Chelsea stunned as De Souza makes up for mistake

ISTANBUL, Turkey: Fenerbahce midfielder Deivid de Souza went from zero to hero as his side came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 in Wednesday's Champions League quarterfinal, first leg.

De Souza had looked like the villain of the peace when he gifted Chelsea the lead with an early own goal at the Sukru Saracoglu stadium.

But the Turkish champion snatched an equalizer through Colin Kazim-Kazim midway through the second half and de Souza made amends for his earlier blunder with a breath-taking winner nine minutes from full time.

How Chelsea left Istanbul empty-handed only it will know. It was in complete control and should have been further in front before Kazim-Kazim struck.

Avram Grant's side will still believe it can overturn the deficit in the return at Stamford Bridge next week, but the task is far harder than it should have been.

Grant told Sky TV afterward: "This is football. A game supposed to be 3-0 or 4-0 for us ends 2-1 against us.

"We dominated the game, we created chances. At 1-1, Michael Ballack was in front of the goal. But this is football. Sometimes you don't pay attention, you sleep and we lost the game.

"Normally, it's a good result to lose 2-1 away from home but because we played the better football it's disappointing. Now they are coming to our home, we need to win the game."

His Fenerbahce counterpart Zico said that they had turned things around at halftime.

"At the break we told the players that we had to take risks, that without taking them we would end up with nothing," said the former Brazil playing legend.

"If we show the same attitude in England then I believe that we will get the result that sends us through to the semifinals."

Fenerbahce had never been this far in the competition before and Chelsea's visit was billed as the biggest match in their history.

As the club's volatile fans crammed into the stadium hours before kickoff, whipping the atmosphere to fever pitch, it was easy to see why it was unbeaten in the last 11 home European matches.

In such a seething cauldron of noise, Grant needed Chelsea's stars to show its greater experience at this rarified level.

Every touch by a Chelsea player was greeted with an ear-splitting barrage of whistles, but Grant's side has survived equally hostile environments many times before.

It made an assured start and scored with its first serious attack in the 13th minute.

Frank Lampard cleverly dummied Ashley Cole's pass, allowing Florent Malouda to find space on the left side of the penalty area.

He drove a low cross toward Didier Drogba and De Souza tried to clear but only succeeded in deflecting the ball past wrong-footed 'keeper Volkan Demirel into his own net.

Confidence now flowing, Michael Essien almost doubled Chelsea's lead moments later with a swerving 25-m strike that skimmed the crossbar.

Drogba's muscular presence unsettled Zico's team time and again. He easily turned Gokcek Vederson to fire in a powerful shot that Demirel pushed away.

With the host in disarray, Ballack had meters of space to produce a majestic defense-splitting pass to Drogba. The Ivorian striker was only denied a goal by Demirel's charge from his line to hack clear.

The host could only improve after halftime and finally put together an attack of note when Alex glanced a header wide from Onder Turaci's cross.

Kazim-Kazim was an unlikely savior for Fenerbahce. He was called Kazim-Richards when he was bought by Brighton with a transfer fee donated by a fan who won a League Cup competition but changed his name after moving to Turkey last year.

He certainly added some fizz to his side and Mateja Kezman responded with an overhead kick which Carlo Cudicini blocked at his near post.

Ballack's long-range effort drew a fine save from Demirel as Chelsea responded. Then out of nowhere Fenerbahce equalized as Grant's side was caught sleeping at the back in the 65th minute. Mehmet Aurelio's pass cut out Chelsea's center-backs and Kazim-Kazim timed his run perfectly before lashing it past Cudicini.

"I can't believe it!" beamed Kazim-Kazim.

"To score the goal with my left foot for the first time ever, and against Chelsea is unbelievable!"

Ballack should have restored Chelsea's lead moments later but Demirel saved well to frustrate the German again. How Chelsea would rue that miss.

There seemed little danger when De Souza took possession 30 yards out in the 81st minute. He quickly disproved that theory with a stunning strike that arrowed into the top corner.

Ballack said afterward: "We are very disappointed. We had a big chance to win here. Even after the 1-1 we had two good chances, me and Didier (Drogba) to score the second goal.

"But we didn't concentrate enough. We have to go again next week. It was our fault, the game was in our hands. We gave it away."

AFP

(China Daily 04/04/2008 page24)