Lampard strikes for Chelsea

Feyenoord 0 Chelsea 1

Frank Lampard struck in the 52nd minute to steer Chelsea to victory against Feyenoord.

The England international raced on a perfect through-ball from new signing Andriy Shevchenko to chip the ball over Patrick Lodewijks from an angle to the left of goal.

Feyenoord almost equalised in the final minute but Pierre van Hooijdonk hit the right post with his 25-yard free-kick.

Chelsea fielded a surprisingly strong side, given their tight pre-season schedule which has them facing Celtic at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.

Former Feyenoord striker Salomon Kalou said his goodbyes to his former home crowd before teaming up with Shevchenko and Arjen Robben on attack.

Michael Ballack was teamed together with Michael Essien and Lampard in midfield, while the back four consisted of Geremi, Ricardo Carvalho, Paulo Ferreira and Wayne Bridge. Out-of-favour William Gallas was not included in the squad.

In a quiet first 45 minutes, Ballack came close to scoring twice. The former Bayern Munich midfielder got on the end of a Lampard corner in the 11th minute but his header bounced over.

He wasted another good chance 10 minutes later after Lampard had set up Kalou in the danger area.

The striker rolled the ball over to Robben who put it back to Ballack – only for the German international to send his left-footed shot well over the bar from 11 yards.

Lampard produced another nice opening in the 28th when he put Robben in the clear, but the Dutchman’s poor lob from the edge of the penalty area was wayward.

Feyenoord, who had Roysten Drenthe stretchered off in the 35th minute following a midfield challenge, came close five minutes before the break, however Benjamin de Ceulaer failed to get a good connection on Dirk Kuyt’s flick.

John Terry and Didier Drogba replaced Bridge and Robben after the break, and Chelsea almost broke the deadlock within two minutes.

Ballack diverted a Lampard corner to the far post where the unmarked Kalou won a header but could not find the net from six yards out.

Lampard was then rewarded for his strong display after Shevchenko cleverly sent a deadly pass into his path, and the chipped finish was sublime.

A finger injury sustained in a battle with Drogba forced Feyenoord goalkeeper Lodewijks to make way for Henk Timmer shortly afterwards.

Lassana Diarra and Shaun Wright-Phillips also came on for Shevchenko and Essien in the 63rd minute.

Drogba could have doubled Chelsea’s lead 10 minutes later but his close-range shot from a Lampard corner missed the left post by inches.

Nicky Hofs then fired over from 25 yards out to the left of goal, after Feyenoord were awarded a free-kick.

After John Mikel Obi replaced Lampard, Ballack completed a hat-trick of misses when he nodded over a Geremi corner from seven yards.

Drogba, after a superb feed from Kalou, squandered a one-on-one chance before Terry forced Timmer into a diving save off a corner.

Michael Woods, the former Leeds youngster, was a late substitute for Kalou before Chelsea survived a late scare as Van Hooijdonk went close.

When Tim Vincken sent the rebound inches past the right post, Chelsea had secured their first win of the season.