08/03/2000  Chelsea 1 Marseille 0

Despite perfecting the art of living all too dangerously at 
the back, Chelsea put the knock-out stages of the Champions 
League firmly within reach as they remained indebted to 
captain and talisman Dennis Wise against Marseille.

The Blues were worryingly vulnerable at the back, just as 
they had been last week in the 1-0 defeat to Marseille that 
left victory in the re-match against the French side at 
Stamford Bridge an absolute necessity.

But keeper Ed de Goey's goal this time survived intact even 
though Marseille rattled the post late on and forced the 
Dutchman into several top-class saves.

Yet, however narrowly in the end, the Blues had effectively 
won the game earlier on in central midfield, where Wise and 
fellow Englishman Jody Morris were outstanding.

And as Frank Leboeuf apparently aimed abuse at the 
Marseille fans at the end, the news came through that they had 
even risen from third to top of their roller-coaster group due 
to Feyenoord's goalless draw with Lazio.

As has all too often been the case this season though, 
chances came and went with alarming regularity by strikers 
Tore Andre Flo and Gianfranco Zola, who - apart from the 5-0 
FA Cup romp against Gillingham - have not scored a single goal 
between them for two months.

So it was left to the inspirational figure of Wise to 
clinch victory with a 27th-minute strike, his third in the 
competition after an equally vital equaliser away to AC Milan 
in the first group stage and another goal against 
Galatasaray.

Wise, ably assisted by Morris was the heartbeat of the 
Chelsea, a figure of perpetual motion in central midfield as 
he again validated his recent call-up to the England starting 
line-up.

Chelsea boss Gianluca Vialli, who was back on the bench 
but, predictably, not as a substitute, had altered his tactics 
for the re-match, with a central midfield trio of Wise, Morris 
and Didier Deschamps, with Gus Poyet roaming at will.

While that midfield trio tackled and ran their hearts out, 
Poyet was relishing the extra freedom, firing an early low 
shot just wide and flicking on a corner towards Celestine 
Babayaro, whose close-range header was superbly saved by 
keeper Stephane Trevisan.

Chelsea still had to maintain their width yet Flo rose to 
the occasion, constantly pulling out wide to create space for 
his team-mates, and he soon crossed for Gianfranco Zola to see 
his shot blocked by Jean-Pierre Cyprien.

At the back, however, the Blues continued to appear as 
vulnerable as they had done last Wednesday in France, with 
Leboeuf looking especially unsure.

It was Leboeuf's slack clearance which conceded possession 
to dangerman Robert Pires and he fed Cyrille Pouget, who shot 
across goal before two quick breakaways led to Jerome Leroy 
and Ibrahima Bakayoko also threatening.

It was thrilling end-to-end football at this stage, even if 
the quality was somewhat lacking and neither side was keeping 
possession too well, but Chelsea made the most of their 
advantage when Wise struck.

Flo was again the creator, crossing for the diminutive Zola 
of all players to head the ball into the path of his onrushing 
captain, who finished with aplomb past Trevisan.

Sebastien Perez was injured in the build-up and soon had to 
be substituted yet Chelsea continued to press and Zola 
dispossessed Cyprien only to push the ball too far ahead of 
him.

Still Chelsea could not rest on their laurels though as 
their defensive problems continued, with Bakayoko's shot being 
saved by De Goey after Leboeuf had again been caught 
napping.

After Leroy's effort had been deflected wide by Albert 
Ferrer, Leboeuf then tangled with Bakayoko and after fouling 
the striker and producing an outrageous backwards dive when 
subsequently pushed, he was duly booked.

The Frenchman's ensuing sign to the bench was hardly 
complimentary about the Spanish referee but the official then 
did Chelsea a huge favour when he gave Deschamps a final 
warning instead of a second yellow card for a late foul on 
Leroy.

There was still time for Leboeuf, who was more impressive 
going forwards, to shoot at keeper Trevisan, and Babayaro to 
poke an effort wide after an almighty scramble in the penalty 
area.

But Chelsea just about deserved their half-time lead for 
their workrate if nothing else and they went in search of a 
second after the break only for Zola to find that for all his 
own endeavour, he has patently lost his touch in front of 
goal.

One shot went painfully wide, a trademark free-kick did 
come closer but a delightful shimmy ended with him falling 
flat on his backside.

Not that the game was over though, as was made all too 
evident by the way in which the Chelsea back four remained 
stationary as substitute Ivan De La Pena flicked the ball over 
them only for the advancing Jacques Abardonado to sky his 
volley over the bar.

Vialli was evidently attempting to hang on to the slender 
lead as he brought on Roberto di Matteo for Deschamps - after 
a display which was a slight improvement on last week's 
struggle - and defender Jon Harley for Zola.

Marseille simply threatened even more though in the last 10 
minutes, with de la Pena rattling the post with an awesome 
35-yard free-kick and de Goey saving superbly from Leroy.

It was backs-to-the-wall stuff from then on yet the final 
throw of the dice by the French was a shot by Bakayoko which 
was skewed wide from a superb position and Chelsea survived - 
just.

Vialli may have declared before the match that the 
Champions League is not as exciting as its previous format, 
the European Cup.

But perhaps this match was just a little too exciting - 
even if victory away to Feyenoord next week should now be 
enough to secure the Blues' quarter-final place.