Champions League: Chelsea spoil Drogba return and cruise to quarter-finals
CHELSEA 2 GALATASARAY 0
(Chelsea win 3-1 on aggregate)
CHELSEA manager Jose Mourinho felt spoiling Didier Drogba’s homecoming was key to reaching the Champions League quarter-finals last night.
Drogba, who scored 157 goals in eight years at Stamford Bridge, received a hero’s welcome from Blues fans, but failed to have a sniff at goal with Galatasaray abject throughout.
First-half strikes from Samuel Eto’o and Gary Cahill sealed Chelsea’s progress and Mourinho praised his defenders for keeping quiet Drogba, whom he had dubbed “world class” ahead of the match.
“We controlled the game and never saw Didier in a dangerous position,” said Mourinho, who earlier dodged a Football Association charge for comments made about referee Chris Foy after Saturday’s defeat to Aston Villa.
“It was difficult for Didier because of the way his team played, but Gary [Cahill] and John [Terry] put in a fantastic performance.
“We are a Champions League club and now in the last eight among the best teams in the world.
“All the big clubs are there and the players deserve to be.”
Galatasaray boss Roberto Mancini, meanwhile, acknowledged his team had not done enough to advance.
“We played really bad,” said the former Manchester City manager. “We did not deserve to do anything in this game. Chelsea were better than us.”
Chelsea took four minutes to assert their authority on the second leg, when Eto’o powered a low drive underneath goalkeeper Fernando Muslera.
Frank Lampard poked wide and Eden Hazard saw a shot held by Muslera as Chelsea continued to dominate.
The chances kept coming for the home side. Defender John Terry volleyed Lampard’s cross inches over and, shortly after Drogba fired a free-kick harmlessly into the top tier of the Matthew Harding stand, the Blues doubled their advantage.
Captain Terry rose unmarked inside the box to meet Lampard’s corner, Muslera was able to block but Cahill reacted quickest to blast in the loose ball three minutes before half-time.
Galatasaray’s display was just as lacklustre after the interval as they failed to test Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech once more.
Willian and Lampard forced straightforward saves from the busy Muslera, who in the final five minutes pushed wide Hazard’s effort and denied substitute Fernando Torres from close range.
In Spain, Real Madrid also breezed into the last-eight with a 3-1 win against Schalke completing a 9-2 aggregate triumph.