Chelsea 3 -2 Shakhtar Donetsk

Wednesday 7^th November:

Chelsea 3 – 2 Shakhtar Donetsk

There was a nervous feeling in the pub before the game; everyone had a sense that qualification to the last 16 were at stake and losing was not an option. If Chelsea fans didn’t know how good Shakhtar were before the start of the tournament they definitely knew now, the better team won out in Donetsk and they were coming to the Bridge knowing that a win would almost guarantee knock-out stage football. A decent game plan might have been to keep Willian quiet; he was the key catalyst out in Ukraine and a transfer target for many clubs over the summer including Spurs.

5 minutes into the game and Torres is sent through by Oscar only to squander the opportunity, however the Spaniard’s persistence paid off as he charged down the keeper and blocked the clearance into the net. Pyatov’s blushes were spared as Sky’s cameras actually missed the deflected goal. 3 minutes later and silence fell as some weak defending combined with a slip from Bertrand allowed Willian to simply tap the ball past Cech. 40 minutes on the clock and Torres is again sent through but the keeper races miles out to improvise a headed clearance. Oscar takes it on his chest and then volleys a sublime effort into the back of the net from 40 yards out, the movement on the ball and technique used by the young Brazilian highlighted what a special prospect this young man is. I thought Oscar’s turn before finding the top corner against Juventus was unintentional, however his performances since then have proved that I was wrong to doubt his talent. I have never seen a player of Oscar’s stature settle into a top 4 Premiership side with such ease and it’s exciting to ponder his future in a blue shirt.

 How on earth were we leading the game? That seemed to be the bemused thought from the home fans at halftime, sipping on their teas/coffees as beer is prohibited for European games. 2 minutes into the second half and Shakhtar equalise in what appeared to be a carbon copy of their first goal, Chelsea’s left side of defence looking exposed yet again before Willian secured his brace. Late into the second half and Ramires was blatantly fouled in the box but the referee dismissed the appeal. Every Champions League match I spend at least 15 minutes trying to figure out what the officials behind the goal actually do, I’ve seen hung-over students on a Friday afternoon do more. The fourth official indicates 3 minutes of added time and I heard a fan say ‘hope we hold onto a draw’, yet in the 94^th minute Mata stands over a corner as the crowd roared the defence forward. Goal!!! Substitute Moses found himself unmarked and scored what seemed to be a replay of Drogba’s late goal in Munich. An invaluable 3 points takes the pressure off and Chelsea just need not lose in Turin on the 20^th. Celtic overshadowed the late heroics of the night; the Bhoys beat Barcelona 2-1 to ignite their own qualification hopes. A meeting between the two clubs in the last 16 would be a fixture to savour.