Chelsea respond to Ranieri's prompting

"I asked them for a positive reaction and they responded. It was important to win and put Arsenal behind us. I have Italian experience and Spanish experience in my team but I also have English fighting spirit in players like Frank Lampard and John Terry and that is important too."

Lampard produced an exceptional performance, bristling with energy and endeavour, and clipped the bar with a tremendous drive before providing the equalising goal.

The Italians had taken the lead with a well-worked goal in the 39th minute. Dejan Stankovic, exploiting Glen Johnson's lapse in concentration at the far post, headed a long pass from Massimo Oddo into the goalmouth where Simone Inzaghi supplied the finishing touch.

Lampard's equaliser came in the 57th minute. Driving forward from midfield, he met a pass from Eidur Gudjohnsen without breaking his stride and drove the ball into the roof of the net from the edge of the area. "It was a great goal," smiled Ranieri. "I thought Frank worked hard throughout the match."

Ranieri then demonstrated the kind of tactical awareness that is so essential at the highest level of the European game. Although compact and tight in midfield, Chelsea were failing to use the space on the flanks so Ranieri introduced Jesper Gronkjaer.

Juan Sebastian Veron was sacrificed in the 64th minute and was not overjoyed when asked to take the long walk in the presence of former teammates. However, Gronkjaer's first touch, out on the right flank, produced a low, crisp centre that Adrian Mutu drove goalward.

Jaap Stam blocked the shot, but Mutu spun to retrieve the rebound and this time placed his shot beyond the reach of goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi.

"Mutu was very clever, but we had a little bit of luck with that goal," said Ranieri. "A little luck was the difference between this match and the defeat against Besiktas. We played the same, dominated Besiktas, but they won."

That 2-0 Besiktas victory at Stamford Bridge sits inexplicably alongside the Turkish team's two other results - a 2-0 defeat at home to Lazio and last night's 2-1 defeat to Sparta in Prague.

Chelsea now have the security of a two-point lead at the top of Group G though Lazio could go back on top if they win when the two teams meet in Rome in a fortnight. "We can still turn it around," said Lazio coach Roberto Mancini. "I'm very disappointed that we didn't make more of our chances last night."

In the later stages of the game Carlo Cudicini produced a wonderful fingertip save from Bernardo Corradi's header but was stranded in no man's land when Oddo's 30-yard chip landed in the roof of the Chelsea net.

It was too little, too late, for Lazio. Once the big spenders of Italian football, they are having to make do these days, though they can still upset Chelsea's plans in the Olympic Stadium. "It will be very hard for us in Rome," said Ranieri.

After all the good work they did last night, it would be a shame to see it all wasted now.