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Chelsea win but Bayern penalty keeps hopes alive
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-04-07 09:25 Chelsea took a step towards
the Champions League semi-finals when they beat Bayern Munich 4-2 at Stamford
Bridge with a double by Frank Lampard on Wednesday even without banned coach
Jose Mourinho in their dugout.
Mourinho, suspended by UEFA after incidents in the last round against
Barcelona and watching the match on television, must have been dancing around
his set in joy as Lampard struck in between goals by Joe Cole and Didier Drogba.
Mourinho's side outfought the German league leaders in an uncompromising
quarter-final first leg which saw six players booked by Dutch referee Rene
Temmink.
Bayern's hopes, which seemed in tatters going into the last minute of
stoppage time, were revived when Michael Ballack scored a penalty with almost
the last kick of the match although Chelsea remain favourites to reach the last
four.
Lampard's goals inside 10 minutes midway through the second half transformed
the game after Cole had given Chelsea a fourth minute lead before Bayern's
20-year-old substitute Bastian Schweinsteiger equalised seven minutes into the
second half.
But if Bayern, who knocked out Arsenal on their last visit to London three
weeks ago, thought they had done enough to save the match, they had a nasty
surprise in store.
The failure of their defence to deal with the long ball was to cost them dear
as Lampard scored after 60 minutes and then again after 70 minutes to put
Chelsea 3-1 up before Didier Drogba rammed in the fourth from close range in the
81st.
Lampard's second goal was the highlight of the victory as he collected a long
ball from Claude Makelele on his chest before spinning around and firing home on
the turn with his left foot to give goalkeeper Oliver Kahn no chance.
Ballack's penalty award seemed a little fortunate as he appeared to fall
easily after only a slight touch from defender Ricardo Carvalho. Still, it
leaves the German side with a chance as their two away goals could yet prove
decisive.
SCRAPPY MATCH
After a rugged, scrappy first half and a second period that always threatened
to ignite with a series of late, niggling challenges, Chelsea gradually took
control of the game with Mourinho's absence not seeming to affect them.
It took them just four minutes to open the scoring when John Terry's long
upfield ball found the head of Bayern defender Robert Kovac whose poor attempted
clearance went straight to Damien Duff.
The Irish international played a crisp neat pass to Cole on the edge of the
penalty area and his shot took a deflection off the heel of centre-back Lucio,
leaving Kahn stranded as the ball nestled in the back of his net.
Bayern may have been rattled but they were never overawed by the London side
who had raced into a seven minute lead against Barcelona in the last round and
were 3-0 up after 19 minutes before winning that game 4-2 as well.
Bayern never allowed Chelsea that luxury with Owen Hargreaves and Michael
Ballack matching Frank Lampard and Claude Makelele's industry in midfield and
creating chances for their front men.
They had a superb chance to equalise after 28 minutes when Glen Johnson
headed weakly straight to Ze Roberto wide on the left six metres from goal but
the Brazilian skewed his shot wide of Petr Cech's left-hand post.
Four minutes later he again went close, scooping a well-struck 20-metre
freekick just over the bar.
Bayern eventually got their deserved equaliser when Schweinsteiger
capitalised on a rare lapse of brilliance by Cech who failed to hold a rasping
shot from Ze Roberto after the Chelsea wall had blocked a Ballack freekick.
Then Lampard enhanced his claims to become England's Footballer of the Year
with his two excellent strikes, the first a sweet left-foot shot from the edge
of the box and the second his masterful shot on the turn.
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