A View From the Bridge: Schalke & Bolton
By Alex Mosey
As John Terry wrote in the pre-match programme: “I still feel the buzz on the morning of a home game”. After more than a decade of support, the feeling is very much shared. I am sure I can also speak on behalf of whomever is lucky enough to be part of the 43,000 come match day.
SCHALKE (Campions League Group Stage)
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The fact that Chelsea were scheduled to kick off their Champions League campaign at home merely days before one of my best friends and fellow Blue was set to depart for Bangkok offered too much serendipity to pass up. European nights at Stamford Bridge were not unknown to us, as we had been to see Chelsea progress into the Europa League a couple of seasons ago. However, we knew full well that the gap in prestige and momentousness between that and the Champions League would hold true in terms of experience. We were not disappointed.
As of King’s Cross Station, even though it was 3 hours before kick-off, the buzz of the return of Champions League football was in the air (not that the heaving tube offered much of the latter). After some District Line delays and complications which included having to direct some intimidatingly large Schalke fans in the right direction, we made it to the Bridge. A few pints nearby later and it was time to join the waves of royal blue down Broadway. We aren’t sure if anything will ever top the sheer electricity that was felt as we made our way up the steps into the roaring crowd. It’s the combination of joining the constantly chanting and standing crowd, basking in the floodlights, with the ‘Pride of London’ flag passing over our heads as the goose bump-inducing Champions League music blaring, that transform the Bridge into a galvanised colosseum.
The result, as analysed in PoL’s post-match reaction, did leave a bitter taste. Fabregas’s neat finish early on was not built upon, and, in scenes all too reminiscent of last season, chances of killing the game off were repeatedly spurned. I don’t know what the real story is behind the Slovakian referees who allegedly forgot their passports and were unable to make it to London, but I’d have rather had the forgetful officials than apparently partially sighted ones. However, the refereeing inconsistencies should not take away from the fact that Chelsea were simply unable to finish off a team that was still looking for its first victory of the season.
BOLTON (Capital One Cup)
As Mourinho put it so well when asked about what epitomises English football, in no other country will the opening fixture in the league cup against a lower-league team unquestionably sell out.
Arriving at the Bridge early provided an answer to the question ‘when will Petr Cech get his first start of the season ?’. Absent from goalkeeper training with Christophe Lollichon was Thibault Courtois. After some intensive training and making the time to come over to the small group of supporters behind the practice goal, Cech’s name received by far the loudest roar when the team sheet was announced.
Although exciting, the game had the air of formality to it. A plethora of wasted opportunities (often involving Mohamed Salah) and a beautifully placed Bolton header were the cause of much frustration. Watching Oscar’s cheekily accurate drive into the bottom corner from the Matthew Harding stand brought much relief.
The most impressive performances were delivered by André Schürrle, Oscar and Nathan Aké who was dominant in the middle of the pitch. Kurt Zouma deserves a mention for his debut goal, though his defending was not truly tested apart for when Bolton equalised. An almost disinterested Drogba up front for the last 10 minutes encouraged a late phase of Bolton dominance, but Cech was not about to surrender victory in his first start since last season.