Drogba gives Chelsea hope for Mestalla

Jose Mourinho will tell his players that a probable Champions League semi-final against Liverpool is still comfortably within their reach; that a stunning goal from the superb David Silva has not handed the advantage firmly to the Spanish side.

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But Chelsea's boss will have to be at his inspirational best if his side are going to recover from this result and progress in a competition they remain desperate to win.

They had 60 minutes to respond to Silva's 30-yard strike last night and, while they eventually did so with a slightly fortuitous second-half equaliser from Didier Drogba, it did not feel like nearly enough at a subdued Stamford Bridge.

This is an excellent Valencia side and, if they earned a reputation for thuggery against Inter Milan in the previous round, they made use of those dressing room showers and kept it clean this time.

They were clean but devilishly clinical, playing with intelligence as well as great intensity, and giving a fine demonstration of how to soak up pressure and pounce on the counter-attack.

Chelsea were out-thought rather than out-fought, Mourinho's decision to select Mikel John Obi in the holding role ahead of Claude Makelele giving Valencia the kind of freedom they might not have enjoyed had the Frenchman been on the field.

If Makelele sat this out because Mourinho is annoyed with his decision to return to international football, such issues need to be pushed to one side before these teams meet again.

If Mikel offers more energy, and in fairness to the youngster he acquitted himself well here, Makelele provides the kind of security Chelsea's defence needed.

Mourinho dismissed Silva's goal as a lucky one but the striker caused so many problems last night that in the end Chelsea appeared to settle for a draw for fear of conceding a second away goal.

Chelsea must score at least one away goal on Tuesday and that will not be easy if their football lacks the fluency it did on this occasion, especially when this is such a strong Valencia defence.

Roberto Ayala might have been partly at fault for Drogba's goal but he was a colossus at centre half and a major reason why Valencia are so strong at home.

Not only are they unbeaten at the Mestalla in the Champions League this season but they have lost only once there in La Liga.

Add to that the fact that they followed a 2-2 draw at the San Siro with a goalless, albeit controversial, draw in the second leg against Inter and the size of Chelsea's task becomes apparent.

They stood firm under considerable pressure during this fiercely contested encounter, surviving a Salomon Kalou effort that hit a post as well as a bicycle kick from Andriy Shevchenko that took a deflection off a Valencia defender and went for a corner.

Drogba took the one decent chance that fell to him, but of some concern to Mourinho will be the fact that a striker who has scored 30 goals this season is beginning to look tired. No wonder when it is only recently that Shevchenko has started to take on his share of the burden.

Kalou tried to ease the burden on both of them when he almost followed that late winner at Watford on Saturday with an early goal here, but his effort struck the upright amid the confusion that was caused by the sight of Shevchenko collapsing in the penalty area under a challenge from Ayala, a challenge that was ignored by referee Frank De Bleeckere.

Valencia always looked dangerous though, both Silva and David Villa squandering what amounted to excellent opportunities to land the first punch.

Villa shot wide from close range, while Silva's failure to guide an effort from Joaquin goalwards was a further source of frustration for coach Enrique Sanchez Flores.

Of the two coaches, however, it was Mourinho who seemed more nervous, and understandably so. Silva took just two touches before muscling his way past Mikel and launching a rocket that flew over goalkeeper Petr Cech and somehow dipped under the crossbar.

To Chelsea's credit, they maintained their composure. There was a touch more urgency to their football, even if that urgency began to turn to desperation as the interval approached.

But they continued to perform with conviction and desire, with only Mourinho losing his cool when David Albelda caught Ashley Cole with a late challenge. Mourinho demanded that the referee bring out his book, and he duly obliged.

One can only imagine what Mourinho told his players at halftime. Perhaps he handed out an invitation to join him and his family for a night of wrestling at Earls Court on what would have been the evening when they met Liverpool in the semis. But the players responded, Drogba scoring just eight minutes after the break.

Good fortune did play its part. Cole launched the ball forward more in hope than expectation and, when Ayala allowed it to bounce, Drogba had the wit, determination and athleticism to get there first and knock a clever header over advancing goalkeeper Santiago Canizares.

What then followed for the remaining 37 minutes was proof of how difficult it will be to score in Spain against a side who know how to protect an advantage, who can match Chelsea for resilience and, when at home, possibly even send them home bruised, beaten and out of the competition.

MATCH FACTS

CHELSEA (4-4-2): Cech; Diarra, Terry, Carvalho, A Cole; Kalou (Wright-Phillips 74min), Ballack, Lampard, Mikel (J Cole 74); Shevchenko, Drogba. Booked: Drogba, Diarra. Scorer: Drogba 53.

VALENCIA (4-4-2): Canizares; Miguel, Ayala, Moretti, Del Horno; Vicente (Angulo 57), Albelda, Albiol, Joaquin (Hugo Viana 86); Silva, Villa. Booked: Silva, Albelda, Ayala. Scorer: Silva 30.

Man of the match: Roberto Ayala. Referee: Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium).