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In Rotterdam tonight Chelsea beat Feyenoord 1-0 in their second pre-season friendly.
With the game against Celtic following hot on the heels of this one there was the opportunity for the squad to get some much needed match practise in ahead of the Community Shield clash with Liverpool.
With the 1-0 defeat in Chicago fresh in their minds Chelsea started the first half playing better than at any time they had done in Chicago. Nevertheless it should be pointed out that in those first forty five minutes the home side looked the sharper and more competitive.
Thankfully, with a squad full of class players Chelsea did mange to carve out the odd chance or two. Shevchenko saw a shot blocked as early as the seventh minute whilst two minutes later Robben saw a shot deflected wide for a corner.
The home side, despite looking combative in midfield were restricted to quick breaks and one such break saw Lucius miss an opportunity. Just after the quarter of an hour mark Kalou beat the offside trap but the keeper remained alert and rushed out to thwart him.
On the twenty minute mark Ballack wasted the best chance of the game so far. After some intricate passing between Kalou and Robben the German struck his shot over the bar when well placed.
Seven minutes later another fine move involving Shevchenko and Lampard saw Robben lift his shot wide with time to spare as the keeper rushed out. Seconds later, the Feyenoord player, Drenthe, was carried off on a stretcher after an innocuous clash with Robben who was roundly booed by the home support from that moment on.
Chelsea continued to push forward and Shevchenko was unlucky when he stooped to head a Lampard corner with his effort going wide. As half time approached, the vociferous crowd had been silenced by some good Chelsea possession football.
The second half started with Terry and Drogba on for Bridge and Robben. Instantly Chelsea looked to be going up through the gears and when Kalou won a corner the visitors should have opened the scoring. Instead we could only watch as Ballack initially misjudged his header only for Kalou to head over.
Minutes later a superbly delivered Lampard free kick found the head of Drogba. Sadly, when well placed, his header was straight at the keeper and another chance had gone. However, with the pressure piling up, Chelsea were soon to open the scoring.
The goal came in the fifty second minute when a fine move involving Shevchenko and Drogba saw a perfect ball played into the path of Lampard. Without looking he flicked the ball over the keeper and into the net.
Two minutes later Shevchenko had a chance to make it 2-0 but his miss-hit shot never troubled the keeper. Stunned by the upsurge in pressure Feyenoord mounted a comeback but when Geremi conceded a corner it was easily dealt with.
Just past the hour mark Mourinho withdrew Essien and Shevchenko and replaced them with Wright-Phillips and Diarra. Chelsea continued to exert some pressure and forced two corners both of which troubled the home defence.
However, Feyenoord were not finished and when Ballack conceded a free kick on the edge of the area Cudicini was grateful to see Hoffs free kick fly narrowly over the bar.
Chelsea continued to create chances and Ballack wasted another good opportunity when he headed a Geremi corner over the bar when well placed. Drogba then found himself one on one with the keeper after a good Kalou through ball but couldn`t make the most of the opportunity.
With only minutes remaining Woods came on for his debut in place of Kalou but there was still time for one final Feyenoord effort. It came after Carvalho conceded a free kick on the edge of the area. Pierre Van Hoojidonk, on as a substitute, lined up the kick and watched as it hit the inside of the post only for a team mate to screw the rebound just wide.
All in all a good performance but we could well have rued the missed chances. Next stop Stamford Bridge and Celtic.
Cudicini, Geremi, Ferre
With the game against Celtic following hot on the heels of this one there was the opportunity for the squad to get some much needed match practise in ahead of the Community Shield clash with Liverpool.
With the 1-0 defeat in Chicago fresh in their minds Chelsea started the first half playing better than at any time they had done in Chicago. Nevertheless it should be pointed out that in those first forty five minutes the home side looked the sharper and more competitive.
Thankfully, with a squad full of class players Chelsea did mange to carve out the odd chance or two. Shevchenko saw a shot blocked as early as the seventh minute whilst two minutes later Robben saw a shot deflected wide for a corner.
The home side, despite looking combative in midfield were restricted to quick breaks and one such break saw Lucius miss an opportunity. Just after the quarter of an hour mark Kalou beat the offside trap but the keeper remained alert and rushed out to thwart him.
On the twenty minute mark Ballack wasted the best chance of the game so far. After some intricate passing between Kalou and Robben the German struck his shot over the bar when well placed.
Seven minutes later another fine move involving Shevchenko and Lampard saw Robben lift his shot wide with time to spare as the keeper rushed out. Seconds later, the Feyenoord player, Drenthe, was carried off on a stretcher after an innocuous clash with Robben who was roundly booed by the home support from that moment on.
Chelsea continued to push forward and Shevchenko was unlucky when he stooped to head a Lampard corner with his effort going wide. As half time approached, the vociferous crowd had been silenced by some good Chelsea possession football.
The second half started with Terry and Drogba on for Bridge and Robben. Instantly Chelsea looked to be going up through the gears and when Kalou won a corner the visitors should have opened the scoring. Instead we could only watch as Ballack initially misjudged his header only for Kalou to head over.
Minutes later a superbly delivered Lampard free kick found the head of Drogba. Sadly, when well placed, his header was straight at the keeper and another chance had gone. However, with the pressure piling up, Chelsea were soon to open the scoring.
The goal came in the fifty second minute when a fine move involving Shevchenko and Drogba saw a perfect ball played into the path of Lampard. Without looking he flicked the ball over the keeper and into the net.
Two minutes later Shevchenko had a chance to make it 2-0 but his miss-hit shot never troubled the keeper. Stunned by the upsurge in pressure Feyenoord mounted a comeback but when Geremi conceded a corner it was easily dealt with.
Just past the hour mark Mourinho withdrew Essien and Shevchenko and replaced them with Wright-Phillips and Diarra. Chelsea continued to exert some pressure and forced two corners both of which troubled the home defence.
However, Feyenoord were not finished and when Ballack conceded a free kick on the edge of the area Cudicini was grateful to see Hoffs free kick fly narrowly over the bar.
Chelsea continued to create chances and Ballack wasted another good opportunity when he headed a Geremi corner over the bar when well placed. Drogba then found himself one on one with the keeper after a good Kalou through ball but couldn`t make the most of the opportunity.
With only minutes remaining Woods came on for his debut in place of Kalou but there was still time for one final Feyenoord effort. It came after Carvalho conceded a free kick on the edge of the area. Pierre Van Hoojidonk, on as a substitute, lined up the kick and watched as it hit the inside of the post only for a team mate to screw the rebound just wide.
All in all a good performance but we could well have rued the missed chances. Next stop Stamford Bridge and Celtic.
Cudicini, Geremi, Ferre