Chelsea warmed up for their Champions League semi-final against Barcelona next week with a comfortable 3-1 win over Fulham.

Goals from Nicolas Anelka, Florent Malouda and Didier Drogba ensured Chelsea also kept the heat on second-placed Liverpool in the Premier League.

Guus Hiddink‘s side dented Fulham’s own hopes of European football next season as West Ham and Manchester City both moved above the Cottagers in the race for seventh place.

The contest began in dramatic fashion with three goals inside the first 10 minutes.

The Blues opened the scoring inside 50 seconds.

Malouda and Anelka combined down the left before Malouda’s cross was stabbed into the path of Anelka by Drogba.

The France international finished from the edge of the six-yard box.

But Fulham hit back immediately and were level in the fifth minute.

Norwegian striker Erik Nevland scored his second goal in as many games when he ran to a great pass by Danny Murphy to beat Petr Cech with a fierce angled drive.

Two minutes later Frank Lampard was narrowly wide with a clever chip shot as Chelsea looked to restore their advantage.

But the home side were back in front in the 10th minute when Anelka fed Drogba inside the penalty area and his low cross was lashed into the net by Florent Malouda.

But Fulham were still dangerous on the counter and Nevland smashed an 18-yard volley just over the bar in the 14th minute.

Moments later a cross from Paul Konchesky found the head of Bobby Zamora but the Fulham striker’s effort was just wide of Cech’s right-hand upright.

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Petr Cech was outstanding as Chelsea held Barcelona to a 0-0 draw in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final at the Nou Camp. And so becoming the first side in 50 games to restrict the Spanish side from scoring on their home ground.

Cech produced several fine stops to keep the Blues in the tie as Guus Hiddink‘s men defended superbly throughout ahead of the second leg at Stamford Bridge a week on Wednesday.

After a cagey opening 30 minutes, in which Barcelona enjoyed plenty of possession but could not break down a solid visiting defence, the game suddenly sparked into life.

Thierry Henry cut in from the left and fired straight at Cech before testing the Blues stopper again with a much fiercer effort moments later as Barca finally began to create some openings.

But it was Chelsea who should have broken the deadlock in the 39th minute when Rafael Marquez’s weak back pass allowed Didier Drogba a free run on goal but the striker’s half volley was well saved by Victor Valdes, who was also equal to the Ivorian hitman’s follow up.

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Update: Final whistle blows – Chelsea have managed to keep out Barcelona in the Champions League semi final.

Hope you’re sitting comfortably. Chelsea face off with Barcelona tonight in the high anticipated Champions League semi final clash – kick off will be in a few minutes, Soccer Pitch will blog the goals as they are scored!

Prediction – Soccer Pitch predicts a draw (Ed – We got lucky)

Kick off!

0-0 12:15

Barcelona enjoying lots of possession and looking dangerous – early scare for Cech

0-0 37:15

Yaya Toure booked for fowl play – Barca hovering in Chelsea territory

0-0 39:02

Huge opportunity for Drogba against the run of play – Jorquera saves twice

0-0 Half time

0-0 52:34

Rafael Marquez off injured – Carlos Puyol on for Barca

0-0 55:01

Barcelona have all the possession but some how Chelsea is managing to contain them

0-0 59:02

“Danger signs are starting to mount again for Chelsea” – Commentator

0-0 69:10

Strong Eto’o dribbles the Chelsea defence only to be denied by Cech, Barca dominating still.

0-0 70:40

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The English Premier League seems to be slipping away from Chelsea as they  were held to a 0-0 draw by Everton on Wednesday.

Guus Hiddink‘s side couldn’t break down a stubborn Everton rearguard action at Stamford Bridge and look destined to miss out on the English crown for a third successive season. The west London club are six points behind leaders Manchester United, who returned to the top of the table with a 2-0 victory over Portsmouth, and Sir Alex Ferguson’s team can make the gap nine points with a win in their game in hand.

After being frustrated by Everton, Chelsea will see the Champions League, where they face Barcelona in the semi-finals, and the FA Cup as their best hopes of giving Hiddink a successful send-off before he returns to his role as Russia coach on a full-time basis. Judging by the evidence of this FA Cup final dress rehersal, Chelsea will have to raise their game considerably to beat David Moyes’ team at Wembley.

