Champions League: Chelsea fans urged to roar team through by Mourinho
GALATASARAY 1 CHELSEA 1
CHELSEA manager Jose Mourinho has called on Blues fans to help their team reach the last-16 of the Champions League by reproducing “10 per cent” of the red-hot atmosphere that spurred Galatasaray’s comeback in the Turk Telekom Arena last night.
The Blues took an early lead through striker Fernando Torres, but succumbed to their Turkish hosts, as noise levels intensified from the 50,000-plus crowd, when Aurelien Chedjou levelled midway through the second half.
Mourinho was content to return to England with the advantage of an away goal, but has appealed for help from the Stamford Bridge faithful to get over the line in the second leg.
“The result was not amazing, the second leg will be difficult but if Stamford Bridge can give us 10 per cent of what this stadium gave Galatasaray that will help us to try to go through,” he said.
“This is Turkish football, this is what you get with Galatasaray. It’s very emotional and you play against a big club with big players.
“We had chances to kill the game, but I’m not critical of my strikers they had a very good game, but in counter attacking situations we were missing that last control, that last pass.
“A second goal changes the story of the game, but then they put pressure on us.”
Chelsea took the lead on nine minutes when Torres turned in Cesar Azpilicueta’s centre after a swift counter attack on the left flank.
Willian went close twice in an opening 30 minutes dominated by Chelsea, prompting a swift substitution and tactical reshuffle from Galatasaray manager Roberto Mancini in an effort to bolster his midfield and stifle the visitors’ threat.
The changes paid dividends as the home side slowly settled and, on 63 minutes, they should have levelled, but Selcuk Inan hit the post from just a yard out following Didier Drogba’s looping header.
But the home crowd had just a minute more to wait to cheer the equaliser when Chedjou lost marker John Terry at a corner and volleyed in Wesley Sneijder’s delivery unmarked from inside the six yard box.
Galatasaray came closest to a winning goal in the final 15 minutes when Willian conceded possession to Alex Telles, but his powerful strike was pushed over the crossbar by Petr Cech.
Elsewhere, Real Madrid virtually assured their place in the last-eight with a 6-1 win away at Schalke, with Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo both scoring twice.