A solitary Demba Ba goal wins for Chelsea

Summary
A steady if unspectacular victory courtesy
of Demba Ba 's early goal means Chelsea
finish group stage winners for the ninth
time in our 12 Champions League
campaigns.

Opportunities for more goals were few,
although Branislav Ivanovic was denied
by good goalkeeping and Ba another goal
by wayward finishing. Steaua, who set a
new record tonight for most consecutive
Champions League games without a
victory, wasted one gilt-edged chance
shortly after the goal but that apart did
not look likely to get back into the match.

Team News
Jose Mourinho spoke before the game of
the need to rest players but still win the
game and he set out to do that by making
seven changes from the defeat at Stoke.

Mark Schwarzer at 41 years of age played
the first Champions League game of his
career and ahead of the goalkeeper,
Ashley Cole returned to defence, as did
David Luiz who was over injury, just like
his countryman Oscar who was also
back. Willian , ill and unavailable at the
weekend, and Eden Hazard were the wide
players with Ba leading the attack.

First half
Prior to kick off, and in common with
other European games this week, a
banner was displayed in front of the two
teams before kick-off in tribute to Nelson
Mandela, with applause around the
stadium greeting it.

Two minutes into the game, there was
almost a positive start manufactured in
Brazil but David Luiz didn't connect
cleanly enough when Willian 's corner
dropped at his feet. Then Willian fed Oscar
through the middle but his shot bent the
wrong way and went wide.

Chelsea were quickly on top and Lampard
blasted a ball from wide into the crowded
goalmouth but didn't get the favourable
touch he was seeking,
There was corner after corner in the
opening stages, and it was Demba Ba
who made one count after just nine
minutes for his second Champions
League goal of the season. Willian took it
from the right and Oscar headed on
towards the target, with Ba able to bundle
it over the line having reacted better than
Daniel Georgievski. There was a suspicion
the Steaua defender might have scored
himself which would have added to the
own-goal he netted when the two teams
met in Romania in October, but it was
confirmed by UEFA as belonging to the
Chelsea striker before half-time.

One goal to the good in the quest for top
spot, Chelsea should have been punished
by Gabriel Iancu soon after but the
midfielder shot wide with only Schwarzer
to beat, our defence having been opened
up too easily by a simple pass down the
middle.

Mikel was booked for pulling back Iancu
inside the opening 20 minutes as the
Romanian again slipped in goal-side, but
from that point on until the interval, there
was nothing more to worry about, apart
from getting the insurance of a second
goal given what had happened in recent
games.

It took lightning reactions from Steaua
keeper Tatarusanu to prevent Ivanovic
celebrating his 50 th Chelsea European
game with a goal, when the right-back
got a firm header onto a Hazard ball in.

After a spell of midfield combat, Chelsea
next advanced with a chip into the middle
from Willian , much involved in this
opening half, but Ba had strayed
marginally offside. Then Lampard took a
pop from 35 yards but cleared the bar by
a couple.

Ba was again causing chaos inside the
six-yard box on 37 minutes as another
corner came in, but amongst the
scramble the ref spotted a foul. Cole then
warmed the keeper's hands on a chilly
night with a grasscutter of a shot.

Second half
Dan Petrescu, a hero for both sets of
fans, was given a fitting reception as he
was walked round the pitch at half-time
as special guest, and it was a successor
to the Chelsea no. 2 shirt, Ivanovic, who
was booked soon after the restart for a
late tackle. That looked a little harsh,
unlike the card given to Georgievski
moments later for sliding in on Cole.
Ba should have doubled the lead and his
tally on 51 minutes as he ran onto Willian
's good pass into the six-yard box, but
half-volleyed over.

Two-thirds of the way through the game,
Georgievski took his turn to win a contest
with Ba as Hazard fired the ball in from
wide from an attack started by Mikel .
Ba
was certainly getting into dangerous
positions.
There was a low intensity to this half. The
Blues tried to stretch the opposition by
moving the ball wide when the chance
was there, and Hazard headed over from
close range after Schurrle, recently
introduced into the action for Oscar , had
caused panic in the Steaua defensive
ranks.

Schwarzer dealt comfortably with a
Steaua shot from an angle soon after -
the first opposition shot on target in four
games that hadn't resulted in a goal. It
was proving a gentle introduction to
Champions League football for the
Australian.

Ramires and Kevin De Bruyne were
introduced in place of Mikel and Willian
for the closing stages. The Belgian almost
found Ba in front of the target but a
sliding defender intervened, and then the
Chelsea centre-forward had the ball in the
net seconds later, only for the offside rule
to frustrate him again.

Chelsea conceded our first corner of the
night in stoppage time at the end. It was
safely negotiated and the ref ended the
match soon after.

With Schalke beating Basel in the other
game in Group E, a draw at Stamford
Bridge would have been enough for top
spot but the win looked likely throughout
tonight's match, and we will find out our
next opponents in this competition when
the draw is made on Monday.