Chelsea made it four points from two Champions League matches with a 4-0 win over Nordsjaelland on Wednesday, but it was far from comfortable until the final 10 minutes.
The home side grew into the opening half, but Chelsea registered their opener through Juan Mata after 33 minutes to leave the Blues ahead at the break.
Nordsjaelland continued to create chances in the second period, but the victory was wrapped up when David Luiz struck a free kick past Jesper Hansen.
Meanwhile, Mata and Ramires added a third and fourth respectively in the final moments.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two sides.
Match statistics:
Nordsjaelland:
Shots 8
On target 3
Possession 46%
Corners 2
Fouls 12
Chelsea:
Shots 9
On target 5
Possession 54%
Corners 3
Fouls 12
Was the result fair?
The fact that I am even questioning it with a 4-0 scoreline tells you everything you need to know about the match. Taking away the last 10 minutes, the home side were well worth a point with their display, but they fell apart after conceding the second. Chelsea will certainly play better than this, but they still scored four goals.
Nordsjaelland's performance
6/10. Extremely impressive – aside from the last 10 minutes. The Danish outfit looked like a seasoned Champions League outfit, rather than a side playing in their first. They rose to the occasion and deserved to take something from the match with their display up until the 78th minute. Unfortunately they did not score while on top and were given a bit of a beating in the final moments.
Chelsea's performance
6/10. It wasn't a great night of Champions League football from Chelsea – bar the last 10 minutes - but it is an away win and four points from their first two matches. Ultimately, no-one remembers how you play as long as you get the job done. They scored four goals without playing well which is impressive, but the fact they struggled against such opposition for long periods is a concern.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Undoubtedly the star man was Nordsjaelland centre-back Jores Okore. The 20-year-old is regarded as one of the best young defenders in world football and showed why with a wonderful all-round performance. The fact his side lost 4-0 was irrelevant to his display.
Biggest gaffe of the match
Fernando Torres missed an absolute sitter before the break. Ultimately it did not cost his side the three points, but he simply had to score.
Referee performance
Marijo Strahonja had a fairly successful 90 minutes this evening. The Croatian went about his work with minimum fuss and was rarely seen, which is always a good sign for a referee.
What next?
Nordsjaelland: The Danish side return to domestic action against Odense BK on Friday.
Chelsea: The Blues will attempt to continue their fine Premier League form at home to Norwich City on Saturday.
Matt Law
