MOSCOW, 3 November 2004 — Arjen Robben rewarded Jose Mourinho for his first full start with a slick first half goal to hand Chelsea a 1-0 win over CSKA Moscow and a place in the Champions League knockout stages.
Chelsea’s 100 percent record in Group H, extended here yeterday to four from four with a little help from a fluffed spot kick from the Russians, has left the Londoners with an unassailable 12 point lead with two ties remaining.
Second-placed CSKA tread water on four with holders FC Porto and Paris Saint Germain in action later.
Robben starred when coming on as a second half substitute in Chelsea’s 4-1 win over West Brom at the weekend and as a result found himself starting for the first time since moving to Stamford Bridge from PSV Eindhoven in the summer.
And with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and former Russian President Boris Yeltsin watching the 20-year-old teamed up with Damien Duff for a polished double act that split open the CSKA defense in the 24th minute.
Robben fed Duff the ball on the right of the box, the Irish winger neatly back heeling to the Dutch international who dummied past one defender to fire low and left into 18-year-old Igor Akinfeev’s net.
Robben had also been responsible for Chelsea’s only serious attempt on goal up to then, his 20m shot swerving high and right.
While CSKA were comfortably winning the corner count - 8-0 after half an hour - the London club it was who looked far more dangerous on the counter attack.
Icelandic striker Eidur Gudjohnsen went close to doubling Chelsea’s lead. He had Akinfeev beaten but his shot from the right was plucked off the line by Serge Semak.
Individal flair from Brazilian striker Vagner Love almost put CSKA back level five minutes before the interval.
The 20-year-old, who has made a big name for himself in his first season in Moscow, turned Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho twice before unleashing a dangerous angled shot which was tipped wide of the left post by a diving Petr Cech.
Unfortunately for Love his solo effort came at a price as he limped off after appearing to damage his left hamstring but he returned a few minutes later.
Love had a gilt-edged chance to put CSKA back in the game in the second-half when stepping up for a penalty awarded by Italian referee Massimo De Santis after Chelsea defender Glen Johnson mistimed a tackle on Yuri Zhirkov.
But Love fluffed his lines terribly, sending the ball high over Cech’s crossbar and deep into the Russian night.
Chelsea, who beat CSKA 2-0 at home a fortnight ago, have only conceded one goal in the group stages but Cech was made to earn his money as CSKA searched for the equalizer, notably when pushing away a low drive from his former Sparta Prague teammate Jiri Jarosik.
A quiet conclusion to the game was brightened up by an 84th minute bicycle kick from Jarosik, which had Cech beaten before bobbling wide of the left post and out of danger.
Ferguson and Keane Back Goal-Shy United Strikers
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson and captain Roy Keane have played down concerns about the team’s goal-shy strikers before today’s Champions League match against Sparta Prague.
United lost 2-0 at Portsmouth on Saturday to fall nine points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal but Ferguson is banking on the return of top striker Ruud van Nistelrooy to provide the goals needed to keep the pressure on Group D leaders Olympique Lyon.
“I hope we create as many chances as we did on Saturday and I hope some of them fall to Ruud because his scoring rate is incredible,” Ferguson told a news conference yesterday.
The Dutch international missed the Portsmouth game through suspension and Ferguson berated his forwards, including 27 million-pound ($49.54 million) signing Wayne Rooney, who has struggled to settle at United despite his hat-trick debut in the 6-2 Champions League drubbing of Fenerbahce in September.
“Wayne will be better as each game comes,” he said. “Remember he was out of action for 96 days and he didn’t do his preseason. No striker is unbreakable in terms of confidence but my advice to all of them is just to keep hitting the target.”
Keane is likely to return to the side after a virus forced him to miss the 2-0 victory over Arsenal nine days ago which ended the champions 49-match unbeaten run and lifted the gloom at United.
The Irish midfielder came on as a substitute against Portsmouth and said he was not too concerned about United’s form.
“Believe it or not I’m very relaxed,” Keane said. “I’m very confident that come the end of the season we will be there or thereabouts. I look around at the manager, the staff and the players and I know we will be OK.”
Keane said United’s barren run was sure to end soon with strikers of the quality of Van Nistelrooy, Rooney, Frenchman Louis Saha and Alan Smith.
“I really think it’s only a matter of time before they start scoring goals,” he said.
