Brilliant Blues batter Spartak

CHELSEA manager Carlo Ancelotti, brought to Stamford Bridge specifically because of his Champions League expertise, believes his team have taken the first of “three steps to heaven” after completing a routine victory over Spartak Moscow that confirms a place in this year’s last 16.

Ancelotti, who won the trophy twice with AC Milan, has set a target of reaching the final after a 4-1 win that makes it four wins in row in Group F with his team sitting with an unassailable 12 points.

On an night when Didier Drogba — a man who has endured such a chequered history in the Champions League — was made captain in the absence of rested John Terry, the Blues justified their label as one of the tournament favourites with a ruthless display of second-half finishing.

Drogba won and scored a penalty but it was Nicolas Anelka’s outstanding opener that set the tone and Branislav Ivanovic’s double that made the score so convincing; and having reached the semi-finals five times in seven years — including an agonising defeat on penalties to Manchester United in the final in 2008 — there is a growing belief this could be their season.

“We have to be satisfied we are doing well,” said Ancelotti. “When you win the group the next aim is to win the final and the third aim is to win the final. Every one of us has this motivation. There are a lot of reasons — the final is in London and no London team has won the Champions League. Everything is good to improve the motivation.”

For Drogba that is a vital factor because the competition has been his personal nemesis. This was his first game of the current campaign having been sent off for stamping on Thiago Motto during an ignominious defeat against Inter Milan in the last 16 last year; and you could fill a little black book with details of Drogba’s previous run-ins with UEFA.

Think back to his horrendous behaviour after Chelsea were knocked out by Barcelona in 2009 — an expletive-filled rant at ref Tom Henning Ovrebo earned him a three-match ban — not to mention his red card in the final itself following a slap on Manchester United’s Nemanja Vidic in Moscow.

That match, in particular, hurt Drogba badly, not least as he was pencilled in to take the fifth penalty in any shoot-out — a position filled in his absence by John Terry. And we all know how that story ended.

There have been high points, of course, such as two goals against Liverpool in the 2008 semi-final but it’s not hard to see why Drogba’s primary motivation these days is to wipe the slate clean to win the trophy Roman Abramovich so craves.

Drogba was not at his absolute best against Spartak but he was still good enough in a comfortable victory — and Anelka’s quality made up for anything his captain lacked.

The Frenchman put Chelsea ahead after 49 minutes with an excellent finish from a Salomon Kalou pass, before Drogba won and scored a penalty and Ivanovic added a header and a close-range finish.

Chelsea conceded a goal in the dying stages, forced home by Bahzenov, but the win was deserved and leaves Ancelotti able to rest key players in the final two group games.

“That’s important,” said the Italian. “We have to avoid injury because the Champions League will be decided in February and March.” Inevitably, then, the real target for the club this season is to finish the season at the same venue where they completed a domestic double last year — Wembley.

“We are working to arrive there,” said Ancelotti. “I hope we can do it.”

Subs for Chelsea: McEachran for Mikel 69, Kakuta for Anelka 76, Sturridge for Drogba 76

Subs for Spartak: Kozlov for Alex 69, Bazhenov for McGeady 80.