CHELSEA 1 SCHALKE 04 1
Chelsea - Fabregas 11'
Schalke - hunteelaar 62'
Man of the match - Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea)
LONDON // It was a night of great frustration for Chelsea.
They dominated Schalke almost from start to finish and created countless chances but ended up with one point from a draw in their Uefa Champions League match against a dogged Schalke 04.
The German team battled hard, took one of the few chances that came their way and rode their luck to secure a point that will probably mean more to them than it will to Chelsea.
Schalke, who had taken a single point from three league games so far and been knocked out of the League Cup by third-division Dynamo Dresden, were missing nine senior players and for long spells looked distinctly second best.
But with Diego Costa not appearing until late in the second half – he was presumably protecting his hamstring with an eye on Sunday's vital English Premier League clash with Manchester City – Chelsea lacked the same cutting edge.
In the Spain international’s place, Chelsea fielded Didier Drogba, making the first start of his second spell at the club – his first start for Chelsea since scoring the winning penalty against Bayern Munich in the Uefa Champions League final of 2012 – but he lacked sharpness and wasted two good opportunities.
Chelsea’s main threat came from the players just behind Drogba. Eden Hazard, who dazzled on the left, and from Cesc Fabregas, operating on the left of a midfield three and always looking to get forward and join the attack.
It was their combination that led to the opening goal, although it was not without controversy.
Max Meyer seemed to be fouled by Fabregas but the Croatian referee Ivan Bebek allowed play to go on, Hazard picked up the loose ball and played in Fabregas to force in his first goal since joining the club in the summer.
Fabregas then blasted a Branislav Ivanovic cross over and Drogba wasted a couple of opportunities as Chelsea continued to dominate.
There had been a spell towards the end of the first half in which Chelsea had seemed to lose concentration, Kevin-Prince Boateng forced a diving save from Thibaut Courtois with a 25-yard drive and Julian Draxler screwed a shot just wide after a bafflingly simple run through a couple of half-hearted challenges.
Despite that, there had been little warning of a Schalke equaliser when, 17 minutes into the second half, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar won the ball from Fabregas and ran on to receive a return pass from Draxler before finishing with a firm low shot.
Chelsea had their chances after that – Loic Remy and John Terry both had efforts headed off the line.
And Hazard volleyed over and had a stretching prod brilliantly saved by Ralf Fahrmann.
But the winner would not come and Chelsea were left to rue missed chances and to wonder whether they need Costa to perform with the same potency they have shown in the early weeks of the Premier League season.
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