Chelsea 2-1 Cluj: Chelsea sneak through but rivals won't be running scared

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It's mission accomplished, job done, and in the hat for next week's draw.

But nobody at the Bridge last night thought they were watching the potential champions of Europe.

And it is hard to believe Barcelona or Juventus, let alone the rest of the English flotilla, will be quaking in their boots about this Chelsea side in the last 16.

Didier Drogba's peerless finish proved enough to put the final nail in the Cluj coffin after one of the ghosts who haunted Jose Mourinho's final hours at Chelsea popped up to put the frighteners on Luiz Felipe Scolari and his men.

Yet where the Chelsea fans were looking for a performance to get those recent Stamford Bridge wobbles out of their system, they were forced to witness further firsthand evidence of how Scolari's side have lost faith in themselves.

The Romanian minnows were no more than they were expected to be, hard-working and organised but without any real quality.

But when Yssouf Kone nodded Cluj level 11 minutes into the second period, Scolari was facing an embarrassment that might have reverberated through the rest of his spell at the Chelsea helm.

Kone, part of the Rosenborg side whose 1-1 draw here in September last year proved the final straw for Roman Abramovich's fractured relationship with the 'Special One', was allowed the freedom of the box by the day-dreaming Alex to head home a goal that saw nails being chewed all over SW6.

Fortunately for Chelsea, who should have gone into cruise control after Salomon Kalou put them ahead just before the break, Roma's opener against Bordeaux was swiftly followed by a classy strike from Drogba to ensure their passage to the knockout stages.

However, the sound that greeted the final whistle was more relief than anything else, after another display that would surely have brought catcalls and question marks had the manager still been Avram Grant.

While the Scolari era began with a flourish, Chelsea have gone into their shells over the past two months. Admittedly, the injuries and suspensions which mean Drogba has started just four games so far this term are a factor, especially with Nicolas Anelka once again looking like a player who needs the extra space away from home to be any real sort of goal threat.

Badly missed, too, was the suspended Frank Lampard, with Michael Ballack and Deco running into far too many blind alleys.

But more concerning than any of that was the vulnerability in Chelsea's defence.

Only a brilliant goalline intervention by John Obi Mikel prevented Cluj skipper Cadu from stabbing home two yards out midway through a first half in which Chelsea's passing game broke down with staggering regularity.

That chance, created by the clever thinking of Juan Culio as he tricked Ashley Cole and Jose Bosingwa to find Hugo Alcantara at the back post, brought audible gulps from the home supporters, only briefly eased when Kalou popped up to score four minutes before the break.

Cluj were so distracted by John Terry's fall after a wrestling bout instigated by Deco's free-kick that they left Kalou unmarked, with the African firing home from six yards.

Even with that advantage, Chelsea were unimpressive and seconds after Anelka had fired weakly at keeper Nuno Claro, Cristian Panin sauntered forward and probed Alex's aerial deficiencies.

Had Matteo Brighi not scored for Roma soon afterwards, it would have got really twitchy but it still needed the arrival from the bench of Drogba for Chelsea to get a grip on the game. Seven minutes later, Mikel found Joe Cole whose clever dink was controlled by Drogba with his first touch before he prodded home with his second.

This was far from impressive and a long way from the 'Brazilian football' Scolari promised and Abramovich demands.

Second place in Group A means Barcelona and probably Juventus and Lyon lie in wait in the last 16. Scolari would not want to meet any of them on this form.

Chelsea: Cech 6, Bosingwa 6, Alex 5, Terry 7, A Cole 6, Mikel 6 (Bridge 88), J Cole 7 (Belletti, 74, 6), Ballack 6, Deco 6, Kalou 6 (Drogba 64, 7), Anelka 5

Cluj: Nuno Claro 5, Panin 6, Cadu 6, Alcantara 6, Alvaro Pereira 7, Dani 5, Muresan 6, Dubarbier 6 (E Kone, 60, 6), Trica 5 (Peralta, 72, 5), Juan Culio 7, Y Kone 6

Ref: P Frojdfeldt

HERO OF THE MATCH: Didier Drogba - No coins this time, just a goal worth millions.

VILLAIN OF THE MATCH: Alex - What was he doing for the Cluj goal?

CHELSEA'S NEXT THREE GAMES
Sunday: West Ham (h) Prem
Mon, Dec 22: Everton (a) Prem
Fri, Dec 26: West Brom (h) Prem

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