pti resumé en anglais du parcour en ldc de chelsea d'il y a 3/4 ans !! c t encore la belle epoque !!
More Champions League qualifiers will be decided this weekend with the Swiss and Israeli Championships being concluded. Real Sociedad and Real Madrid could put themselves in the Group Stage if results go right in Spain, but that has more games still to go. Below is the story of Chelsea?s one Champions League campaign as told in the Matchday Magazines against Everton and Fulham towards the end of the season.
3rd Qualifying Round
CHELSEA 3 SKONTO RIGA 0
Three goals in the last 15 minutes by substitute Babayaro, Poyet and Sutton ? his first for the club ? after Goldbæk and Flo had also come on midway through the second-half. Frustration was setting in, Wise had hit the woodwork, Tereskinas was sent off midway through the first-half for kicking Leb?uf. Flo hit the woodwork later. Chelsea had 14 shots on target and won 13 corners.
SKONTO RIGA 0 CHELSEA 0
A stroll. Le Saux and Deschamps didn?t travel. We finished with Babayaro (20), Nicholls (22), Morris (20), Harley (19) and Forssell (18). Cudicini came on for his debut.
Group Stage 1
CHELSEA 0 AC MILAN 0
Arguably the best football by two teams seen at the Bridge. Zola and Leonardo hit posts. Flo was preferred to £10m Sutton. Milan coach Zaccheroni said: ?Chelsea did more to win the game than we did as they dominated the first-half, pushing their full-backs forward to dangerous positions, and the way Zola played meant that there were always chances.? Zola said: ?I saw I can compete at high levels still.?
HERTHA BERLIN 2 CHELSEA 1
Poor performance. Substitute Sutton won a penalty which Leb?uf converted six minutes from time.
CHELSEA 1 GALATASARAY 0
The Turks were terrific, and de Goey magnificently saved from Sutton?s misdirected header. But goalkeeper Taffarel got sent off when handling outside his area to stop clever Petrescu, and then Petrescu scored the winner from Sutton?s pass. Zola hit the post with a free-kick and Wise tripped a political protester!
GALATASARAY 0 CHELSEA 5
Oh what a night! In the Stadium of Hell, two for Flo, and one each for Zola and substitutes Wise and Ambrosetti. Hell? Zola received a standing ovation when he was substituted. Morris, playing in place of punished Wise who had been sent off too often, pushed forward and negated Tugay?s contribution.
AC MILAN 1 CHELSEA 1
Oh Dennis Wise! We needed a draw. Crowd, 74,855 and over 5,000 of them were Chelsea. Milan?s Northern Curve paid homage to Desailly on his return with a wonderful banner and ovation. What an occasion. We dominated. Flo, Petrescu who went off ill at half-time to be replaced by Morris and Poyet all forced saves. Then Bierhoff scored. Di Matteo came off the bench, back from injury, to feed a glorious pass to Wise who pulled it down with his right foot and buried it with his left while Maldini chased in vain.
CHELSEA 2 HERTHA BERLIN 1
4-3-3 against 3-5-2. Deschamps? first goal for Chelsea was his first ever in Europe, then Ferrer shot his first goal for Chelsea. What celebrations. Our first time in the Champions League and we won the Group! On the same night Milan lost in Galatasaray and went out. Hertha came second. Galatasaray went on to win the UEFA Cup. Sutton got sent off in the last minute and things were never quite the same again for him.
Group B
CHELSEA 3 FEYENOORD 1
Chelsea obliterated the Dutch team and could have won by 13. Dudek, now of Liverpool, kept them in it. We won 14 first-half corners and had 13 shots on target in the 90 minutes. Babayaro scored and he and Petrescu hit the woodwork. Flo scored twice. Dalla Bona made his debut. Another new level of competition brought another new level of quality from Chelsea.
LAZIO 0 CHELSEA 0
Lazio were the competition?s favourites. Desailly and Leb?uf were outstanding. Flo was robbed when Couto fouled him and got away with it. Furious Vialli complained and was sent from the bench. Zola nearly won it with an amazing dribble and chip which was cleared from the line. Veron?s dead ball kicks were a threat throughout but Flo at the near post nearly always dealt with them. A top class European point.
MARSEILLE 1 CHELSEA 0
Marseille were struggling in France, but turned it on against us. Pires, now of Arsenal, playing in the hole behind the forwards was outstanding and scored after 15 minutes. Dalmat, now of Inter Milan, was superb at wing-back. We improved when Di Matteo came on after the hour, and then their reserve keeper Trevisan saved them.
CHELSEA 1 MARSEILLE 0
Back on track. Chelsea played 4-3-1-2 to counter Marseille?s midfield with Poyet in the hole ahead of Wise, Deschamps and Morris. Wise scored from Zola?s towering header mid-way through the first-half. De la Peña hit the post with a storming free-kick for them in the second.
FEYENOORD 1 CHELSEA 3
Qualification for the quarter-finals with a game to go! Dudek saved an early Leb?uf penalty won by Flo. Zola scored a screamer, and after an equaliser Wise and Flo scored. Chelsea attacked superbly with Petrescu at right-back and Di Matteo right-midfield. Feyenoord?s de Visser said: ?We knew that Chelsea was probably the best team in our group.?
CHELSEA 1 LAZIO 2
Our 33 match, 42 years, uneaten home European history came to an end. Wise was rested, Lazio won midfield. Both sides had lots of chances and both goalkeepers were excellent. Unfortunately the referee was poor. Captain Poyet gave us the lead with a wonderful 30 yarder, but Inzaghi equalised and Mihajlovic hit the winner with arguably the best free-kick ever at Stamford Bridge. So Lazio won the Group. Leb?uf?s booking meant he was suspended next game.
Quarter-Finals
CHELSEA 3 BARCELONA 1
Arguably the greatest night ever at Stamford Bridge. In eight first-half minutes Zola scored with a free-kick, then Flo netted twice. Once again it was 4-3-1-2 with Petrescu, Deschamps and Wise behind Morris who pushed up on playmaker Xavi, in for injured Guardiola. Thome was magnificent in defence, and de Goey had to make top saves before Figo, outstanding throughout, got the oh so important away goal. If only substitute Di Matteo hadn?t been foiled by their keeper, Hesp. Bogarde played left-back for Barcelona.
BARCELONA 5 CHELSEA 1
After extra-time. Crowd 98,000. We were seven minutes from the semi-final after Flo had scored to make it 2-1. Ferrer had gone off injured at half-time on his emotional return to a fantastic reception. Rivaldo and Figo scored first-half goals, Dani the crucial tie equaliser. In extra-time Babayaro was sent off for conceding a penalty which Rivaldo scored and Kluivert wrapped it up. We didn?t play well. But we nearly made the last four.