Chelsea 4 Bordeaux 0

Group A in the Champions League got underway tonight with Chelsea, last seasons beaten finalists, playing host to the French League runners-up, Bordeaux.

With the Italian giants of Roma also lurking in Group A, Luiz Felipe Scolari would have been keen to see his team get off to a good start and to get those crucial first three points in the bag.

And that was exactly how it turned out.

Team News - After having selected his two listings for UEFA, Scolari would have been hugely disappointed to lose the very influential Michel Essien to a knee ligament injury. Also not available for selection was Didier Drogba, serving a one game ban after getting sent off in the final in Moscow last season for an act of petulance. Apart from that, Scolari had a full squad to choose from and could even welcome back Michael Ballack after the German international recovered from his foot injury. In the end Scoalri chose to go with the same starting eleven that served him so well on Saturday against Manchester City

First Half - Chelsea got the half underway but it was a cagey start by both sides. Indeed, the first attempt at a shot on target wasn`t until the 10th minute and it came from the visitors when Wendell blasted over form distance after a Mikel error.

Four minutes later Chelsea took the lead through Frank Lampard. Jose Bosingwa, always dangerous pushing forward down the right flank, delivered a superb ball for Lampard to beat the keeper, Rame, with a downward header.

Bordeaux were not offering much going forward and their next chance came when a Wendell free kick hit the wall. Chelsea, showing intricate skills allied with patience, started to carve out further chances.

An Anelka shot had to be turned behind swiftly by Rame before the keeper, from the resulting corner and subsequent build-up, reacted smartly to keep out a near Joe Cole flick. On twenty-one minutes John Terry headed narrowly wide from a Lampard free kick as Chelsea searched for that second goal.

Thankfully, that second goal came on the half hour mark when Joe Cole rose to deftly head home a Lampard cross after Malouda had won a corner. At 2-0 Chelsea were in control.

Indeed, as half time approached we were treated to the rare sight of Lampard driving a good chance wide from a great position. Bordeaux were still struggling to make an impression and when Deco lost possession and Ricardo Carvalho Gourcoff could only drive the free over the bar.

2-0 at half time and looking comfortable, let`s hope the second half produces more of the same!

Second Half - Bordeaux got the action underway and started the half better than they had done in the first half. Laurent Blanc had obviously told his team to play higher up and Fernando was the first to test our defence with a drive from twenty-two yards that went wide.

Up front their striker Chamakh looked dangerous as Chelsea struggled to reproduce the swift passing play of the first half. However, as the half progressed and Chelsea weathered the brief storm, Bordeaux were put to the sword.

Anelka, after a neat Joe Cole pass, hit the side netting before, with eighty-three minutes played, Malouda made it 3-0. The goal came after Mikel had marauded through midfield to slip a great ball to Lampard who, with a back heel gave Malouda the chance to drive his shot past the keeper.

With seconds left, Belletti picked the ball up thirty yards out and with the crowd urging him to do so, shot. The keeper turned his effort onto the bar only for Anelka to turn the rebound home.

It was a comfortable win against a team that, to be honest, looked a little over-awed about coming to SW6

Team - Cech, Bosingwa, Terry, Carvalho, A.Cole. Mikel, Lampard, Malouda (Kalou - 84), Deco (Ballack- 61), Anelka, J.Cole (Belletti - 73)

Unused Subs - Hilario, Di Santo, Ferreira, Alex,

Chelsea Scorers - Lampard, J.Cole, Malouda, Anelka

Chelsea Yellow Cards - Deco

Chelsea Red Cards - Nil

Referee - P. Vink (Holland)