Chelsea, Lazio fight for their lives

The cosmopolitan Londoners pursue their dream with a trip to Dutch outfit Feyenoord, who have taken four points off Lazio since losing at Stamford Bridge in November.

Chelsea’s Dutch keeper Ed de Goey is desperate to put one over his compatriots.

“It will be tough but we are also very hungry. Everybody here at Chelsea wants to win trophies. That’s why I came to the club,” he told The Daily Mail.

Norwegian striker Tore Andre Flo warned nothing could be left to chance. “We must try and beat Feyenoord in Rotterdam, otherwise it will all be left to our last game in London against Lazio. That would be a big risk for us.”

With the competition awash with the tens of millions of dollars available — and some might say almost as many teams these days — the rewards for lifting the famous trophy are larger than ever.

This season’s Cup is overflowing with copious quantities of semi-skimmed milk, as well as bundles of money.

Chelsea’s rivals Lazio are fighting for their lives after a defeat and a draw against surprise package Feyenoord — who finished behind Rosenborg in the first phase — while Fiorentina’s fate also hangs in balance.

Italy, therefore, face their worst European harvest in years after the destruction wrought on their UEFA Cup entrants.

Both Chelsea and Lazio should progress but if the Romans do not and Fiorentina also exit Italian fans may have to transfer their allegiance to Gianluca Vialli’s cappuccino set.

Chelsea travel to Feyenoord with Vialli on Sunday having refused to criticise his under-achieving strikeforce — even though their lack of goals is threatening to undermine the Blues’ season.

The Londoners’ recent progress has largely been achieved in spite of — rather than because of — strikers Gianfranco Zola, Flo and Chris Sutton, who has been a fish out of water all season.

Chelsea cannot turn to the man who best knows the territory at this level — Liberian international George Weah — as he has a hamstring injury and had in any case already played for AC Milan in the first round.

Feyenoord, coached by Leo Beenhakker, rested several regulars in yesterday’s 3-0 canter over Den Bosch — including Ivorian striker Bonaventure Kalou, while fellow striker Julio Cruz played only part of the match.

The Dutch side, European champions in 1970, caused a sensation in winning at Lazio and former Newcastle man Jon Dahl Tomasson, who scored twice in Rome, has warned Chelsea that “we are really up for this one.”

Lazio host a Marseille side all but out of the running, four points behind Feyenoord and Chelsea’s seven with the Italians on five.

A club in domestic crisis, Marseille’s prime objective is now to save face — and avoid relegation following Saturday’s home reverse against Bordeaux.

Lazio, in contrast, have everything to play for and Svengoran Eriksson was optimistic on Sunday despite dropping home points on Saturday in a 2-2 draw against Inter Milan.

With Bayern, who host Rosenborg, having dominated Group C interest focuses on Real’s home encounter with Dynamo Kiev as both are level pegging on six points.

Kiev, who end their programme at home to Bayern, know their home defeat by Real means the Spaniards are favourites to make it.

Real remain unpredictable with — or as seems more likely — without Anelka yet he has hardly been the club’s most potent weapon.

A side with Raul and Fernando Morientes leading the line instead should manage to put last week’s Munich drubbing behind them.