Football: Superb Willian strike earns Chelsea win at Lille

LILLE, France - A brilliant late strike by Willian earned an otherwise unimpressive Chelsea a 2-1 win at Lille in Champions League Group H on Wednesday.

Brazilian Willian volleyed home with 12 minutes left on his 300th Chelsea appearance after Tammy Abraham's opener had been cancelled out by Lille's Victor Osimhen in the first half.

Chelsea are third on three points behind second-placed Valencia who beat the Premier League side in the opening round of matches.

Ajax Amsterdam top the standings with a maximum six points after they claimed a 3-0 win at Valencia and Lille are bottom without a point.

"We knew we needed to win. I knew I would get a chance and I took it well. Never an easy place and Willian scored a worldie - no surprise there," said Abraham, as coach Frank Lampard noted that Chelsea still had a long way to go.

"Having lost against Valencia, it made this a more important game. This is such a tough place," Lampard said. "They were quick on the counter-attack and our performance was really good.

Lille captain Jose Fonte said his team must learn from their mistakes.

"We played a good game but in the end we have zero points. Maybe we didn't learn anything from the Ajax game," Fonte said.

Lampard’s side, who lost their opening game against Valencia, had Ngolo Kante in their team after the Frenchman passed a late fitness test and he stabilised Chelsea’s midfield.

The visitors enjoyed possession in the early stages as Lille looked to use their speed to hit them on the break.

Both teams, however, failed to properly threaten until Abraham beat the offside trap to collect Fikayo Tomori’s long cross and score his first Champions League goal from close range on his 22nd birthday.

But Lille stuck to their plan and Luis Araujo came close at the end of a sharp counter-attack.

It led to two consecutive corners and from the second, Osimhen powered a header home to level in the 33rd minute.

Chelsea struggled on set-pieces and Benjamin Andre's glancing header was well saved by keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga in the 52nd minute.

Lille seemed to run out of energy in the closing stages and Chelsea benefited from poor defending to wrap up the win in the 78th.

From the left flank, Callum Hudson-Odoi sent a long cross to the far side and Willian, who had been left unmarked, unleashed a volley that bounced down into the ground and over Mike Maignan.

Lille pushed forward in the closing stages but Chelsea held on to extend the hosts' run to 10 consecutive European home game without a win. 

(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Ed Osmond)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Messi breaks Chelsea duck to earn Barca 1-1 draw

LONDON - If at first you don't succeed the saying goes and it proved fitting for Willian and Lionel Messi as both scored in an absorbing 1-1 draw between Chelsea and Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie on Tuesday.

Chelsea's outstanding performer Willian could hardly believe his bad luck as twice before halftime he rattled the woodwork.

But the Brazilian was finally rewarded for his persistence in the 62nd minute when he fired Chelsea into the lead on an electrifying night at Stamford Bridge.

Barcelona's talisman Messi had fired blanks on eight previous occasions against Chelsea, most notably in a shock semi-final defeat six years ago, and he rarely had a glimpse of goal on his ninth meeting with the Londoners.

When home defender Andreas Christensen suffered a rush of blood in the 75th minute, however, Messi pounced.

It edged the tie towards Barcelona, although they could count themselves fortunate after being out-manouvered against a Chelsea side who, apart from one lapse, played a 'perfect' game according to manager Antonio Conte.

"It is a pity. I am very proud for my players. They followed what we prepared," Conte said. "Tonight we were a bit unlucky.

"I think when you play this game you must have a plan and respect the characteristics of the opponent. Our plan was really good. We are talking about 1-1 and maybe we deserved more."

Unbeaten La Liga leaders Barcelona enjoyed suffocating possession, especially in the first half, but despite the probings of Messi and Andres Iniesta, they could provide precious little ammunition for striker Luis Suarez.

"It was a clash of styles, two different teams," Barca coach Ernesto Valverde said. "We had the game under control when they scored their goal. Perhaps we didn't create many clear-cut chances, but we managed to force an error and get the draw."

