cannot be overstated just how important Drogba is to Chelsea Football Club; he’s almost irreplaceable. Simply awesome in this game.
- Joe Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips. Great wing play and defensive displays from both. Cole made Drogba’s first goal (I’m sure Tony was pleased to see Joe have a pop himself), and Wright-Phillips was instrumental in his second. I’d like to see Cole and Wright-Phillips play together more often.
- Alex’s goal. For its comedic value alone.
- 13 games unbeaten, of which 10 have been clean sheets.
- Apparently Ricardo Carvalho’s injury is not as bad as first thought.
The bad
- It would be nitpicking to try and find holes in an impressive performance like this one. I enjoyed every second of it. Perhaps we should have scored at least six more goals?
Man of the Match
It has to be Didier Drogba. An outstanding night’s work from the big man.
