Battling part-timers Valerenga proudly flew the flag for Norway as they mixed
muscular power with unquenchable fighting spirit.
But the end product was always inevitable - a massive gap in class.
Cheeky Vialli went into combat with a Chelsea team shorn of a galaxy of top
stars. French World Cup defenders Frank Leboeuf and Marcel Desailly stayed at
home to rest knocks for more testing Premiership tests to come.
Gianfranco Zola - whose glorious goal won the trophy against VfB Stuttgart
last year - stayed on the substitutes' bench all night and Spanish defender
Albert Ferrer was also absent.
And Tore Andre Flo, after scoring against his compatriots with an almost
apologetic header, retired to the bench after the interval - along with skipper
Dennis Wise.
Chelsea discovered a green oasis among Oslo's late winter snow at the Ullevaal
Stadium, scene of two horrendous World Cup qualifying competition defeats for
England in the last 20 years.
But after seeing off a spirited early rush from their hosts, they seemed to
have completed the formality of aggregate victory with two goals in the first 15
minutes, breaking a barren spell over their three previous games which saw their
exit from the FA Cup and put their title dream in grave doubt.
Player-boss Vialli had scored all his eight previous goals this season in cup
ties and worked his knockout magic again with a touch of good fortune.
Youngster John Terry, in only his third senior start, set up his boss with a
perfect cross from the right in the 11th minute after Petrescu made the initial
running.
Vialli miscued his attempted volley at the far post but had found so much
space and time that he was able to get onto the ball again and bobble it past
keeper Mikko Kaven.
Petrescu should have scored already by then, shooting tamely from 12 yards and
allowing Kaven a comfortable save at the foot of a post.
But on the quarter-hour mark the contest - if it was still alive in the first
place - looked well and truly over.
Fredrik Kjolner headed out a Wise corner but straight to Lambourde who
instantly half-volleyed an 18-yard shot past Kaven.
The travelling Chelsea fans sang "We're only 5-0 up!" to rub in the size of
the aggregate advantage but were forced to admire Valerenga's courage and
commitment; their hearts were as big as their physiques.
And captain Kjolner led by example, rising to direct a towering header over Ed
De Goey from a Dag Riisnes corner to reduce the considerable arrears in the 27th
minute.
It was almost 2-2 on the night when Pascal Simpson, a substitute at Stamford
Bridge two weeks ago but used in the return leg as support to Bologna-bound
striker John Carew, thundered a long-range free-kick inches wide through a
crowded area.
Flo's almost gentle header, following a neat link-up between Wise, Di Matteo
and Vialli, opened up a two-goal gap again but it only served to swell
Valerenga's determination to make a fight of it.
De Goey, who had done well to smother shots by Carew and right-back Thomas
Berntsen in the opening minutes, was bumped and buffeted by the Norwegian team's
lofty twin strikers who made even the lanky Dutchman look vulnerable.
And teenage colossus Carew had a wonderful chance to further embarrass Chelsea
when he suddenly found himself in behind the Blues' defence but lost possession
with a clumsy first touch.
Valerenga, though, just would not throw in the towel - especially Carew. And
when Duberry's faulty header let him in again he muscled his way past De Goey
and lashed a spectacular shot into the far top corner despite the tight angle.
But Chelsea were still four goals to the good on aggregate by the interval and
allowed themselves the luxury of three substitutions for the restart.
Tom Henning Hovi ruffled them with an outrageous 35-yard lob which De Goey
finger-tipped to safety. Then Carew crashed a long-range free-kick through a
crowded area and it might well have found the net had not clipped a Chelsea leg
and earned only a corner.
With a big Premiership match coming up at Aston Villa on Sunday, Chelsea
decided enough was enough on this night and settled for absorbing the last
remnants of Valerenga pressure and nipping away on the occasional
counter-attack.
There were no more goals and nobody could begrudge Valerenga their
respectability at the end of an almost surreal night. They even stretched
Vialli's temper to the edge of breaking point when a bad foul by the rugged
Joachim Walltin provoked the Italian to lash out with an arm - and somehow
escape a booking.
But Chelsea know full well that there are much more exacting tests to come
with the likes of Lazio lurking in the semi-final draw tomorrow if they are to
become the first - and last - team to retain the trophy which will be obsolete
next season to accommodate the revamped Champions' League and UEFA Cup format.
Teams:
Valerenga: Kaven, Berntsen, Walltin, Levernes, Tran, Riisnaes,
Haraldsen, Hovi (Haug 78), Simpson (Thorsten 54),Carew (Musaeus 82), Kjoelner.
Subs Not Used: Bolthof, Karlsen, Kaasa, Oedegaard.
Goals: Kjoelner 27, Carew 41.
Chelsea: De Goey, Terry, Duberry, Lambourde, Le Saux, Petrescu,
Di Matteo, Wise (Newton 45), Babayaro (Myers 45),Flo (Nicholls 45), Vialli.
Subs Not Used: Percassi, Zola, Morris, Hitchcock.
Goals: Vialli 11, Lambourde 15, Flo 33.
Agg (2-6)
Att: 20,000
Ref: A Ancion (Belgium).
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