A rivalry that had been dormant for six years resumed with a gripping game of cat and mouse.

Barcelona zipped the ball around in eye-pleasing style but apart from Paulinho's wasteful header they struggled to lure Chelsea into mistakes.

Despite spending long periods diligently shutting doors, the hosts were the more clinical in possession, with Eden Hazard and Willian both menacing outlets.

BAD LUCK 

Willian fully justified his starting berth after being used chiefly as a substitute this season and could have been celebrating a stunning hat-trick.

In the 34th minute Paulinho lost the ball and as Chelsea worked it to Willian, he shuffled to his right and sent a curling right-footer thudding against the post.

Shortly before halftime Willian again proved elusive but this time the opposite post rescued Barca keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who was a mere spectator for both attempts.

Conte resembled a manic orchestra conductor throughout the match, going through his full repertoire of gesticulations.

He was pumping his fists with joy midway through the second half as Hazard teased the Barca defence and fed Willian who engineered a yard of space before firing a low right-foot shot inside the left-hand post.

Chelsea deserved their lead and even threatened a second goal before young defender Andreas Christensen betrayed his relative inexperience with a moment of madness.

The 21-year-old's aimless ball across his own area was seized upon by Iniesta and when he cut it back to Messi the Argentine duly delivered to send Barca's travelling fans wild.

The goal knocked the stuffing out of the hosts and, although they avoided any more damage, they will need a repeat of their 2012 exploits to keep alive their European hopes.

(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Ken Ferris)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Barca, Chelsea reach last 16 as Man Utd lose

PARIS, France -- Barcelona and Chelsea progressed to the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday, but Jose Mourinho's Manchester United must wait to seal their spot after a last-gasp 1-0 defeat in Basel.

Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde rested Argentina star Lionel Messi in Turin, later introducing him as a second-half substitute as a 0-0 draw against Juventus sent the five-time European champions through as winners of Group D.

Willian scored twice and won a pair of penalties as Chelsea thrashed 10-man Qarabag 4-0 in Baku to guarantee Antonio Conte's side a top-two finish in Group C.

First-half goals from Eden Hazard and Willian put Chelsea in control, with Cesc Fabregas adding a third before Willian netted again to cap the rout and knock Qarabag out of the competition.

"We did everything well. We should have scored more. It is easy to play with these good players," Hazard said.

Atletico Madrid, runners-up twice in the past four years, retained an outside chance of pipping Roma to a place in the knockout stage as Antoine Griezmann snapped an eight-match goal drought in a 2-0 win in Spain.

The French striker broke the deadlock with a spectacular acrobatic effort on 69 minutes, before compatriot Kevin Gameiro added a late second to seal a first win of the campaign for Atletico.

However, they must beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in their final game and hope Roma drop points at home to Qarabag to avoid parachuting into the Europa League.

United, who hit the woodwork twice in the first half through Marouane Fellaini and Marcos Rojo, looked on course to secure the point required to punch their ticket to the last 16 in Switzerland before Michael Lang popped up with an 89th-minute winner.

"It's like a dream. Right now I can't believe we won against such a strong team," Swiss international Lang told RTS.

"We always thought we could win this match and in the end it was a victory like I had never seen before."

Mourinho blamed United's inability to convert their first-half dominance into goals after watching his side lose their perfect record in the group.

"We lost because in the first half we should be 5-0 up but we could not score one goal after being so dominant," Mourinho said.

The result left United on 12 points, three ahead of both Basel and CSKA Moscow, and still almost certain of advancing, barring a huge defeat against the Russians at Old Trafford on December 5.

- PSG obliterate goals record -

Russia goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev recorded a first clean sheet in the group stage since 2006 -- ending a staggering run of 43 matches conceding a goal -- as CSKA condemned Benfica to a fifth straight loss in Group A.

