Chelsea - 2 Viking FK - 1Chelsea may have won last night, but it is safe to assume no one was celebrating.
A 90th-minute header by Ben Wright, an English-born forward once on loan at Woking, gave Viking significant hope of being the latest team to embarrass Claudio Ranieri's team in the UEFA Cup.
Chelsea had almost incessant pressure, though little sparkle, and seemed set fair after Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Quique de Lucas gave them a two-goal lead.
But they could pay a heavy price for their wasteful finishing and slack late defending in Norway in a fortnight.
Chelsea fans had arrived filled with trepidation because of their team's appalling record in this competition over the past two seasons.
Defeats by St Gallen and Hapoel Tel Aviv had taught them to take nothing for granted.
Ranieri was less than a fortnight into his reign when St Gallen caused their upset a couple of years ago and he knew this would test how far he has come in trying to make his side display the same focus against every opponent.
Several Chelsea players had talked of how desperate they were to make up for last season's humbling by Tel Aviv and the chairman Ken Bates had left them in no doubt that they had much to make up for. "We need to win - handsomely," he wrote in the programme.
By starting with Gianfranco Zola, Eidur Gudjohnsen and Hasselbaink, Ranieri had signalled his determination to build a big lead before the return in a fortnight.
Viking's 4-5-1 formation indicated their intentions and the sight of De Lucas shooting hopefully from 25 yards was a sign of Chelsea's frustration.
Although Chelsea were doing almost all the pressing, they were not having things entirely their own way.
At the end of a Viking breakaway, Carlo Cudicini was forced into a smart save to beat away a shot by Trygve Nygaard.
The Norwegians were to offer more worrying moments, particularly when they attacked down the flanks against a Chelsea back four that had an unusual look about it.
Gallas had switched to right back and Ranieri gave a first start to Robert Huth, a tall 18-year-old German at centre half.
Hasselbaink hit the keeper's legs and Gudjohnsen failed to get a touch to a Jesper Gronkjaer centre before the breakthrough came just before half-time.
Gronkjaer's cross struck Brede Hangeland and was diverted into the path of Hasselbaink, who nipped round Frode Olsen to score his first goal since April.
Viking continued to try to keep things tight after the interval rather than look for an equaliser.
Hasselbaink should have added a second when he manufactured room for a shot from De Lucas' pass but the Dutchman hit Olsen's arm with the keeper grounded.
De Lucas did not have to wait long to do the job himself, though, lobbing the second after running clear on to a Morris pass.
CHELSEA: Cudicini, Stanic, Gallas, Desailly, Huth, Gronkjaer, Morris, De Lucas, Zola (Oliveira 86), Gudjohnsen (Lampard 45), Hasselbaink. Subs Not Used: de Goey, Zenden, Ambrosetti, Kitamirike, Keenan. Booked: Huth. Goals: Hasselbaink 43, De Lucas 69.
VIKING FK: Olsen, Dahl, Hangeland, Kuivasto, Pereira, Fuglestad, Sanne, Nygaard, Kopteff, Berre (Wright 61), Nevland (Berland 86). Subs Not Used: Nordtun, Espevoll, Ahmed, Sorli, Sigurdsson. Booked: Nevland. Goals: Wright 90.
Referee: B Tokat (Turkey).
