Chelsea's Euro-dream lives on after a stormy night in northern Italy - but Gianluca Vialli will know his team have to do so much better in the second leg if they are to claim a trip to Stockholm next month.

Vialli and his fellow countrymen Gianfranco Zola and Roberto Di Matteo had returned home hoping to show just why they had abandoned Serie A for the Premiership.

But against a modest Vicenza side whose fervent supporters were far more imposing than they were - and certainly not in the same class as quarter-final victims Real Betis - Vialli's Blues produced far and away their worst performance of the Cup Winners' Cup campaign to date.

Shocking defending throughout the match was punished just the once, indecision by Michael Duberry allowing Lamberto Zauli to run through and find the back of the net early in the first half.

But Zola's hopes of making a World Cup claim were dashed, Vialli became as fractious as anybody, and with passes going astray it was no sort of show whatsoever.

The sight of Vicenza celebrating their advantage by copying Chelsea's Wembley formation diving suggested that this is as good as it will get for them.

Even so, despite the result that gives them a real chance of reaching the May 13 final, this was not what Vialli had wanted in his first game back on home soil since skippering Juventus to their European Cuo triumph in Rome in 1996.

Perhaps it had all been too easy for the Blues at the start. Certainly Vicenza looked very nervous and with Vialli - restoring himself to the side in place of Mark Hughes - sharp, things seemed on course.

Zola, desperate to impress watching Italy boss Cesare Maldini was also prominent, almost catching keeper Pierluigi Brivio napping with one near-post effort, while Graeme Le Saux and Dan Petrescu had the freedom of the flanks.

But suddenly, for no reason, Chelsea simply stopped playing, Le Saux's distribution deteriorating horribly, and Vicenza took up the proffered gauntlet.

Duberry headed one ball behind and when Chelsea collectively went to sleep from Marco Schenardi's right wing corner in the 14th minute, allowing Zauli a free header, Ed De Goey bailed them out.

Yet the warning was not heeded, and two minutes later they were behind. Duberry had all the time in the world as defender Fabio Viviani lobbed forward, but wanted even more.

The price was paid, Zauli stealing in to head towards goal, and as De Goey came off his line, his effort bobbled into the bottom corner.

No complaints, and it could have been worse, Zauli left unattended even though Pasquale Luiso was a lone striker, too many passes nowhere near the intended target.

Even the quality players - Zola and Leboeuf - had no touch, Steve Clarke failing to fill Frank Sinclair's boots, and Chelsea were conceding far too many free-kicks.

From one of them, two blocked shots saw the ball fall to Viviani, Duberry throwing himself in the way to atone partially for his earlier error although both he and Leboeuf then escaped when they passed straight to Vicenza players standing in front of them.

It was woeful stuff, Chelsea's only consolation that Vicenza themselves were nothing special, and they started to gain some parity as the half closed.

But little real headway, Zola - too often stuck out on the left - trying for something far too ambitious after Vialli's astute flick had found Dennis Wise, Duberry heading back across goal from a Zola cross.

They still had not tested Brivio, and it did not improve at the start of the second half, Leboeuf needlessly talking himself in Manuel Diaz Vega's book before Di Matteo joined him for a trip on Zauli that rules him out of the return leg.

The mistakes continued as well. Duberry robbed by Luiso only for Ambrosetti to be too eager, Leboeuf caught upfield as Ambrosetti sped down the right for a cross just in front of Luiso, who then had De Goey scrambling across to tip behind from 25 yards.

Even when Chelsea made a change, Tore Andre Flo replacing Petrescu, the beanpole Norwegian played wide on the right, but gradually, Vicenza tiring, they began to put something together.

Zola, fed by Flo, struck his cross against the outside of the post, and then a Zola corner found Vialli's downward header beating Brivio, only for Ambrosetti to hack off the line.

Still, at last, it was something to enthuse about, and the 1,100 or so Chelsea fans in the Stadio Romeo Menti sensed the night might be turning, Wise almost getting in on the right, Le Saux crashing a volley wide.

Not that their side were any more clever at the back, Luiso allowed room for a header from Viviani's free-kick that was far too close for comfort, but with time running out, Chelsea did step on the gas.

Leboeuf, with a free-kick from 35 yards, finally forced a save from Brivio and when Wise's flick freed Zola, he should have done better than cross too close to the keeper.

With three minutes left, Chelsea really might have been made to pay, De Goey just stretching out an arm to turn Uruguayan defender Gustavo Mendez' free-kick to safety.

Then right at the death, after the disappointing Zola had been replaced by Jody Morris, Flo forced his way through only to clip high over the target.

Chelsea deserved no more than they got.

Teams

Vicenza: Brivio, Mendez, Dicara, Belotti, Viviani, Schenardi (Beghetto 73), Di Carlo, Ambrosini, Ambrosetti (Stovini 73), Zauli (Firmani 86), Luiso.

Subs Not Used: Falcione, Coco, Baronio, Di Napoli.

Booked: Dicara, Zauli, Di Carlo.

Goals: Zauli 16.

Chelsea: De Goey, Clarke, Leboeuf, Duberry, Le Saux, Petrescu (Flo 59), Wise, Newton, Di Matteo, Zola (Morris 88), Vialli.

Subs Not Used: Hughes, Hitchcock, Granville, Myers, Nicholls.

Booked: Leboeuf, Di Matteo.

Att: 24,000

Ref: Manuel Diaz Vega (Spain).