Steaua Bucharest 0 - 4 Chelsea, Champions League: Initial Reaction & Community Ratings Form

Returning to the site of Chelsea's worst performance of last season, José Mourinho's charges put together a rather complete and assured display as they dominated the hosts from start to finish.  First half goals from Ramires and the ever profilic Own Goal were augmented by another Ramires strike - and I do mean STRIKE - and a Frank Lampard special late in the second half as the Blues romped to a 4-0 victory.

It wasn't all butterflies and unicorns however.  Torres picked up an injury.  Cech scared us all by slamming his head into the post.  Ramires appeared to pick up a knock towards the end.  And despite the four goals, Chelsea still displayed plenty of wasteful finishing as well as a slight lapse in collective concentration in the last 5-10 minutes or so.  Although, somehow they still managed to preserve the clean sheet.

In the other Group E match, Schalke dispatched Basel without too much hassle and thus sit atop the group with a perfect six points from six.  This is not the most ideal situation, but Chelsea still are well in control of their own destiny as they try to recover from the opening group match defeat and finish first.

Assorted thoughts:

• Matching 4-0 victories by the two Chelsea squads today.  Very cool.
• Fernando Torres continues to write, produce, and star in the greatest Shakespearan tragedy since King Lear.  Just when you think he's about to actually become semi-useful, he picks up a red card in the league.  Then, 10 minutes into the European match - for which he's not suspended - he gets struck down by injury.  It'd be hilarious, if it weren't such a tragic, going on almost 3-year affair.
• Torres's replacement Samuel Eto'o didn't look all that sharp - especially early on - but in this one he didn't really need to be thanks to the brilliance of André Schürrle, Juan Mata, and Ramires.  And Oscar, in the second half.  On that note, whatever was said to Oscar at the half, that's the ticket.
• Schürrle rules.
• David Luiz rules.
• Steaua do not.