Chelsea 1 Valencia 1:This season has become one long, troublesome and engrossing mystery for Chelsea and there were scant clues in the first leg of this tie as to their fate in this Champions League.
True, Valencia have an away goal to their name and are more sophisticated, but they were also brought back to level terms, through Didier Drogba's equaliser, and then subjected to a pummelling.
With six minutes left Chelsea verged on a winner as Ricardo Carvalho's drive was blocked and Andriy Shevchenko, following up with an overhead kick, was foiled as Miguel cleared over his own bar. The deadlock will not have astonished anyone acquainted with the attributes of these sides.
This had promised to be the hardest of the quarter-finals faced by the three English clubs. Prior to the interval it lived up to those expectations, but only from Chelsea's standpoint. Valencia had taken a lot of pleasure from their overall superiority and also enjoyed a merited 1-0 lead. Chelsea had sought to adapt to the demands they knew would be placed on them.
The tinkerman designation was decommissioned when Claudio Ranieri left Stamford Bridge, but there was a hint of tactical restlessness here from his successor, Jose Mourinho. The Italian was surely correct to say that there had been too little pattern to Chelsea's play this season. Mourinho may tacitly agree and he turned the clock back last night.
His modified 4-3-3 system used on the road to triumph in two Premierships had the dustsheets whipped off it, but there were other causes for seeking width. If anyone needed confirmation of the assessment that caused Chelsea to sell Asier del Horno to these opponents last summer it came in Mourinho's insistence on using Salomon Kalou against the left-back.
The Ivorian forward is now showing his potential more regularly. After Shevchenko had driven in from the left and been checked painfully by Roberto Ayala, Kalou turned on the loose ball and clipped the top of the bar. Before long, however, Mourinho was relocating the player to the Chelsea left as he sought to establish a better balance.
With 12 minutes gone, David Silva set up David Villa on the left, but the finish was rash. The scope for an away goal was glaring all the same and Valencia hungered after it.
More sloppiness in front of the target delayed that breakthrough after 21 minutes. Silva ought to have hit the net rather than missing the target when an attempt from Joaquin flew to him.
Perhaps Silva is actually cut out for more speculative efforts. With half an hour gone he came in from the left and whipped an extravagant drive that flew across Petr Cech and high into the net. The manner of the goal was beyond anticipation, but it was wholly appropriate that Valencia should hold the lead.
There was effort but no slickness from Chelsea. Drogba attempted to embark on a one-man campaign as the interval approached but blasted high after getting away from Del Horno and then picked up a caution as his battling went to extremes. The striker's endeavour was as impressive as usual, yet Chelsea actually needed understanding and seamless movement in their team play.
Those attributes were hard to come by, but Mourinho's men found a route back into the game that ought to have been barred. The visitors' goalkeeper, Santiago Canizares, kicked downfield in the 53rd minute and Ashley Cole instantly returned the ball towards the Valencia area. Drogba was in pursuit and got past Ayala to meet the bouncing ball with a looping header into the net.
Valencia were further hindered when the injury-prone Vicente had to go off. Miguel Angulo took over and the introduction of a more conservative figure made sense in a contest that had grown more balanced.
Whatever view is taken of the Chelsea line-up, it did tax and tire Valencia as the second-half developed. The introduction of Joe Cole, following more than three months of injury, and Shaun Wright-Phillips was meant to raise the tempo further.
It was universally accepted beforehand that these teams were not only well-matched, but also similar in character. Both would have steeled themselves for a contest that will fill both matches to the limit, and conceivably overflow into extra-time in Spain next week.
CHELSEA:Cech, Diarra, Terry, Carvalho, Ashley Cole, Kalou (Wright-Phillips 74), Ballack, Lampard, Mikel (Joe Cole 74), Shevchenko, Drogba. Subs not used: Cudicini, Makelele, Boulahrouz, Bridge, Ferreira. Booked: Drogba, Diarra.
VALENCIA:Canizares, Miguel, Ayala, Moretti, Del Horno, Vicente (Angulo 57), Albelda, Albiol, Joaquin (Hugo Viana 86), Silva, Villa (Jorge Lopez 90). Subs not used: Butelle, Curro Torres, Nacho Insa, Pallardo. Booked: Silva, Albelda, Ayala.
Referee:Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium).
