They came, they fought, they were conquered. Chelsea left battered and bruised, boiled and barbequed when they partook their last at the Stadio San Paolo in the city of Naples. On a night that Portuguese gaffer Andrea Villas-Boas had really hoped for a better performance from his expensively assembled squad, he instead got another; a defensive horror show.
Not that the Blues were on the back foot. No. The game was evenly matched, with shots on target in plenty from both sides. However, though the two defenses were suspect, one faltered to give the visitors the lead through Juan Mata, the other crumbled as S.S.C. Napoli came from a goal down to cruise to a 3-1 lead heading into the second leg.
The manner in which the Pensioners' defense opened up like a cold bottle of water in a searing desert, only highlights the wobbly nature that has been Chelsea's rearguard this season. And they were punished dearly, an Ezequiel Lavezzi double sandwiching Edinson Cavani's bundled goal. But wait, it could have been more. Such was Napoli's state of play.
The Argentine forward, the only one of the attacking trio, that includes Cavani and Marek Hamsik, not to score in Europe's premier club competition, broke his Champions League duck in style. His first was a beautifully curved low shot that went past the stretched arms of Petr Cech. His second, and Napoli's third was as a result of a David Luiz blunder, that Cavani took advantage of, squaring it to Lavezzi to dispatch home.
All the goals that the Stamford Bridge outfit conceded could have been prevented. Ashley Cole's clearance from the line, in what would have been a sucker punch fourth goal for Napoli, was even harder than the three defensive errors. With the likes of experienced defenders like Luiz and Gary Cahill, you surely do expect much more from such a formidable defense that also had Branislav Ivanovic.
It's not mission impossible for Chelsea, with the return leg taking place in West London in three week's time. They do have what it takes to score two goals and turn the tie around. But that woeful defense has to get better, it has to be mean. There's no need of scoring two goals and conceding two. They
were handed a lesson by Napoli's attacking trident. Let's all hope that's a lesson learnt.
After watching the shortcomings of Arsenal brutally exposed in Milan last week, the odds are stacked against an English team going through to the Champions League quarterfinals, the first time this has happened since the 1995-96 season. Chelsea, may still stand a chance, but are now on the brink of elimination.
In the other tie of the night, Real Madrid were unable to become only the second team in Champions League history to win seven games on the trot. On a cold night in Moscow, talisman Cristiano Ronaldo gave the visitors the lead, only for Los Blancos to be held back by a dramatic stoppage time 1-1 equalizer courtesy of Pontus Wernbloom. However, Jose Mourinho's side still stands firm favorites to emerge winners from the tie.
Results
CSKA Moscow 1-1 Real Madrid, Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow
SSC Napoli 3-1Chelsea FC, Stadio San Paolo, Naples
Wednesday, February 22nd
10:45pm Marseille - Inter Milan, Stade Velodrome, SS3
10:45pm FC Basel - FC Bayern Munich, Saint Jakob-Park, SS7
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