| Chelsea stuttered to an unconvincing victory over Apoel Nicosia
thanks to a first-half goal from Nicolas Anelka.
The Blues, beaten 3-1 by Wigan in the Premier League last Saturday,
produced another lacklustre performance against the Cypriot champions.
But victory keeps Chelsea top of Group D with a 100% record, even
if the performance does not bode well for their home clash with
title rivals Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Boss Carlo Ancelotti certainly did not get the reaction he wanted
following their defeat at Wigan and better opponents would have
given the English side much more to deal with. The Cypriots, playing
their first Champions League game at home, began the game full of
passion and desire.
They sprayed the ball around with confidence in the opening moments
but for a team that had already beaten Partizan Belgrade and FC
Copenhagen in the qualifiers, some self-assurance was only to be
expected.
Those results, allied to a creditable opening Group D draw with
Atletico Madrid, had put Apoel on the footballing map. But despite
their bright opening, they created little to concern the English
side who began to take control of the midfield.
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