Chelsea have recorded a 1-1 draw away at Galatasaray in the first leg of their Champions League second-round tie.
The Premier League outfit took the lead after nine minutes when Fernando Torres poked home after good work from Cesar Azpilicueta, but the Blues failed to take advantage of a poor first-half display from their hosts.
The Turkish side returned for the second half with more intent and 25 minutes from time, Aurelien Chedjou ghosted behind John Terry to fire past Petr Cech from three yards to ensure that his team go to Stamford Bridge on level terms.
Below, Sports Mole assesses whether a draw was a fair result at the Turk Telekom Arena.
Match statistics
Galatasaray
Shots: 11
On target: 4
Possession: 58%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 20
Chelsea
Shots: 9
On target: 4
Possession: 42%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 18
Was the result fair?
This was your classic case of two contrasting halves of football. During the first 45 minutes, Galatasaray looked ready to fold at any given opportunity, and Chelsea should have reached half time with more than a solitary goal. After the break, the home side kept Chelsea on the back foot and although their equaliser was gifted to them by indecision in the Chelsea defence, the Turkish side's second-half display ensured that they were well worth their draw against the Premier League outfit.
Galatasaray's performance
Manager Roberto Mancini would have been fuming with the way that his side began the match. Time and time again, they were exposed at the back and they only remained in the tie because of Chelsea's lack of a decisive touch in the final third. Galatasaray were much improved after the break and looked like a side who had gone their previous 16 fixtures without losing. Chelsea will be favourites going into the second leg, but with the right tactics, Mancini's team can still progress through to the last eight.
Chelsea's performance
Jose Mourinho set up his side to counter Galatasaray, and it worked perfectly during the opening exchanges as Chelsea threatened to establish a significant advantage. However, despite scoring a wonderfully-worked goal in the ninth minute, they lacked composure for the rest of the match. Passes were rushed and clearances frequently found a Galatasaray player, and they can perhaps count themselves fortunate to remain level going into the return match in West London.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Cesar Azpilicueta: Aside from Eden Hazard, Azpilicueta has genuine claims to be Chelsea's player of the season, and he delivered another efficient display from left-back in Turkey. The Spaniard's first contribution was to provide an assist for Torres's opener, but he played an equally important role in the Blues' back four, who were forced to withstand an excellent second-half performance from their opponents. It's unfortunate on Ashley Cole, but Azpilicueta deserves his place in Chelsea's starting lineup.
Biggest gaffe
Despite both players putting in a solid display, Petr Cech and John Terry will be disappointed in contributing to Galatasaray's equaliser. The goalkeeper should have perhaps come to claim the ball, but Terry lost Chedjou too easily and he had the simple task of powering his side level.
Referee performance
Thirty-eight fouls were given during the 90 minutes in Turkey, and that statistic alone tells you everything that you need to know about the performance of Carlos Velasco Carballo. Apart from the harsh booking of Cech, he was generally correct with the rest of the cautions that he gave out, but he was far too eager to blow his whistle for any sign of an infringement and the game suffered as a result of neither side being able to establish a positive tempo to their play.
What next?
Galatasaray: Galatasaray have three domestic fixtures to contend with before they can contemplate the trip to Stamford Bridge in three weeks time.
Chelsea: Chelsea make the short trip to local rivals Fulham on Saturday before hosting Tottenham Hotspur next weekend.
Darren Plant
