Nordsjaelland 0 Chelsea 4: Mata at the double as late gains calm holders' jitters

The scoreboard may have read 4-0 to Chelsea but that was not the full story —and if the European champions knew little about Nordsjaelland before Tuesday night, they certainly do now.
The Danes made life hugely uncomfortable for Chelsea on a night when the visitors were expected to win comfortably. In the end they did so, thanks to a flurry of late goals from David Luiz, Juan Mata and Ramires.
But those strikes put gloss on  a less-than-emphatic Chelsea performance.

Mata of fact: The Spaniard scored two for Chelsea as the holders edged past the Danes

Match facts

FC Nordsjaelland: Hansen,Parkhurst, Okore, Runje, Mtiliga, Adu, Stokholm, Lorentzen (Laudrup 84), Nordstrand (Ticinovic 65), John, Beckmann (Christensen 75).
Subs not used: Villadsen, Christiansen, Gundelach, Petry Andersen.
Booked: Runje.
Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Luiz, Cahill, Cole, Ramires, Lampard, Moses (Hazard 65), Oscar, Mata (Mikel 83), Torres.
Subs not used: Turnbull, Romeu, Terry, Azpilicueta, Bertrand.
Goals: Mata 33, 82; Luiz 79; Ramires 89.
Attendance: 42,000
Referee: Marijo Strahonja (Croatia).

You are not supposed to enjoy easy matches in the Champions League — but this visit to Copenhagen certainly seemed to offer that possibility.
This was only Nordsjaelland’s  second outing among Europe’s elite — their first ending in a 2-0 defeat by Shakhtar Donetsk.
Nordsjaelland, who were only founded in 1991, pay their players on average £150,000 a year — enough for seven days of service from  Chelsea skipper John Terry.
And Roberto Di Matteo saw fit to leave his captain out of his starting line-up as David Luiz and Gary Cahill began in the heart of defence, while Victor Moses was handed his Champions League debut in place of Eden Hazard.
Di Matteo knew only victory at Parken Stadium would be good enough, particularly after the 2-2 home draw against Juventus on match-day one. But a record of one win in eight away Champions League clashes must have been a worrying distraction for the  Chelsea manager.
The biggest night in Nordsjaelland’s history almost got off to the worst possible start as a sloppy throw-in from left back Patrick Mtilinga on three minutes handed the returning Frank Lampard space on the edge of the box to pick out Brazilian starlet Oscar.

Brace yourself: Mata scored two on the night as Chelsea secured their first win in the competition this year

He exchanged passes with Moses, then conjured a shot that trickled narrowly wide of Jesper Hansen’s far post.
Nordsjaelland were breathing another sigh of relief less than 60 seconds later as Moses somehow sent a header from three yards on to a post with the goal gaping after Oscar’s superb cross.
But in fairness to Hjulmand’s side, they did not let Chelsea’s promising start effect their passing philosophy and the Danes popped the ball about attractively.

Stunner: Luiz fired home this free-kick as the Blues turned on the style late in the first half

Nevertheless, Chelsea continued to press for an opener in the face of a suspect-looking back four, with Lampard firing over from outside the box after Mata’s surging run down the right in the 10th minute.
Despite three early scares, Nordsjaelland refused to throw the ball forward aimlessly. Their first chance arrived in the 15th minute, Joshua John — who had been pinpointed as one of Nordsjaelland’s dangermen — firing over from long range after some sloppy defending.
Without creating any clear-cut opportunities, there was a sense of the home side’s confidence growing with every passing minute.

Ram raid: The Brazilian got on the scoresheet late in the game

And Nordsjaelland would have been celebrating their first Champions League goal in the 21st minute had it not been for Ashley Cole, who produced a goal-saving challenge on Kasper Lorentzen deep inside the Chelsea area after John’s accurate low cross.
Paris St-Germain  manager Carlo Ancelotti has revealed his intention to sign Cole in January, branding him ‘the best left back  in the world’ —  and there was plenty of evidence to support the Italian’s assertion.
Torres was denied by an excellent Hansen save in the 22nd minute as the visitors tried to regain their early dominance. But while Nordsjaelland’s play was defined by neat passing, Chelsea’s was quite the opposite as they struggled to find any rhythm.

Cech mate: The Chelsea fans enjoyed their first win in the competition since winning it last May

Di Matteo would have been hugely relieved, then, when a Nordjaelland mistake led to his side taking an undeserved lead in the 33rd minute.Torres robbed Enoch Adu deep inside the Danes’ half and he slipped the ball inside to Lampard, whose pass set up Mata to coolly slot past Hansen.
Torres should have doubled the lead just before half-time after Oscar’s beautiful through pass — but with just the keeper to beat the No 9 fired straight at the keeper from 12 yards.
Chelsea had created enough clear-cut chances in the first half to be out of sight, while the hosts, who enjoyed 55 per cent of the ball in the opening period, would have felt they deserved more for their dominance in terms of possession.
And the impressive John came close to an equaliser in the 53rd minute, his drive from the edge of the area arrowing just wide of Petr Cech’s near post.

Four star performance: Chelsea were not the dominant side but finished the match as comfortable victors

Mikkel Beckman went close just before the hour, sending a looping header on to the roof of Cech’s goal after Adu’s searching cross, before Stokholm saw his long-range piledriver parried by the keeper.
Di Matteo sent on Hazard for the ineffective Moses in the 65th minute as he tried to inject some much-needed invention.
But Nordsjaelland could have pulled level in the 73rd minute when Cech tipped John’s curling effort on to a post before Cole blocked Beckman’s rebound.
Chelsea were rocking until Luiz struck a stunning free-kick inside Hansen’s near post on 79 minutes. Then Mata nudged home his second of the night after a dash into the box and Ramires tapped  in a minute from time as the floodgates finally opened.Whether Chelsea deserved their 4-0 win was another matter.