Moyes’ men arrived in west London basking in the afterglow of Sunday’s victory over United, which booked their first FA Cup final appearance for 14 years. In a bid to combat the debilitating effects of extra-time at Wembley, Moyes made four changes to his team, with defender Phil Jagielka, scorer of the winning penalty in the shoot-out, relegated to the bench.

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Rafael Benitez will call upon his troops to redo the miracle against AC Milan in Istanbul in 2005 when they face Chelsea tonight in the second leg of the quarter final at Stamford Bridge.

Benitez’s side trail 3-1 from the first leg at Anfield last week and need an heroic peformance in west London to reach the semifinals.

History is against Liverpool, who have never won away from home in Europe against an English team and have not scored three goals at Stamford Bridge since 1989 when they won 5-2.

As if that wasn’t enough to discourage Liverpool, they will also have to become the first team to score three times at the Bridge in a European match.

But Liverpool are no strangers to European miracles under Benitez. Their most famous comeback was in the 2005 Champions League final against AC Milan when they fought back from 3-0 down to beat the Italian team on penalties.

Liverpool have already won 1-0 at Chelsea this season, while Bolton scored three times in their defeat there on Saturday and Benitez believes the Reds can produce another Istanbul-style revival on Tuesday.

“The experience of Istanbul will help us, it shows you can come back from a big score. And it is important to realise that Bolton scored three there on Saturday, anything can happen,” Benitez said on Monday.

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Two headers from Branislav Ivanovic helped give Chelsea a 3-1 win over Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-final first-leg at Anfield.

The Serbian defender – only playing because of the injury to first-choice right-back Jose Bosingwa – scored his first goals in a Blue shirt as Guus Hiddink’s team brought the Reds fine run of recent form to a crashing halt.

Fernando Torres gave Rafael Benitez‘s side an early lead but two headers either side of half-time from Ivanovic and a Didier Drogba strike put Chelsea into the driving seat ahead of next week’s return leg at Stamord Bridge.

The Reds’ reward for a fast start was the opening goal in the sixth minute. Dirk Kuyt pulled Alex’s clearance out of the Merseyside sky before the Dutchman’s superb backheel sent Alvaro Arbeloa clear down the right. The full-back was precise in his delivery, picking out Torres, who stroked the ball past Petr Cech from 12 yards out.

Chelsea could and should have been level immediately. Solomon Kalou robbed Fabio Aurelio before feeding Drogba, who smashed the ball straight at Pepe Reina when one-on-one with the hosts’ keeper.

Florent Malouda’s low, left-footed drive from the edge of the box drifted narrowly wide of Reina’s post midway through the opening period, while Torres’ curler at the other end came equally as close moments later.

Drogba wasted his second golden opportunity in the 28th minute when he blasted over from close range but despite the prolific Ivorian’s wastefulness, Chelsea hauled themselves level six minutes before the break.

Florent Malouda’s corner landed on the edge of the six-yard box and Ivanovic evaded the attentions of both Xabi Alonso and Martin Skrtel to plant a firm header past Reina.

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Chelsea twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with 10-man Juventus in Turin and again secure a place in the Champions League quarter-finals.

The Blues went into the last-16 return leg with a one-goal advantage but that was soon wiped out by Vincenzo Iaquinta’s 19th-minute strike.

But the visitors levelled on the stroke of half-time, moments after referee Alberto Undiano had ruled that a free-kick by Didier Drogba had not crossed the goal line in the 44th minute.

That decision appeared harsh but it was soon irrelevant as Frank Lampard’s shot came down off the underside of the bar for Michael Essien to bundle home.

Juventus restored their lead on the night when Undiano awarded the Italian side a 74th-minute penalty for handball by Juliano Belletti.

However, Chelsea battled back for a second time when Drogba prodded home a cross from Belletti in the 83rd minute to give the Blues a 3-2 aggregate win.

The Serie A giants knew an early goal was a requirement if they were to get themselves back into a tie that kicked-off in Chelsea’s favour thanks to Drogba’s match-winner at Stamford Bridge.

Pavel Nedved was twice down injured in the opening eight minutes. The first time after a collision with Essien and the second when he came off worst in a clash with Nicolas Anelka.

He was replaced in the 12th minute by Hasan Salihamidzic after failing to respond to lengthy treatment on the sidelines.

Nedved’s loss as a bitter blow to the Juve cause as he had been the architect of their fine start.

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