It is five goals in five Champions League matches for Fernando Torres. It should have been six, though. That’s the problem.
Never satisfied, some people. Give the guy a break. Isn’t his record in Europe alone evidence of his quality? Scored against Bayern Munich earlier in the season, scored in the Europa League final against Benfica last year.
Put Torres on a plane and he comes alive. The player who has often appeared so ineffectual in the Premier League since arriving at Stamford Bridge finds his confidence again at the sniff of a passport.
And, yes, some of that is true. Inescapably, though, Chelsea paid £50million for Torres’s services. And what they had hoped to get for that outlay was a striker who made nights like this a formality, who turned one into two and uncertainty into inevitability. Torres failed to do that in Galatasaray’s Turk Telekom Arena. Given the perfect opportunity to take the match, and the tie, beyond Galatasaray’s reach, he blew it.
VIDEO: Scroll down to watch Jose Mourinho reflect on Chelsea's performance
In a twist: Fernando Torres slots home with his foot at an extraordinary angle to give Chelsea an early lead
Leveller: Aurelien Chedjou fires home in the second half to cancel our Fernando Torres' strike
All alone: Chedjou took advantage of some slack Chelsea defending to lash the ball past Petr Cech
Jumping for joy: Chedjou celebrates earning his side a share of the spoils in the first-leg clash in Istanbul
Blow: A dejected Willian and Torres are left to ponder on how they allowed Galatasaray to equalise
Match facts
Galatasaray (4-3-1-2): Muslera 6; Eboue 6.5, Chedjou 7, Balta 7 (Kaya 46min, 6), Telles 7;
Selcuk Inan 6, Melo 6.5, Hajrovic 5 (Kurtulus 31, 6.5); Sneijder 7; Drogba 7 (Bulut 80), Yilmaz 6.
Subs not used: Ceylan, Gulselam, Colak, Sarioglu.
Goal: Chedjou 64
Booked: Inan
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech 6, Azpilicueta 7.5, Cahill 6, Terry 6, Ivanovic 6.5, Hazard (Oscar 90), Lampard 5.5, Ramires 6, Willian 7, Schurrle 7 (Mikel 67, 6), Torres 7 (Eto'o 68, 6).
Subs not used: Schwarzer, Cole, Ba, Kalas.
Goal: Torres 9
Booked: Terry, Schurrle, Ramires, Cech
Man of the Match: Azpilicueta
Referee: Carlos Velasco Carballo (Spain) 7
Attendance: 51,000
Ratings by SAM CUNNINGHAM
Selcuk Inan 6, Melo 6.5, Hajrovic 5 (Kurtulus 31, 6.5); Sneijder 7; Drogba 7 (Bulut 80), Yilmaz 6.
Subs not used: Ceylan, Gulselam, Colak, Sarioglu.
Goal: Chedjou 64
Booked: Inan
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech 6, Azpilicueta 7.5, Cahill 6, Terry 6, Ivanovic 6.5, Hazard (Oscar 90), Lampard 5.5, Ramires 6, Willian 7, Schurrle 7 (Mikel 67, 6), Torres 7 (Eto'o 68, 6).
Subs not used: Schwarzer, Cole, Ba, Kalas.
Goal: Torres 9
Booked: Terry, Schurrle, Ramires, Cech
Man of the Match: Azpilicueta
Referee: Carlos Velasco Carballo (Spain) 7
Attendance: 51,000
Ratings by SAM CUNNINGHAM
What we can say, however, is that after Torres missed in the 52nd minute, the home side threw themselves at the challenge with renewed vigour and the final 35 minutes belonged to them. By the end, Chelsea were the likelier losers. They will be wary next match, even if they might have taken 1-1 before kick-off.
The modern Galatasaray is certainly not hell. More like heck. No trials by fire, more skirmishes and inconveniences. The crowd still make a big noise, and Chelsea had more players booked than is helpful — including John Terry — but heck hath no fury like the old ground, where visitors were as likely to get a beating from the local constabulary as the starting XI, as Manchester United discovered.
Chelsea are the only English team to win a Champions League tie here, so they would have known the value of clinging to the early lead, or adding to it. They had enough chances, at least, particularly in the first half when several strong counter-attacks should have amounted to more. Needing a 1-0 home win to progress, they should still do it, of course. There is expected to be English representation in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, but this match now has tension that few expected after Chelsea took the lead on nine minutes.
Assist: Cesar Azpilicueta (right) squares the ball to Fernando Torres to tap home and put Chelsea in front
Doing the rest: Torres slides in to stab the ball home and give Chelsea an early advantage in Istanbul
Opener: Fernando Torres celebrates after sending Chelsea into the lead in the first half in Istanbul
Galatasaray’s new home is vast and a seat near its top affords the perfect view of Chelsea’s strength on the rebound. Back to front, box to box, they are startlingly fast, in the manner of the best continentals. The absence of Oscar, whose form has dipped of late, made no difference. Eden Hazard and Willian — in particular — are the key to this, with an able supporting cast of Ramires, Andre Schurrle and Cesar Azpilicueta.
Considering he is playing out of position, the importance of Azpilicueta’s excellence to Chelsea’s season cannot be overlooked. Without him, Mourinho would have Ashley Cole on the left and while that is no great hardship, the manager must have seen something in him this season that represents a slight dip in standards.
Azpilicueta, a right back, provided the solution and has arguably been the player of the season in that position. He was crucial to Chelsea’s early goal here — the one that momentarily sucked the noise from the throats of the voluble locals.
Emmanuel Eboue, late of Arsenal, made the mistake that set up the counter-attack, but after that it was down to Azpilicueta’s sheer pace and presence of thought having won the ball, going straight at Galatasaray and continuing his run almost to the byline.
