Chelsea vs Dynamo Kiev match report: Willian rescues win for Jose Mourinho with brilliant free-kick

Chelsea 2 Dynamo Kiev 1

(Reuters)

They played Bob Marley at half-time at Stamford Bridge. “Don’t worry about a thing, cos every little thing’s gonna be all right.” This was followed by the Black Eyed Peas: “I gotta feeling that tonight’s gonna be a good night.” It was like one of those playlists lovelorn teenagers make.

If only it was so easy. This was eventually a good night, but it was not without plenty of worry. When Dynamo Kiev levelled with 13 minutes to go, after yet more hamfisted defending, Chelsea were third in Group G and heading for a fifth match without a win.

Then Willian, the one player who has risen above the chaos at Chelsea to play like a Footballer of the Year contender, scored from another sublime free-kick.

“Jo-se Mou-rin-ho” echoed round a joyous, relieved Bridge. A further descent into crisis has been averted, but Mourinho still has much to do with many of his players well below their best.

One of the many problems with losing matches is that it means if a player is left out, he is regarded as dropped rather than rested. So the latest presumed scapegoats were Eden Hazard, Gary Cahill and John Obi Mikel, all omitted here having played in the side that lost 3-1 at home to Liverpool. Three previous fall guys, Baba Rahman, Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas, came in.

The much-vaunted, phenomenally expensive academy was again unrepresented, though on the bench were Ruben Loftus-Cheek and rookie goalkeeper Jamal Blackman, who featured because Marco Amelia was signed after the Champions League deadline.

John Terry’s inclusion ahead of Cahill, who was no more culpable on Saturday, meant he moved past Paul Scholes to become the English player who has made the most Champions League appearances. This was Terry’s 107th, a tally which included the 2008 final, in which he infamously missed the spot-kick that could have won Chelsea the competition.

This season, surely, is the old warhorse’s last chance to win the Champions League as a player. Though the prospect looked a long way off at kick-off there were times in 2008 and 2012 when Chelsea seemed improbable finalists and with the talent in the team, it cannot be ruled out.

First, though, they have to qualify from the group stage. The thought of Mourinho being despatched to the Europa League competition he ridiculed in the context of Chelsea winning it under Rafael Benitez must be one that gives him cold sweats.


 Willian scored a superb free-kick to win the game for Chelsea
 (Getty Images)

With good support from the crowd, Chelsea began brightly enough with a series of attacks leading to shots from Ramires, twice, and Oscar. But they were all at the goalkeeper, Oleksandr Shovkovsky, and soon the urgency went from Chelsea and the game began to stagnate.

Given events in the east of their country there will be many, back home in the Ukrainian capital, who will have relished the prospect of Kiev inflicting a metaphorical bloody nose on such a high-profile Russian-owned team but in the first period Dynamo did not look capable of doing so. Nor, though, did Chelsea look like scoring.

Then came that stroke of luck all struggling sides need. Rahman took a pass from Asmir Begovic and switched play with a raking forward pass to the ever-willing Willian. The Brazilian drove forward before fizzing over a powerful cross. As Shovkovsky moved off his line to collect, Aleksandar Dragovic attempted to head it out for a corner, only to inadvertently divert the cross into the empty goal.

Chelsea could have wrapped up the tie in first-half added time. Diego Costa, previously well shackled, burst clear with Yevhen Khacheridi and Dragovic in close pursuit. As Costa entered the box he tumbled to the floor. The stadium howled for a penalty, which would also have entailed a red card, but referee Pavel Kralovec waved play on.

Mourinho performed a toddler’s tantrum of astonished outrage, but Kralovec was much closer and television replays suggested he got it right. Why Costa did not shoot when he had the chance, only he knows, but one goal in his previous seven games suggests a lack of confidence.

A Chelsea lead used to be as secure as the reputation of the German FA, but there are few certainties in football these days and Mourinho’s men had dropped leads in two of their last three home matches. An unwanted treble loomed when Artem Kravets bore down on Begovic soon after the break but Kurt Zouma’s pace enabled him to make an excellent last-ditch tackle.

With the game opening up, both goalkeepers made fine saves just before the hour. Begovic denied substitute Junior Morais from close range, then Shovkovsky made an acrobatic stop from Oscar. In between Kurt Zouma should have scored but managed to steer a typically enticing Willian free-kick wide from inside the six-yard box.

With the second goal proving elusive, nerves began to creep in. The travelling contingent became the noisier fans, Chelsea began to sit deeper, Mourinho’s touchline prowling became more agitated. With 16 minutes to go, Kiev won a corner. Domagoj Vida flicked it on and Derlis Gonzalez just failed to head in at the far post.

The nerves intensified and Begovic fumbled a Terry backheader to concede another corner. It was a fateful error.

Begovic came for the kick but was beaten to it by Matic. However, the Serb could not make much contact and the ball came to Dragovic, who had moved off his marker, Terry. The centre-half took a touch and lashed a volley in through a thicket of bodies. On the touchline Mourinho shook his head in disbelief.

The goal meant Chelsea, for the 14th time in 18 matches this season, had failed to keep a clean sheet.

Mourinho summoned Hazard and Pedro from the bench but it was Willian who stood up to be counted. Chelsea won a free-kick 25 yards out and the Brazilian whipped a magnificent effort over the wall with the power to prevent Shovkovsky keeping the ball out. It was his fifth goal of the season, moving him back ahead of own goals as Chelsea’s top scorer. Everything was all right. For now.