Bluesback towinning ways after Malmo test
CHELSEA responded from their embarrassing mauling at Manchester City with a jittery 2-1 win over Malmo in the Europa League last-32 first leg in Sweden.
The Blues’ 6-0 loss to City was their worst in 28 years and heaped mounting scrutiny on head coach Maurizio Sarri, whose concerns were eased, at least temporarily, by Ross Barkley after 30 minutes.
Olivier Giroud netted his fifth goal in six Europa League appearances with a neat back-heel to make it 2-0, but at present nothing is straightforward at Chelsea.
What should have been a routine return in next week’s second leg resulting in passage to the last 16 will now be a nervy affair after Anders Christiansen’s strike 10 minutes from time.
Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta said: “We had chances to have a more comfortable result but they scored and there is still a lot to play for next week.
“In the second half we had whole control of the game and had a lot of chances, it’s frustrating to concede a goal and not to have a better result. It’s still all to play for.
“This tournament is very important, we are fighting for trophies and to be in the top four. We MALMO: Dahlin, Vindheim, Nielsen, Bengtsson, Safari, Rieks, Christiansen (Gall 82), Bachirou, Traustason (Lewicki 70), Antonsson (Strandberg 70), Rosenberg. Not used: Melicharek, Larsson, Binaku, Ahmedhodzic.
CHELSEA: Arrizabalaga, Azpilicueta, Christensen, Luiz, Emerson, Kovacic, Jorginho (Kante 74), Barkley, Pedro (Hudson-Odoi 84), Giroud, Willian (Hazard 71). Not used: Rudiger, Higuain, Caballero, Zappacosta. Referee: Aleksey Kulbakov
are in the Carabao Cup final next week, every trophy is important.”
The next two weeks are critical for the Blues and Sarri. Manchester United’s visit in the FA Cup on Monday is followed by the return with Malmo, the February 24 Carabao Cup final with Manchester City and a Premier League clash with Tottenham.
Malmo play in the same sky blue and white colours as City and the intensity of the Swedes’ start appeared to surprise Chelsea, who looked rattled.
There was a raucous atmosphere for Malmo’s first game since the mid-December victory over Besiktas which secured their place in the knockout stages, due to the domestic winter off-season.
Boos and a raft of pink flares On it: Cesar Azpilicueta battles Malmo’s Markus Rosenberg and, inset, Olivier Giroud who scored Chelsea’s second goal
met a Chelsea side showing five changes, with Eden Hazard, N’Golo Kante and Gonzalo Higuain kept in reserve.
Off the field, home and away supporters threw drinks over the Perspex partition which separated them as fan behaviour was again called into question during a Chelsea fixture.
Blues supporters were not the sole perpetrators on this occasion. And UEFA is sure to take a dim view of Malmo’s flares, too.
Chelsea’s attempts to stick to Sarri’s possession-based method have caused them plenty of problems and they frequently struggled to string passes together. But the Blues took the lead as Malmo’s defence erred when Pedro crossed. The ball reached Barkley (left) 10 yards out and he prodded in.
Barkley’s first European goal was also Chelsea’s first away goal of 2019.
Malmo continued to cause Chelsea problems, particularly from set-pieces, but Kepa Arrizabalaga’s first save saw Soren Rieks denied early in the second half.
Chelsea struck a second against the run of play. Willian darted down the left and crossed for Giroud to flick in at the near post after 58 minutes.
It was the World Cup-winning striker’s first goal since mid-December, albeit just two of his 10 appearances in the intervening period had been starts.
Barkley was denied by keeper Johan Dahlin and a Pedro effort deflected wide before Hazard was introduced, followed by Kante.
But it was Malmo who scored, as David Luiz and Cesar Azpilicueta were pulled out of position and Markus Rosenberg threaded a fine pass to Christiansen.
The midfielder held off Mateo Kovacic and finished expertly to add to Sarri’s anxieties.