Ice-cool Blues seal their passage

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A brace of goals from Didier Drogba and a 40-yard free-kick from Brazilian defender Alex had given Chelsea a commanding first-half lead over the Norwegians.

Chelsea then spurned a host of chances in the second period before Joe Cole added a fourth goal in the 73rd minute.

The Blues had their hosts on the ropes from the kick-off in the Lerkendal Stadium with Drogba going close from an acute angle in the second minute. The Ivorian, playing his first game since recovering from a knee injury sustained on international duty, was clearly in a determined mood.

And Drogba got on the scoresheet in the sixth minute when Joe Cole's 20-yard drive was parried into his path by goalkeeper Lars Hirschfeld and the striker thumped the ball home from six yards.

A second Chelsea goal arrived in the 20th minute when Drogba lifted a loose ball over Hirschfeld to put Avram Grant's side in total command.

Chelsea's movement in the final third was difficult for the home side to handle with Joe Cole at the heart of most of their attacks. His trickery and pace on the left flank caused problems throughout the opening half and allied to Drogba's physical presence, it gave Chelsea a potent pairing.

Drogba's brace had taken his total for the season to nine but Chelsea made it 3-0 in the 39th minute with a blistering free-kick from defender Alex. The Brazilian drilled his low effort through a crowded penalty area and into the corner of the net beyond an unsighted Hirschfeld.

Chelsea continued where they left off at the start of the second half when a cross from Drogba was sent crashing against the crossbar by Shaun Wright-Phillips but Lampard's effort from the rebound was easy for Hirschfeld to deal with.

Michael Essien continued to cause problems for the home defence without finding the net and it was his thunderbolt shot that was brilliantly saved by Hirschfeld that fell to Joe Cole to put the rebound into the net and provide them with their biggest away win in Europe since 1989's 5-0 hammering of Galatasaray.