Date 2013-11-27
Category Gist & Gossip
Mohamed Salah’s late strike gave Basel a deserved victory over a
lacklustre Chelsea to keep Jose Mourinho waiting to book his place
in the Champions League knockout stages.Basel vs Chelsea 1-0
match report.
Salah stole in behind Branislav Ivanovic to clip the ball over Petr
Cech and seal a famous win for the Swiss giants, who dominated the
play and created numerous chances.Basel vs Chelsea 1-0 lineups.
The result means Chelsea, who failed to register a single shot at goal
in 92 minutes, remain top of Group E but must wait to secure their
place in the Champions League knockout stages.
Mohamed Salah scored the only goal of the game three minutes
from time to give Basel another shock Champions League win over
Chelsea.
The Eygptian produced a clinical finish at the St. Jakob Park on
Tuesday to ensure the Swiss champions leapfrogged Schalke into
second place in Group E, while Chelsea qualified despite the defeat.
Basel had ended the Premier League club’s 29-match home
unbeaten run in the group stages of the competition back in
September with a shock 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge and they
repeated the dose courtesy of Salah’s dramatic late winner.
Murat Yakin’s side now head into their final group game against
Schalke next month knowing they only need a point to progress to
the last 16.
Chelsea were poor on the night and failed to register a single shot on
target, but Schalke’s failure to beat Steaua Bucharest ensured their
progress.
Willian replaced Eden Hazard in the only change to the Chelsea side
that beat West Ham 3-0 at the weekend, while fit-again striker
Fernando Torres was back on the bench.
Goalkeeper Yann Sommer, midfielder Salah and defender Ivan
Ivanov all returned to the Basel starting line-up.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho warned Basel that his side were
much improved since the Swiss champions’ shock win at Stamford
Bridge in September, but there was no evidence of that as the home
side dominated the opening stages.
Petr Cech had to be alert to palm away a Taulant Xhaka free-k!ck
from wide on the left after only two minutes and Chelsea failed to
heed the warning when they backed off 10 minutes later and Fabian
Frei’s strike was saved by the Czech Republic goalkeeper.
John Obi Mikel then cleared off the line after Ivanov got a toe to a
Fabian Schar corner and Salah was twice denied by the busy Cech as
Chelsea remained on the back foot.
There was a blow for the visitors three minutes before half-time
when Samuel Eto’o was carried off, with Torres replacing him.
Hazard replaced the ineffective Oscar nine minutes into the second
half as Chelsea struggled to get going.
The Belgium winger and Torres provided more of an attacking
threat and Mourinho’s men were far more solid at the back after the
break.
Ramires should have done better when he was played in down the
right 12 minutes from time, but the Brazil midfielder lacked
composure.