Georgi Schennikov's cool finish steered CSKA into a 13th-minute lead in Moscow before the hosts grabbed a second through an own goal from Brazilian defender Jardel.

Paris Saint-Germain dismantled Celtic 7-1 as the French giants registered their biggest win in the competition, despite falling behind when Moussa Dembele scored inside the first minute at the Parc des Princes.

A brace from Neymar soon turned the game around, before Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe added goals of their own before the interval.

Marco Verratti made it five with quarter of an hour left, before Cavani got his second and a sensational Dani Alves hit wrapped up a record-breaking night as PSG shattered the previous mark of 21 group-stage goals set last year by Borussia Dortmund.

Unai Emery's team have now scored 24 times in five matches and conceded just once, although they must avoid a heavy reverse at Bayern Munich next month to ensure they finish top of Group B.

Robert Lewandowski and Corentin Tolisso scored in Brussels as Bayern overcame Anderlecht 2-1 to retain their 100 percent record since 72-year-old Jupp Heynckes returned for a fourth spell at the club.

Two goals from Dutch striker Bas Dost propelled Sporting to a 3-1 victory over Olympiakos, but the Portuguese outfit must beat Barcelona at the Camp Nou in their final fixture to have a chance of overhauling Juventus for a last-16 berth.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

PREMIER LEAGUE: Chelsea take pole position, Arsenal end winless run

LONDON, United Kingdom -- Chelsea swept to the top of the Premier League with a 3-0 victory over Burnley, while Arsenal won 3-1 at Watford to ease the pressure on Arsene Wenger on Saturday.

After a dismal title defense last season, Chelsea look revitalized under new manager Antonio Conte and the Italian was able to celebrate his third successive win after the most emphatic display of his brief reign.

Second-placed Manchester United are behind Chelsea only on goals scored after Marcus Rashford struck deep into second-half stoppage time to snatch a 1-0 win at Hull City.

So disappointing last term, Eden Hazard has made a vibrant start to the new campaign and the Belgium midfielder put Chelsea ahead with a superb run and clinical finish from the edge of the penalty area in the ninth minute at Stamford Bridge.

Willian was back for Chelsea after recovering from a calf injury and the Brazil winger doubled their lead in the 41st minute before Nigeria's Victor Moses came off the bench to net the hosts' third in the 89th minute.

"It was a good performance. We have started very well this season but we must know we can improve," Conte said.

"Eden Hazard must be this decisive in every game and I'm pleased because I saw it today."

At Vicarage Road, Arsenal's first victory of the season, after losing to Liverpool and drawing with Leicester City, should silence Wenger's critics at least temporarily.

Failing to win their first two matches while struggling to make an impact in the transfer market had prompted some Arsenal fans to turn on Wenger again after many protested against him last season.

But there were no complaints as Arsenal took the lead in the ninth minute when Santi Cazorla stroked home a penalty after Nordin Amrabat elbowed Alexis Sanchez.

Chile forward Sanchez increased Arsenal's advantage five minutes before half-time with a deft touch over Watford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes.

Mesut Ozil was making his first start of the season after being rested following Euro 2016 and Arsenal's German playmaker made up for lost time with a headed goal in first-half stoppage time.

Watford's Roberto Pereyra reduced the deficit in the 57th minute, but the Hornets remain winless.

"I believe we shot ourselves in the foot in the first game and were under huge pressure. Today we had a good solid performance," Wenger said.


 - Efficient -

At the KCOM Stadium, United secured their third successive win under Mourinho as teenage striker Rashford finally turned their pressure into a tangible reward.

Frustrated by a resolute Hull defence, United won it in the second minute of stoppage time when substitute Rashford bagged his first goal of the season with a tap in from Wayne Rooney's low cross.

"We deserved it and in a more comfortable way. It is a great feeling when you win the points in the last minute," Mourinho said.

