Chelsea 2-0 Galatasaray (3-1 agg)

Galatasaray team: Muslera, Eboue (77), Telles, Kurtulus (67), Chedjou, Kaya, Yilmaz (54), Felipe Melo, Drogba, Inan, Sneijder (subs: Burdisso, Gulselam, Hajrovic (77), Bulut (54), Balta (67), Sarioglu, Ceylan)

Didier Drogba returned to his former stomping ground but could not prevent a Chelsea victory as his former club recorded a comfortable victory. Two first half goals from Samuel Eto’o and Gary Cahill sealed the win. Ramires and Willian were free to play for Chelsea as the ban from their red card against Aston Villa only applies in domestic competitions, Salah ineligible. The previous leg ended 1-1, with Chelsea securing a vital away goal but, they did not need the away goal to count tonight.

All pre-match talk was about the brilliance of Drogba, his Chelsea past and his relationship with manager Jose Mourinho, but it was a current Chelsea striker who only took four minutes to make an instant impact on the pitch. Hazard turned brilliantly from a throw in to release Oscar down the right wing with the Brazillian midfielder squaring to born-again striker Samuel Eto’o, who took a touch, and scored at the far post via a tiny deflection. The perfect start for Chelsea. Eto’o was in the thick of it again, this time sent clear down the right wing by Willian, on his own, skipped past a Turkish challenge and feigned a shot on the by-line, but could not find a team mate with a cut back as the cavalry arrived.

Drogba was trying his best at the other end making a nuisance of himself in the Chelsea box, his knock down header cleared. Galatasaray eventually made an impact in an attacking situation. A series of thrown ins resulted in an eventual cross to Drogba who extraordinary tried a bicycle kick on the edge of the area that did not come off.

Chelsea nearly had a second, Hazard and Oscar combined again to set up Lampard, toe poking over. Hazard looking very lively as a good run resulted in a shot at a tight angle. Moments later he curled another shot straight at the keeper. 

Drogba controlled a long ball on his chest and, via Sneijder, combined with Felipe Melo to set up a shot for the latter that went wide. Galatasaray’s best chance of the game and all they would really create.

Further chances for Chelsea from a set piece as Lampard’s floated pass was volleyed just over by captain John Terry and a tame shot from Willian saved after a reverse pass from Eto’o. The second goal was getting closer and it eventually came. An Oscar corner was headed by John Terry, though Muslera saved the shot, he could do nothing about Cahill emphatically thumping home the rebound.

Chelsea continued from where they left off in the second half, a well worked move led to Oscar’s shot being blocked. Willian and Lampard shot straight at the ‘keeper. The rest of the half was not much of a contest, Chelsea keeping the ball well and exchanging neat passes. A Galatasaray goal would kick start the game again but it did not arrive. Drogba had a late chance as did Hazard and Torres but the Blues saw the game out easily. Arsenal next for Chelsea and Galatasaray will now need to focus on cutting the points gap between themselves and Fernebache in the Turkish League.

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