Chelsea grab vital point

Gianluca Vialli was sent off last night but even from a distance it was clear Chelsea had taken a huge stride towards the quarterfinals with this result in Rome's Olympic Stadium. Pride too was restored by a familiarly disciplined and focused European performance which allowed Vialli's players to take an away point off one of the most feared teams in the tournament.

Chelsea had come into the game seeking at least a draw but knowing defeat would not mean the end of their European world. With four more games to come anything could happen.

What they desperately needed was a performance to be proud of, something to lift their flagging spirits after Saturday's debacle at Sunderland.

But with their first-choice team back on the pitch and space much more abundant than in the Premiership, where sides close down the opposition with religious fervour, Chelsea looked right at home from the first whistle.

It did not take long for Lazio to show themselves to be a side who can pass you to death given the chance, their four-man midfield breaking ominously to support the front two. But after a few early scares Gianluca Vialli's players settled down to a familiar European pattern of slow ebb and flow.

The Lazio coach, Sven Goran Eriksson, had created some surprise before kick-off by relegating the striker Marcelo Salas to the bench. In fact this was totally in keeping with his previous policy, for the Chile international has started only two of Lazio's eight Champions League ties this season.

Eriksson preferred instead to pair Simone Inzaghi with Roberto Mancini - the strikeforce which helped carve out Lazio's 1-0 victory at Dynamo Kiev in the first group stage.

Lazio's first chance came after just seven minutes when Chelsea only half-cleared a cross and Pavel Neved shot just wide. Another poor clearance by Marcel Desailly also set up Diego Simeone with a scorable chance he ballooned wide.

While Lazio were happy to pass their way to goal, Chelsea preferred the wide route, lobbing in crosses from either wing to try and unsettle the home back line.

Tore Andre Flo forced Luca Marchegiani into a tip-over save from one such cross only to be penalised for pushing and Desailly headed just over from a Dennis Wise centre.

The closest either team came to scoring befoe the break came on 39 minutes. A Lazio through ball was nodded on by the Argentinian Juan Veron, and Inzaghi, onside according to the linesman, broke clear on goal.

However, Ed de Goey sprinted quickly enough off his line to block the Italian's shot as he was about to head into the six-yard box.

At half-time Eriksson had second thoughts and brought on Salas in place of Inzaghi up front. But it was at the other end where the first problems of the new half were created.

Nine minutes after the restart Flo broke clear of the Lazio back line just inside their area by peeling off the defender Fernando Couto. However, play was halted by the linesman who flagged for a foul on the now prostrate defender.

It looked a harsh decision. Certainly Vialli thought so as the Chelsea manager stormed down the touchline to remonstrate. The fourth official tried to herd him back to the dug-out but Vialli blew his top and had to be warned to return or face the consequences.

This he eventually did, but he presumably kept up his argument with the official because minutes later the referee stopped the game, marched over to the dug-out and sent Vialli off. He watched the rest of the game on a television in the corridor in the stand.

He will have like what he saw for as the half wore on Lazio looked more and more ragged going forward and their fans began whistling in frustration. On 69 minutes Eriksson sent on a third striker, Alen Boksic and although he proved a thorn in Chelsea's side, it was the London club who finished the stronger. And they were unlucky not to take all three points when a clever chip-cum-shot by Zola was cleared off the line.

LAZIO: Marchegiani, Gottardi, Favalli, Couto, Nesta, Simeone, Lombardo (Boksic 69), Veron, Nedved, Inzaghi (Salas 46), Mancini (Conceicao 79). Subs not used: Ballotta, Marcolin, Sensini, Pinzi.

CHELSEA: De Goey, Ferrer, Babayaro, Leboeuf, Desailly, Poyet, Wise, Deschamps (Di Matteo 75), Petrescu, Zola, Flo. Subs not used: Cudicini, Hogh, Sutton, Goldbaek, Morris, Lambourde. Booked: Ferrer.

Attendance: 64,500.

Referee: H Krug (Germany).