"The boys were very strong and the second half was like going to fight against a wall. We had an amazing mentality. We tried and tried and got it."

Leicester finally secured the first win of their title defence with a 2-1 success against Swansea City at the King Power Stadium.

Claudio Ranieri's side took the lead in the 32nd minute when Jamie Vardy finished off a typically efficient counter-attack from the champions and captain Wes Morgan lashed in the second in the 52nd minute.

Riyad Mahrez wasted a chance to make it three when the winger's penalty was saved by Lukasz Fabianski and there was more frustration for Leicester when goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel came off injured.

But Leroy Fer's 80th-minute goal for Swansea came too late to rescue a point for the visitors.

Danny Rose's 72nd-minute equaliser earned Tottenham Hotspur a 1-1 draw with Liverpool at White Hart Lane.

James Milner gave Liverpool a deserved lead with a penalty in the 43rd minute after Roberto Firmino went down under the slightest contact by Erik Lamela.

Everton won 1-0 against Stoke City at Goodison Park after Leighton Baines' penalty was pushed onto a post by Shay Given, only for the ball to rebound off the goalkeeper's head into the net for an own goal.

Southampton rescued a dramatic 1-1 draw against Sunderland as Jay Rodriguez's 85th-minute strike crept past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford to cancel out Jermain Defoe's 80th-minute penalty at St Mary's.

Scott Dann's late leveller gave Crystal Palace a 1-1 draw against fellow strugglers Bournemouth at Selhurst Park.

Josh King had fired Bournemouth in an 11th-minute lead before Palace midfielder Yohan Cabaye missed a penalty.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Chelsea qualify in style with five-goal romp

GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany - Chelsea produced a footballing masterclass to romp to a 5-0 win at Schalke 04 on Tuesday to power into the last 16 of the Champions League and make it a miserable night for former coach Roberto Di Matteo.

Captain John Terry headed in a corner after 78 seconds and Brazil midfielder Willian doubled the lead with a fierce low shot on the half hour.

A Jan Kirchhoff own goal in the 44th minute made it 3-0 and second-half goals from substitutes Didier Drogba and Ramires allowed Chelsea to extend their unbeaten start to the season to 19 games in all competitions.

"It was a fantastic performance from the first to the last minute...5-0 in Germany is not normal," coach Jose Mourinho told reporters.

"Any team would have struggled against us tonight with the quality we showed."

Schalke, who hit the woodwork in the first half, had little to offer against a rampant Chelsea as coach Di Matteo lost his first meeting against the team he led to Champions League glory in 2012.

Chelsea clinched top spot in Group G with 11 points from five games, four ahead of Sporting who beat Maribor (three) 3-1 on Tuesday.

Schalke, who lost for the first time at home under Di Matteo, are in third position on five points with one match remaining.

"I'm at a loss for words," said Schalke captain Benedikt Hoewedes. "I can only apologise to everyone. We gave Chelsea too much space to play."

DREAM START

Diego Costa, who has scored 11 goals in 10 games in this season's Premier League but none in Europe, raced clear in the first minute but had his shot blocked.

The resulting corner, however, saw Terry beat Hoewedes in the air to give his side a dream start.

Mourinho, bidding to become the first coach to win the Champions League with three different teams, wanted a trouble-free victory to ease the pressure going into a busy period of fixtures and that is precisely what his side gave him.

Chelsea were lucky when Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting's deflected shot bounced off the crossbar but Willian put the hosts firmly in their place with a second goal.

The unfortunate Kirchhoff then headed a left-wing corner, from the outstanding Cesc Fabregas, into his own net on the stroke of halftime.

Drogba tapped the ball into an empty net after being set up by Willian before the Ivorian lofted the ball to the far post for Ramires to nod the fifth goal for the runaway Premier League leaders.

Chelsea's victory equaled their best Champions League away result, 5-0 at Galatasaray in 1999.

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Tony Jimenez)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com