Blues see off battling Leverkusen

David Luiz
12 April 2012

A brilliant goal from David Luiz and a late Juan Mata strike spared Chelsea's blushes on Andre Villas-Boas' Champions League debut as they stumbled to a 2-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in Tuesday night's Group E opener.

Villas-Boas had insisted before the game that the Blues were not further than ever from realising Roman Abramovich's dream of European glory. But they did little to show that they were about to end their billionaire owner's eight-year quest until a moment of inspiration from marauding defender Luiz midway through the second half.

The deadlock might have been broken earlier but for another night to forget for £50million misfit Fernando Torres, who at least ended the evening on a high by setting up both goals, the second a lay-off for Mata to seal the victory in stoppage time.

Villas-Boas's team selection said everything about his priorities in what is his biggest week since taking charge, with neither captain John Terry nor Frank Lampard in the starting XI ahead of Sunday's crunch Barclays Premier League trip to Manchester United.

Torres would have been licking his lips when Daniel Sturridge swung in a second-minute cross which he hooked narrowly over in what proved a frantic opening. Both sides then saw goals controversially disallowed, Omer Toprak's header from a corner ruled out for pushing and Torres' flick denied by an offside flag against Raul Meireles, who tried to backheel the ball home.

Torres' flick had set up his new team-mate but the frustrations that go with a run of one goal in 22 games soon emerged. The striker was booked for an an ugly late lunge on Simon Rolfes before missing a golden chance to end his drought when he hesitated trying to convert Mata's 10th-minute cutback.

Mata shone once again, his free-kick on the stroke of half-time nodded straight at Leno by Branislav Ivanovic. Ivanovic was needed at the other end 10 minutes into the second half, a crucial interception denying Andre Schurrle, who then created a gilt-edged chance for Michael Ballack, Petr Cech racing off his line to block the former Chelsea star's shot.

But the save of the night came from Leno, who brilliantly turned Sturridge's first-time finish from Ashley Cole's cross onto the post.

The Blues finally broke the deadlock after 67 minutes when Luiz surged forward from the back and fed Cole, who found Torres, and the striker laid off for the former to find the bottom corner from 15 yards.

Luiz, who earlier hurt himself making a tackle, was withdrawn to a standing ovation, with Alex coming on before Nicolas Anelka was denied what looked a perfectly legitimate headed goal by an offside flag. Chelsea endured a nervy finish before finally exploiting the space in behind when Torres squared for Mata to slide home.

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