Chelsea scramble to Cluj win
Drogba got the winner just six minutes after coming on as substitute
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Tuesday, 09, Dec 2008 10:43
Chelsea made hard work of Romanian side Cluj eventually emerging 2-1 winners at Stamford Bridge.
A goal from Didier Drogba just six minutes after being introduced as a substitute gave Luiz Felipe Scolari's side a hard-earned three points.
Roma's victory over Bordeaux means that they finish in second spot in Group A and as a result will face a tough task against one of the other group winners in the last 16.
It could have been worse for Chelsea and when Yssouf Kone cancelled out Salomon Kalou's opener Scolari's side could have been eliminated had Bordeaux been able to win in Italy.
Drogba produced the crucial goal, however, when he latched on to a Joe Cole pass and produced the kind of powerful finish that Chelsea have missed for much of this season.
Chelsea had taken the lead five minutes before the interval when Kalou found himself in space from a Deco free-kick with the Cluj defence preoccupied with the presence of John Terry.
Kone caused Chelsea hearts to flutter with a fine equaliser ten minutes into the second-half.
Cluj worked the ball brilliantly down the right hand side and Kone was on-hand to head in Cristian Panin's pinpoint cross.
Drogba eased their nerves with 19 minutes remaining but Scolari will now he needs a vast improvement from his side if they are to go beyond the last 16, especially as they now face one of the top seeds in the knock-out stages.