Mata nets twice as Blues win in Denmark
FC Nordsjaelland 0 Chelsea 4
Juan Mata grabbed a classy double as Chelsea scored three late goals to secure a healthy looking but slightly unconvincing win over an impressive FC Nordsjaelland side in the Champions League.
Mata’s coolly taken first-half opener seemed likely to set the Blues on their way to a routine first victory in their second Group E encounter.
But they were pushed all the way by a team prepared to play out from the back, take risks and commit men forward.
And Chelsea only made sure of the victory in the final 11 minutes thanks to Mata’s second, a belting David Luiz free-kick and a Ramires tap in.
Up until then the Danes played a full part in a refreshingly open contest, but Mikkel Beckmann squandered two glorious chances to equalise.
And Chelsea keeper Petr Cech was also forced into a wonderful fingertip save to turn Joshua’s John’s shot onto the post.
Victor Moses, Frank Lampard – who was recalled in place of John Mikel Obi – and Fernando Torres all went close before the break.
But Chelsea’s only reward came when Torres did brilliantly to rob Enoch Adu on the edge of the box and find Lampard, whose brilliant first-time pass was slid into the net by the on-rushing Mata.
After a nervy 30 minutes after the interval, Luiz made sure of the points with a thunderous 25-yard free-kick on 79 minutes.
And there was still time for Mata to slot in a third and Ramires to add a close-range fourth after a sweeping move to give the scoreline a flattering look.
Chelsea: Cech; Ivanovic, Cole, Luiz, Cahill; Lampard, Ramires; Oscar, Mata (Mikel, 83), Moses (Hazard, 65); Torres.
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