Summary
Eden Hazard's late, late show earned us a draw
against a spirited Sparta side, enough to send us into the last 16 of the
Europa League.
After a strong start, Chelsea were caught with a
blow few had predicted, David Lafata firing the visiting side ahead 16 minutes
in, but with chances continuing to come, it looked as though Chelsea would
still progress with little trouble.
But chance after chance went begging, for
Fernando Torres and Victor Moses in particular, and suddenly Sparta looked like
they might nick it on the break as youngster Vaclav Kadlec twice broke clear,
but in injury time, substitute Hazard stepped up and earned the necessary draw
to avoid extra-time, cutting inside and blasting home to the relief of a full
Stamford Bridge.
Team news
Rafael Benitez made five changes to the side
which started against Brentford. Full-backs Cesar Azpilicueta and Ryan Bertrand
returned, with John Mikel Obi back after Nigeria's African Cup of Nations
success alongside Ramires in central midfield. Demba Ba, cup-tied, was replaced
by Torres up front.
Frank Lampard and Branislav Ivanovic were rested
altogether, while David Luiz, Ashley Cole and Eden Hazard were all among the
substitutes.
First half
Chelsea, already defending a one-goal lead from
the first leg, almost doubled that advantage within five minutes when Torres
released Moses down the right flank, and received the return pass on the edge
of the box, just dragging his effort wide of the far post with Sparta's
goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik at full stretch and looking beaten.
Oscar saw an effort deflected wide before at the
other end it took a flying Azpilicueta block to deny Sparta striker David Lafata
a goal when he reacted quickest to a loose ball dropping inside the Chelsea
box.
Torres then lifted a Juan Mata cross onto the
roof of the net from close range with Sparta's centre-backs split, and later
headed a corner from his compatriot over the bar.
Chelsea v Sparta
Chances were not sparse, but the sooner Chelsea
could start taking them the sooner we could think about the next round. Sparta
would soon show how it was done, and ensure a nervy night ahead in the process.
Once again the ball dropped loose inside the
Chelsea area, and once again the visiting player reacted quickest, and when the
ball was pulled back to Lafata this time he made no mistake, lashing it high
into the roof of the net to draw his side level on aggregate.
Tomas Prikryl brought a near-post save from Petr
Cech on the half-hour, and from the resulting corner, Marek Matejovsky,
formerly of Reading, half-volleyed just over the bar.
After a bright start Chelsea were unsettled and
it too considerable time before we were able to construct a meaningful attack
once more. When we did, Azpilicueta's cross was cut out just before Torres
could nod home.
Oscar in action against Sparta
Seven minutes before the break Mata came close to
levelling, bringing down Ramires's long ball and turning past his man before
shooting for goal, Vaclik just diverting it over with an instinctive save.
Just before the break, Torres headed over again
from a Mikel cross. At least chances were still coming.
Second half
Neither side made changes at the interval, with
Sparta set to counter, but it was Chelsea who almost scored on the break just a
minute into the second half.
Oscar strode through midfield past a pair of
challenges before finding the overlapping Ramires in the channel. The Brazilian
shot first time, but saw his effort bounce back into play via a deflection and
the outside of the post.
Not long later Torres went through but Vaclik
saved well from the striker, and then palmed away a Terry flick that looked all
the way like an equaliser.
The Blues continued to huff and puff, and Benitez
called for Hazard and he considered changes. Oscar was the man sacrificed.
Ramires in action against Sparta
Moses, whose deflected effort was going wide,
brought a diving save from Vaclik, as we approached the final 20 minutes.
Pressure on Sparta's goal was beginning to increase, the visitors frequently
operating with 11 men behind the ball.
A breakaway almost brought a second Sparta goal,
but Cahill blocked from Kadlec Ramires dragged wide for Chelsea but then Tomas
Zapotocny and Kadlec again both went close for the Czechs.
A Hazard free-kick, whipped from the left, evaded
everybody but Vaclik, who punched clear despite an awkward bounce in front of
him, and with the seconds ticking away Ramires's shot was blocked by a defender.
Chelsea corner.
Mata crossed it low, Terry got something on it
and it fell for Moses, on the swivel, six yards out. Somehow, the winger
scooped it high.
As two minutes added time were announced it
looked like we would be made to pay as Sparta broke again. Fortunately Kadlec
shot wide. Then they broke again, and Cahill produced a stunning block on the
same player.
Surely now extra time would come.
But wait. Hazard received possession down the
left, and beat his man, cutting inside and back onto his right foot, before
smashing an absolute rocket into the top corner of the Sparta net.
Eden Hazard scores against Sparta
It was desperately cruel on Prague, but the Blues
will not mind one bit. After the goal there was only time for sub Roman Bednar
to be introduced before the referee blew the final whistle.
It is on to the last 16.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech; Azpilicueta, Cahill, Terry (c), Bertrand; Ramires, Mikel; Moses,
Mata, Oscar (Hazard 67); Torres.
Unused substitutes Turnbull, Cole, David Luiz,
Ferreira, Marin, Benayoun.
Goal Hazard 90+1
Booked Bertrand 85
Sparta Prague (4-2-3-1): Vaclik; Zapotocny, Svejdik, Holek, Hybs; Matejovsky (c), Vacha; Prikryl,
Kadlec (Bednar 90+3), Krejci; Lafata (Kweuke 82).
Unused substitutues M Cech, Pamic, Vidlicka,
Polom, Janos.
Goal Lafata 16
Booked Lafata 43, Hybs 55, Prikryl 84, Matejovsky
87, Kwueke 90+1
Referee Aleksandar Stavrev
(Macedonia)
Attendance 38,642
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