Drogba saves Chelsea but Valencia have the advantage

Chelsea's Ivorian forward Didier Drogba controls the ball during their European Champions League quarter final first leg football match against Valencia at Stamford Bridge in London. The match ended in a 1-1 draw.

Didier Drogba kept Chelsea's Champions League challenge alive with a second half equaliser to earn a 1-1 draw against Valencia on Wednesday.

Drogba - who became the first Chelsea player since Kerry Dixon over 20 years ago to score 30 goals in a season - came to Chelsea's rescue after David Silva's stunning strike had put Valencia in control of a hard-fought quarter-final first leg clash at Stamford Bridge.

Jose Mourinho's side will feel they are still in with a chance of reaching the semi-finals, but they will have to improve on this tepid display if they are to overcome Valencia in next Tuesday's return at the Mestalla.

The eternally optimistic Mourinho, though, still believed that his side can pull it off.

Chelsea's Ivorian forward Didier Drogba celebrates his goal during their European Champions League quarter final first leg football match against Valencia at Stamford Bridge in London. The match ended in a 1-1 draw.

"It is open completely open," said Mourinho of the tie.

"A draw at home is normally a bad result but not this one.

"I believe they (Valencia) think they can win it.

"But why can we not go there (Valencia) get a draw and then win in extra-time."

Valencia were without a host of key players through injury and suspension, but the Spanish side still coped comfortably with Chelsea's sporadic threats.

The English champions never really found their stride and are now in danger of not only losing their Premiership title to Manchester United, but also missing out on Europe's elite club competition for a third successive season under Mourinho.

With Valencia under-strength, Mourinho had opted to go for the throat, fielding an attack-minded team that included strikers Drogba, Andriy Shevchenko and Salomon Kalou.

Valencia's Spanish forward David Silva (L) is congratulated by his teammates David Villa (C) and Vicente during their European Champions League quarter final first leg football match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in London. The match ended in a 1-1 draw.

Chelsea's players got the message and were on the front foot immediately.

Drogba was just unable to reach Ashley Cole's cross before Kalou rattled the crossbar in the 10th minute with a curling shot from the edge of the area.

Valencia probed patiently at Chelsea's defence and Silva gave a hint of their potential when he blasted into the side-netting from a tight angle.

Silva squandered a much better chance midway through the half when Joaquin's shot fell to him 10 yards from goal. The Spanish forward had time to pick his spot but scuffed his effort tamely wide.

The knowledge that failing to take a lead to the Mestalla could be fatal seemed to pray on Chelsea and they started to rush their attacks when more composure was needed.

Valencia's Spanish forward Vicente (L) fights for the ball with Chelsea's Ukrainian forward Andriy Shevchenko during their European Champions League quarter final first leg football match at Stamford Bridge in London. The match ended in a 1-1 draw.

Their aggressive game-plan was also leaving spaces at the back for Valencia to exploit and Asier Del Horno, playing against his former club, brought Petr Cech into action with a looping long range shot.

Mourinho's side had been warned and Silva took full advantage of those gaps with a goal of the highest quality after half an hour.

Picking the ball up wide on the left, Silva drove forward before unleashing a ferocious 30-yard strike that arrowed into the top corner of Cech's goal.

Chelsea grew increasingly frustrated at their failure to test Valencia and Michael Ballack held his head in despair when he glanced an effort wide just before the break. Drogba fared little better as he shot hurried over with the last kick of the half.

Valencia keeper Santiago Canizares almost handed Chelsea an equaliser when he palmed a cross to Ricardo Carvalho, but the Portuguese defender couldn't react in time.

Chelsea's Portuguese defender Ricardo Carvalho (L) vies with Valencia's Spanish midfielder Raul Albiol during their European Champions League quarter final first leg football match at Stamford Bridge in London. The match ended in a 1-1 draw.

Quique Sanchez Flores's team had kept Drogba relatively quiet, but an awful piece of defending from Roberto Ayala gifted the Ivory Coast forward a goal in the 53rd minute.

Cole sent a long pass over Ayala and the veteran Argentina centre-back missed his attempted clearance, allowing Drogba to surge past him and loop a header over the out-of-position Canizares.

Drogba was typically humble about his achievement in emulating Dixon's record.

"I feel good but you know the most important thing wasn't my goal but that now we believe we can qualify," added the Ivory Coast star.

With highly-rated Valencia forward David Villa completely anonymous, the visitors struggled to pose any danger to the Blues for long periods after the interval.

They were content to sit back and soak up Chelsea's attacks and Mourinho knew he had to gamble to find a breakthrough.

He sent on Joe Cole, back after four months out with a foot injury, and Shaun Wright-Phillips as he tried to increase the pressure on Valencia.

Carvalho had a shot blocked in the 84th minute before Shevchenko's over-head kicked flashed wide, but Chelsea had run out of ideas.