Chelsea triumph thanks to Zola magic

Chelsea last night completed their most successful trip on the tight-rope they regularly walk between vulnerability in defence and verve in attack, to lift triumphantly the European Cup Winners' Cup.

One day the balance on which the London side's play teeters may be exposed, but in Stockholm yesterday Stuttgart lacked the style or substance to do so.

A 71st-minute goal from Gianfranco Zola, who had been on the pitch for only 45 seconds, brought Chelsea their first European trophy since 1971.

The early advantage was Chelsea's, with their fans occupying not only three tiers behind one goal but most of two tiers behind the other which were supposed to be neutral, after the Germans failed to sell the bulk of their allocation.

As a result the Rasunda Stadium could have been Stamford Bridge on a spring evening, with the sun setting behind one stand and a chorus of One Man Went To Mow rising from another.

A day fuelled by optimism and Swedish beer was dampened slightly by the news that Zola had suffered a setback in morning training, and after all the positive words about his presence in the starting line-up after a long injury lay-off he was on the bench.

His place went to Tore Andre Flo, the two-goal hero of the quarter-final first leg in Spain and a player in need of some timely encouragement after his recent mutterings of discontent about a too-frequent place on the bench.

The loss of Zola's experience in this sort of high-pressure game was as crucial as the loss of his prompting skills up front. But Chelsea also had to cope with the unavailability of the England left-back Graeme Le Saux, missing with injury and taking with him further top-level experience.

This presented a true test of character for the young full-back replacement Danny Granville who, playing for Cambridge United last season, could not have envisaged he would be taking part in such a high-pressure and high-profile game just over a year later.

He was, though, reassured by the confidence with which the older hands around him began the match, strutting purposefully towards the Stuttgart goal and going close after only six minutes.

Really it was a chance Chelsea should have put away. A clever move ended with Gustavo Poyet feeding Roberto Di Matteo who, with time to choose his spot from 16 yards, unleashed a shot which scooted disappointingly wide.

Alerted perhaps by this early let-off, Stuttgart slowly but ominously came into the game. On 12 minutes Steve Clarke's skewed clearance fell invitingly for Fredi Bobic, whose clear run to the area ended with a wasteful shot beyond Ed De Goey's right-hand post.

Two minutes later the Stuttgart captain met Krasimir Balakov's corner with a header which again sailed just wide. And five minutes after that let-off, Chelsea allowed Balakov to spring from his position in the hole behind the strikers with a run at the heart of their defence which brushed aside Clarke's challenge and ended with a vital save from De Goey.

Although Stuttgart's more studious possession had created these chances, towards half-time Chelsea's ability to move the ball forward quickly on the break brought them back into the game. A Flo header landed on top of the net, Di Matteo's first-time shot was beaten away by Franz Wohlfahrt and a Dennis Wise volley went just wide.

As a result, Chelsea went into half-time more buoyed than they might have been. And when they emerged from the interval they seemed to have more spring in their step. After 53 minutes Wise shot just wide. Five minutes later Granville went closer from 19 yards, forcing the German keeper to save to his right. But on 70 minutes Chelsea's coach on the bench, Graham Rix, made what turned out to be a momentous substitution as he replaced Flo with Zola.

Within 45 seconds of his appearance on the pitch the little Italian striker had put Chelsea ahead and broken the deadlock. Wise, from a central position about 35 yards out, fed a perceptive ball forward which bisected the Stuttgart defence and fell perfectly for Zola, inside the area, to fire past Wohlfahrt. The Chelsea supporters, and the Chelsea team, went wild with delight.

Chelsea's evening was spoiled slightly when Dan Petrescu was harshly sent off for a foul on Murat Yakin, to be followed by Stuttgart's Gerhard Poschner in injury-time. But nothing could have made a dent in the London team's celebrations.

Chelsea: De Goey, Petrescu, Leboeuf, Clarke, Poyet (Newton 80), Vialli, Wise, Duberry, Di Matteo, Granville, Flo (Zola 71). Sub Not Used: Myers. Sent Off: Petrescu (84). Booked: Wise. Goals: Zola 71.

Stuttgart: Wohlfahrt, Berthold, Yakin, Hagner (Ristic 79), Haber (Georjevic 75), Balakov, Bobic, Schneider (Endress 55), Akpoborie, Soldo, Poschner. Sent Off: Poschner (90). Booked: Akpoborie. Att: 30,216.

Referee: S Braschi (Italy).