Chelsea turned Stamford Bridge into a shooting gallery last night but Bratislava's sitting ducks did not lie down easily. Time and again the Premiership spendthrifts came close to finding the net, but in the end they only did twice, a marvellous second goal nine minutes from time by the full-back Danny Granville making the away leg a little easier in a fortnight's time. It was Granville's first goal for the club.

Chelsea continued their constant pressure until the final whistle with Vialli seeing his shot smothered by the goalkeeper Konig in the final minute.

The presence in the Chelsea starting line-up of all three Italians was a measure of the changes that have taken place at Stamford Bridge in the three years since the club was last in Europe.

Perhaps Ruud Gullit was hoping to frighten the Slovakians from the outset by including on his team-sheet such luminous names as Di Matteo, Zola and Vialli. He might also have pointed to Chelsea's Premiership record to add an extra jangle to visiting nerves.

Here could be found Chelsea's recent run of four straight wins with 15 goals scored, but also, specifically, the game against Barnsley in August. This was the only other time this season the Italian trio have started a game together and Chelsea won 6-0, with four goals from Vialli.

Having sold most of their best players to calm a financial crisis at the club, and while still performing in a run-down stadium, Slovan's situation contrasts vividly with that of the opulent Chelsea set with millions to spend on the team and their swanky new stadium ever nearer completion.

It was onto this daunting stage that the Slovakians ventured, big in heart and height but, despite packing midfield, struggling to subdue Chelsea's abundance of flowing skills.

And no one flowed more than the great Zola, the inspirational font from which most of his team's attacking movements welled. It was an assault which brought a goal after just six minutes and saw the bar and post hit in the first 45.

The goal was a credit to Di Matteo's opportunism. He turned just inside the area to fire a shot past Konig in the Slovan goal.

How Chelsea then failed to score at least five more before the break remained a mystery. Zola hit the bar with a bending 20-yard free-kick then from five yards further out forced a two-fisted panic save from Konig. Vialli received a one-two back from Granville and shot just wide of the near post before holding off Antalovic and hitting the post from seven yards.

Wise from 30 yards nearly caught the goalkeeper out again, before Zola shot just wide then hit the Konig's knees after a poor back-header by Glonek.

All Chelsea could do was stay patient and hope that all the chances they were creating would eventually bring more than the one goal. A healthy lead was obviously most desirable, but more so as Slovan's domestic record suggests they are pretty tasty at home.

And so the second half began as the first had ended, with the whole of the visiting team packing their defence and Chelsea's eager troops lining up to find a way through.

Zola set up Di Matteo after just 48 minutes but the Italian shot from six yards straight at the goalkeeper. Wise's 20-yard shot then swerved promisingly but eventually not enough to wrong foot Konig.

By midway through the half the Slovakians had picked up four yellow cards in their desperation to keep Chelsea at bay. Never mind that they had not created a chance of their own of note.