Chelsea qualify as Mutu misfires in tepid Sparta draw

Chelsea 0 Sparta Prague

After Thierry Henry's thrilling response on behalf of the round-ball code, in Milan on Tuesday night, the tepid fare served up by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last night will only have revived rugby partisans' hopes of toppling football's sporting primacy. Yet it is Chelsea, not Arsenal, who can look forward with certainty to the knock-out stages of the Champions' League. Having already done the hard yards in Prague and Rome this point was enough.

However, come Sunday and the visit of Manchester United, Chelsea could rue the energy they expended. The plan was to secure the game at half-time, then take off the key players and ease up. Sparta's spirited resistance ensured this was never the case.

It had taken Chelsea 83 minutes to break Sparta down when the teams met in September but they should have done so inside the opening minute last night. With the visiting defence still adjusting to the absence of Petr Johana, the commanding central defender who had been the prime obstacle to Chelsea in Prague, Hernan Crespo was allowed behind the back four and on to a long ball forward. The Argentinian's first touch betrayed him and the opportunity was lost.

It would be some time before a better one presented itself. Despite Chelsea monopolising possession, with Frank Lampard and Damien Duff prominent, further chances proved elusive. The main entertainment came from Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri, and his Sparta counterpart, Jiri Kotrba. Standing less than five yards apart on the touchline they seemed to be conducting simultaneous auditions for a Victor Meldrew role, gesticulating constantly in frustration. The fourth official, Emil Laursen, stood between them, chuckling.

It was Joe Cole who drew the eyes back to events on the pitch after 21 minutes, dribbling down the left before squaring the ball for Lampard to drive just over. Five minutes later Chelsea appeared to be gifted the lead, only to be denied by an errant linesman's flag. Duff curled a cross from the left, Crespo rose at the far post and headed against the bar. As the ball rebounded Jiri Homola, ludicrously, tried to chest the ball back to his goalkeeper who was still scrambling to his feet. Adrian Mutu nipped in to poke the ball to Crespo who tapped in. As Kotrba prepared to launch himself into orbit with fury the linesman, mistakenly, ruled Crespo had been ahead of the ball when Mutu stole it.

Ranieri's disappointment could have been multiplied soon after as Sparta briefly threatened, Rastislav Michalik delivering a cross from the left which Libor Sionko headed just wide. Sparta went on to reach the break in relative comfort, only a Cole shot, which had Jaromir Blazek at full stretch, troubling them.

Upon the resumption Sparta were again slow to focus, allowing Mutu to break clear. His cross went, via Duff, to Crespo but the £16.8m striker's backheel, so emblematic of Chelsea's over-elaboration, rolled tantalisingly wide. Claude Makelele, by instinct a trawlerman rather than a showboater, then tried a more direct approach, volleying just wide as a corner was cleared to him.

Variation became Chelsea's watchword. They tried to pass their way through the middle, then they lobbed balls into the box and down the centre. Quarter-chances fell to John Terry and Crespo but none which could be converted. The tension increased, but not the quality, Crespo and Cole colliding with one another as they went for a cross. All the while there was the fear that Sparta, in one of their sporadic attacks, might fluke a goal.

With 18 minutes remaining Ranieri's patience snapped. On came Eidur Gudjohnsen and Geremi, for Crespo and Cole. Sparta bunkered down. They had clearly decided to hold on for a point and hope the other results, in Rome last night and in a fortnight's time, went their way.

So it was down to Chelsea to break the deadlock. William Gallas, who did so in Prague, stepped forward. On 81 minutes Terry headed a Geremi free-kick back across goal and Gallas, off his shin, deflected the ball on to the post. It was as close as Chelsea came, their impotence underlined as Mutu went clear in injury time, but hit the hoardings, not the back of the net.

Chelsea (4-3-1-2): Cudicini; Melchiot, Terry, Gallas, Bridge; Lampard, Makelele, Cole (Geremi, 72); Duff; Mutu, Crespo (Gudjohnsen, 72. Substitutes not used: Ambrosio (gk), Babayaro, Desailly, Hasselbaink, Gronkjaer.

Sparta Prague (4-4-1-1): Blazek; Pergl, Homola, Huebschman, Labant; Poborsky, Kovac, Krmas, Michalik (Glusevic), Zelenka (Flachbart); Sionko (Jezek). Substitutes not used: Kouba (gk), Kincel, Jun, Zboncak.

Referee: C Larsen (Denmark)