Sports

Chelsea’s firepower can conquer Europe: Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti believes Chelsea’s 2-0 win over FC Copenhagen proves forwards can fire team to Champions League win.

Afp February 23, 2011

COPENHAGEN: Carlo Ancelotti believes Chelsea’s 2-0 win over FC Copenhagen proved his forwards can fire the team to Champions League glory.

Nicolas Anelka gave Blues boss Ancelotti some much-needed breathing space as his double-strike put Chelsea within touching distance of the Champions League quarter-finals. Ancelotti opted to leave Didier Drogba on the bench with Anelka and Torres spearheading the attack. Anelka showed his class as he netted two clinical finishes, while Torres went close to breaking his duck after leaving Liverpool.

Asked if they were the best in Europe, Ancelotti said, “Yes, I think so. We want to maintain their fitness, but rotation could do them good.”

Ancelotti defends Torres

“We have fantastic strikers. Torres and Anelka were fresh and, together, they played well.”

Although Torres was unable to convert three good chances, Ancelotti defended the striker.

“His performance was good. There’s a bit of disappointment because he could have scored. But it doesn’t matter.”

Disappointed Real held

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho had harsh words for German referee Wolfgang Stark despite seeing his side secure a 1-1 draw with Lyon in the Champions League last-16 tie.

Bafetimbi Gomis’s volley in the 83rd minute enabled Lyon to avoid losing to Real for the first time in seven encounters, after Karim Benzema’s goal. Having previously hit the post with a free-kick, Cristiano Ronaldo saw a second attempt from an almost identical position strike the arm of Yoann Gourcuff in the Lyon wall. Mourinho leapt from the bench to complain at Stark’s failure to award a penalty, to no avail.

“There are errors that you can’t accept,” said Mourinho. “There was a free-kick and in the slow-motion replay you can see it clearly. I was 50 yards away and I could see it. Stark was just five yards away. I don’t understand.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 24^th, 2011.