Blues easy rhythm so sadly lacking

Chelsea 0 Sparta Prague 0

That rhythm had seen Claudio Ranieri's men build a run of seven straight victories, including four successive clean sheets the highlight of which was the 4-0 thrashing of Lazio in Rome earlier this month to surge to the top of Group G.

However, that rhythm the Blues skipper talked about was sorely lacking against the Czechs, although a point was enough to book Chelsea's place in the last 16 of the competition.

Hernan Crespo was denied by the crossbar in the first half, and William Gallas by the post in the second, but other than that, there were few highlights.

It means Chelsea must still avoid defeat in the final match against Besiktas in a fortnight if they are to make it through to the knockout stage as group winners.

The Blues kicked off their Champions League campaign with a 1-0 win in Prague thanks to a rare Gallas goal two months ago, but that was in the early days of Ranieri's newly assembled squad, and more was expected against Sparta now that a certain fluency has been found.

Desailly failed to win his place back despite declaring himself fit following an 11-match absence with a hip injury, as Ranieri kept faith with the pairing of John Terry and Gallas.

Claude Makelele recovered from a neck injury to face the Czechs, while Hernan Crespo and Adrian Mutu were reunited in attack, and Mario Melchiot filled in for suspended Glen Johnson.

For the first 25 minutes it was a little hard to believe that nine of this Chelsea team thumped Lazio 4-0 in Rome earlier this month to put themselves in the driving seat of Group G.

Then, in the 27th minute, we saw a glimpse of why as Crespo was denied a fine goal by first the crossbar and then an offside flag.

Damien Duff crossed from the left, and the Argentinian rose high to power a header against the woodwork from eight yards.

Mutu did well to pounce on the loose ball inside the six-yard box and feed it back to Crespo to stab home, but the celebrations were halted by the flag.

Cole hit a snap shot from 25 yards in the 40th minute, and Jaromir Blazek did well to keep it out, diving low to his right.

Crespo almost gave Chelsea the lead just 50 seconds after the restart with what would have been the cheekiest of goals.

Crespo, who scored two goals in two games while away on international duty last week, started the move by releasing Mutu on a run, then raced to the edge of the six-yard box for the return pass.

When the ball arrived from the left, he had his back to goal, so he improvised with a back-heel, which crept just wide of the far post.

The woodwork denied Chelsea again after 82 minutes, and this time Gallas was the unlucky man.

Substitute Geremi sent in a deep free kick from the left. Terry met it with a powerful downward header at the far post, but as it rolled across the face of goal, the ball hit Gallas on the knee before bouncing back off the other post.

CHELSEA: Cudicini, Melchiot, Terry, Gallas, Bridge, Duff, Makelele, Lampard, Cole (Geremi 73), Crespo (Gudjohnsen 73), Mutu.

SPARTA PRAGUE: Blazek, Pergl, Hubschman, Homola, Labant, Poborsky, Kovac, Zelenka (Flachbart 87), Krmas, Michalik (Igor Gluscevic 72), Sionko (Jezek 90).