12/09/2006  Chelsea 2 Werder Bremen 0
 
Michael Ballack reminded Frank Lampard how to take a penalty as Chelsea started their European campaign with a win.

Lampard has missed three of his last four spot-kicks and had no hesitation in handing the ball to Ballack when the penalty was awarded in the 67th minute.

Chelsea were 1-0 up at the time after Michael Essien's first-half opener but were coming under intense pressure from Werder Bremen.

It was a crucial moment in the game and Ballack, like a true German, made no mistake from 12 yards.

He smashed his ball into the top corner of the net with his right boot and took the heat off Jose Mourinho's team.

It was Ballack's first goal for Chelsea, after signing on a free transfer from Bayern Munich in the summer.

He had been taunted all evening by Werder's travelling fans but responded with a classy display and a nerveless penalty.

The European Cup is said to be the competition which drives Roman Abramovich's spending.

Chelsea fans can obviously take it or leave it at this stage because there were more than 10,000 empty seats at Stamford Bridge.

But Abramovich made Ballack the highest-paid player in the Barclays Premiership and spent £30million for Andriy Shevchenko in the summer.

No-one has scored more goals in the Champions League than Shevchenko but he does not yet look comfortable in Mourinho's team.

He has bagged 52 over the years for Dynamo Kiev and AC Milan but never looked close to opening his European account for his new club.

Ashley Cole started his first game for the Blues instead of Wayne Bridge as Mourinho chose to line without wingers.

Essien broke the deadlock thanks to Lampard, who refused to give up the chase when a pass from Ballack was intercepted.

He charged forward to pressurise central defender Petri Pasanen and forced the mistake.

Pasanen tried to turn but stumbled and, attempting to clear the ball as he fell, could only poke it into the path of Essien.

The African midfielder charged onto the loose ball and guided it coolly beyond keeper Andreas Reinke.

It was Essien's first European goal since joining the Blues last year but he enjoys playing against Werder.

He scored twice for Lyon against the Germans in a 7-2 win, in March 2005.

Miroslav Klose won his fitness battle to start up front for the visitors but made little impact until seven minutes before the break.

Klose collected a loose ball on Werder's left wing, accelerated past Ricardo Carvalho and unleashed a fierce drive.

It clipped Khalid Boulahrouz on the head and flew behind for a corner.

Former Fulham full-back Pierre Wome carved forward on a run from left-back but his 25-yard shot was saved easily by Petr Cech, diving to his right.

Cech saved again from Clemens Fritz and saw a free-kick from Naldo whistle just wide the post as the visitors finished the first half strongly.

Werder continued to surge forward after the break and Klose wasted a wonderful chance to level in the 54th minute.

The Polish-born German is normally lethal in the air but he missed the target with a simple header after latching onto a Torsten Frings arrowed a cross to the back post where Klose leapt unmarked but could not keep his effort down.

Klose, top scorer in the World Cup, then rattled the bar with another header from a deep cross by Frings and Chelsea's defence was starting to creak.

John Terry, booked early in the second half for a foul on Ivan Klasnic, escaped a second yellow when he mistimed a sliding challenge on the same player moments later.

Greek referee Kyros Vassaras played advantage until Tim Borowski fired over, then dragged play back to give a free-kick.

Terry looked anxiously in the referee's direction but he did not reach for his cards and Diego wasted the free-kick.

Chelsea had what looked like a good penalty shout ignored when Fritz felled Lampard soon after the break.

The referee ignored those appeals but he made up for it when he pointed to the spot when the same Werder defender bundled Didier Drogba over in front of goal.

Lampard handed the ball to Ballack and the Germany captain made no mistake, rifling the ball into the top corner.

Lampard hit the post and Joe Cole made his first appearance of the season as sub for Shevchenko, nine minutes from time.

Joe Cole and Lampard both collected cheap yellow cards in the closing stages.