Chelsea 3 Feyenoord 1

Chelsea needed a defender to rescue a first half that saw their 14 corners and 62% of the possession produce few shots on target.

Desperate Feyenoord defending, much of it panicked and indecisive, contributed to the lack of Chelsea goals in a first half the London club dominated but the side's usual poor finishing saw Celestine Babayaro claim the 44th minute goal that ended the frustration at a nervous Stamford Bridge.

Seldom do sides dominate to such an extent and remain at 0-0 against opposition who were forced back into their own penalty by numerous crosses and attacks. There is always the danger that their attacks will come to nothing as a well played counter attack claims the points.

The Dutch side were left to reconsider tactics and game plan after Dan Petrescu brought the ball to the right edge of the penalty area and clipped a cross that saw the Nigerian wing back dip his head to slam in a header that goalkeeper Jurek Dudek almost kept out but he was nursing an ankle injury in the latter stages of the half.

Chelsea had 11 shots off target and 7 on target in the first half in front of Dutch legend Johan Cruyff who was watching from the stands. In the second half they hit seven more on target as they walked all over the Dutch champions.

Feyenoord almost took the lead in the 4th minute when Bonaventure Kalou ran in one goal from the right side after a cross field pass but former Feyenoord star Ed De Goey parried the powerful shot.

Chelsea then took over with Poyet launching a header and four shots at the Rotterdam side's goal as the epitome of Chelsea's attacking intent all devised and helped by the supreme skills of Gianfranco Zola.

In the 36th minute Zola beat two and screwed his shot wide and anxiety rose around the ground. Jurek Dudek hurt his ankle shortly after and was unable to take goal kicks for the rest of the game. Despite this handicap Dudek produced five excellent saves from shots on target.

Tore Andre Flo settled down in the second half to show an excellent touch on the run and improved his finishing to score two goals.

Dan Petrescu had slapped a header against the bar in the 53rd minute after a storming run and cross from Albert Ferrer then the Romanian and Zola combined to each fluff a close range shot in the 54th minute and twelve more minutes of worry for the home side were put aside by Flo's two goals.

Both were scrappy efforts. The Norwegian finished from close range by driving the ball into the ground over Durek's dive after Babayaro had hit the bar and in the 85th minute Flo ran through after a reverse pas from Zola eliminated the Dutch defence for Durek to save Flo's first shot but not the second as the tall striker ran in on goal.

Chelsea dominated this one sided game but Marcel Desailly was punished after slipping in defence to allow substitute Julio Cruz through to finish low past De Goey in the only real chance Feyenoord with 85 minutes gone and the second half moving to a conclusion.

The Rotterdam fans are banned from travelling to away games in Europe at the moment and they would not have wanted to see this. The manner of Chelsea's wayward and indecisive forward play suggests that the visit to SS Lazio on December 7th could see the acid test for Vialli's side. On this performance they are brilliant on the ball but wasteful in front of goal and that wins nothing at any level of the game.