Nightmare in Norway for ragged Chelsea

Viking Stavanger 4 Chelsea 2 Viking win 5-4 on aggregate

Erik Nevland – the striker rejected by Manchester United four years ago – scored the goal which sent Chelsea crashing to an embarrassing Uefa Cup exit for the third successive season.

It looked as if John Terry had spared the Blues' blushes when he popped up after 62 minutes on his first appearance of the season to score the goal which made this first-round tie 4-4 on aggregate – leaving the Premiership team ahead on away goals.

But Nevland, who made only two appearances in as many years while on loan at Old Trafford, struck the winner with four minutes left as Viking joined the Swiss club St Gallen and Israel's Hapoel Tel Aviv as unlikely conquerors of Chelsea.

"It's not an unexpected result if you see the conditions here," Nevland said. "We knew it would be difficult for Chelsea. We played brilliantly and are so happy. It's always difficult to play away in Europe and we proved that here."

Claudio Ranieri's side got off to the worst possible start, finding themselves two goals behind after 33 minutes. Terry replaced the injured captain Marcel Desailly but the 21-year-old defender looked rusty as he was caught out by Nevland and conceded a free-kick on the left flank.

Peter Kopteff took everyone by surprise by going for goal, but Carlo Cudicini tipped the ball over the bar. Kopteff's corner caused chaos in a crowded six-yard box and Cudicini's attempted clearance hit Terry on the back of the head and a shot by Morten Berre, on loan from the German side St Pauli, who cannot afford his wages, was helped on to the bar by Graeme Le Saux before bouncing over the line in the ninth minute.

Then, on 33 minutes, Terry was again caught out by Nevland and when the tricky striker reached the left edge of the penalty area he sublimely back-heeled into the path of Kopteff for the latter to score.

Chelsea gave themselves a lifeline on the stroke of half-time when Gianfranco Zola's ball into the box was deflected into the path of Frank Lampard, who drilled it into the bottom left corner.

In driving rain the pitch became heavier which led to defensive lapses at both ends. This rollercoaster tie produced two goals in the space of three minutes, leaving Chelsea ahead on away goals.

After 59 minutes, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink sliced his attempted clearance of Kopteff's corner into the air, Brede Paulsen Hangeland headed the ball back into the six-yard box and Nevland headed into the corner of the net.

A minute later, Terry appeared to have rescued Chelsea, heading in a deep right-sided Le Saux corner. But when Trygve Nygaard crossed from the left Nevland coolly struck the ball past Cudicini for a dramatic winner.

Viking Stavanger: Olsen; Dahl, Kuivasto, Pereira, Fuglestad, Hangeland, Sanne, Nygaard, Kopteff (Wright 82), Berre, Nevland. Substitutes not used: Nordtun (gk), Espevoll, Berland, Ahmed, Sorli, Sigurdsson.

Chelsea: Cudicini; Huth, Gallas, Terry, Le Saux, Stanic (Zenden 89), Lampard, Petit (Morris 61), Gronkjaer, Zola, Hasselbaink (Gudjohnsen 80). Substitutes not used: De Goey (gk), Bogarde, Ambrosetti, Kitamirike.

Referee: J van Hulten (Netherlands).