Mystifyingly, this act of invasion drew Galatasaray goalkeeper Fernando Muslera — Roy Hodgson can only hope he is as flaky against England for Uruguay at the World Cup — meaning that Azpilicueta had simply to square the ball for Torres, who slotted it expertly past two defenders.
In the book: Chelsea's captain John Terry is shown the yellow card just before half time
Come on! Didier Drogba complains to the Galatasaray defence as they fall behind to his old side
Good to see you: Didier Drogba hugs Eden Hazard before taking on his old team Chelsea for the first time
The final bow: Drogba is substituted by Gala boss Roberto Mancini (right) as the game draws to a close
SUPER STAT
Fernando Torres's goal was the first by an English club in Europe since Roberto Soldado’s third for Tottenham vs Anzhi in the Europa League on December 12
Then, in the 27th minute, another break — Schurrle on the right this time, beating his man and finding Ramires, who should have done better with a shot that flew over the bar. In his defence, Ramires had just returned to the field having sustained a blow to the face in an aerial challenge. A large white plaster was stuck horizontally across his nose. Maybe his eyes were still watering.
Taking a trip: Alex Telles (left) and Wesley Sneijder (right) of Galatasaray vie for the ball with Andre Schurrle
Keeping himself to himself: Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho looks on during his side's clash with Galatasaray
Our hero as well as yours: Galatasaray fans hold up a Didier Drogba banner in the stands
Welcome to Hell? Chelsea were unfazed by the notoriously unwelcoming Galatasaray fans
It was between then, and Galatasaray’s 64th-minute equaliser, that Chelsea let the advantage slip. There were a few culprits but Torres was the main one. In the 52nd minute, he was put through by Hazard, chasing clear with two Galatasaray men in pursuit. They applied pressure, but, even so, his finish was ordinary and tipped round by Muslera.
As if sensing the worth of this reprieve, Galatasaray regrouped and hit Chelsea with a sustained assault, which grew in intensity, forcing a goal.
In the 54th minute, in winning a challenge with Burak Yilmaz, Gary Cahill almost struck the ball into his own goal, but it was from set-pieces that Galatasaray most threatened — unsurprisingly with Didier Drogba in the attack.
It was Drogba’s presence that forced their second best chance of the game, his header from a short corner finding Selcuk Inan at the far post, yet somehow he contrived to hit woodwork when so much net beckoned.
But a goal was coming and from the next corner, taken by Wesley Sneijder, central defender Aurelien Chedjou found Terry and Cech in strangely docile mood, and headed the ball home. It was just the sort of goal Chelsea so rarely concede.
Football — bloody heck, as Sir Alex Ferguson did not say.
In the thick of the action: Ramires ended up in the wars after the Chelsea midfielder clashed heads
TURK TELEKOM ARENA MATCH ZONE By MATT BARLOW
Not
thing says friendly hospitality quite like a set of ‘Welcome to Hell’
branded children’s pyjamas on sale inside the Galatasaray club shop. It
seems that the now-familiar handshake of hostility by football fans in
Istanbul has been branded. It is more than 20 years since Manchester
United were here in the game which made the phrase infamous.
When Chelsea visited and won 5-0, Tore-Andre Flo, who scored twice, said: ‘If this is hell then hell is a very nice place.’
LOOK! MANCINI’S GOT A NEW SCARF
Hell froze over in the last Champions League match at the Turk Telekom Arena, when the decisive game against Juventus was halted by a blizzard and completed the following day. In a bid to recreate the spirit of that night, Galatasaray’s sponsors Turkish Airlines showered fans with fake snow as they emerged from the Metro station and projected giant images of Wesley Sneijder’s winning goal which knocked out the Italian champions. Scarf aficionado Roberto Mancini rarely without the accessory during his time at Manchester City, inadvertently played along by sporting his new club’s colours around his neck.
LONDON CALLING
Galatasaray moved from their ramshackle Ali Sami Yen stadium in 2010, and into their handsome new Turk Telekom Arena a year later. It may not have the same character but the Turkish fans can still generate some incredible noise. They were bouncing, banging drums and even waving a Millwall flag to welcome their London visitors.
GALA HAIL BALE
Cauldron of hate? Cauldron of appreciation, more like. The Galatasaray fans clearly enjoyed Gareth Bale’s brilliant first goal for Real Madrid against Schalke. The Turkish supporters applauded as the Welshman’s solo effort was shown on the big screens at half-time.
When Chelsea visited and won 5-0, Tore-Andre Flo, who scored twice, said: ‘If this is hell then hell is a very nice place.’
LOOK! MANCINI’S GOT A NEW SCARF
Hell froze over in the last Champions League match at the Turk Telekom Arena, when the decisive game against Juventus was halted by a blizzard and completed the following day. In a bid to recreate the spirit of that night, Galatasaray’s sponsors Turkish Airlines showered fans with fake snow as they emerged from the Metro station and projected giant images of Wesley Sneijder’s winning goal which knocked out the Italian champions. Scarf aficionado Roberto Mancini rarely without the accessory during his time at Manchester City, inadvertently played along by sporting his new club’s colours around his neck.
LONDON CALLING
Galatasaray moved from their ramshackle Ali Sami Yen stadium in 2010, and into their handsome new Turk Telekom Arena a year later. It may not have the same character but the Turkish fans can still generate some incredible noise. They were bouncing, banging drums and even waving a Millwall flag to welcome their London visitors.
GALA HAIL BALE
Cauldron of hate? Cauldron of appreciation, more like. The Galatasaray fans clearly enjoyed Gareth Bale’s brilliant first goal for Real Madrid against Schalke. The Turkish supporters applauded as the Welshman’s solo effort was shown on the big screens at half-time.
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