Chelsea confirmed their safe passage through to the quarter finals of the Champions League with comfort despite the final 0-0 scoreline with FC Copenhagen at Stamford Bridge.
The best chance of the game fell to Didier Drogba at the start of the second half but he volleyed wide while Copenhagen scared as Dame N'Doye struck Petr Cech's upright from a first half free kick and Jon Obi Mikel nodded the ball onto the top of the Danes crossbar.
Despite having 28 attempts on goal Chelsea couldn't find the breakthrough as they were too often wasteful in front of goal, but with the lack of attacking threat coming from the visitors the result never looked in any doubt. Nicolas Anelka always looked threatening and Yuri Zhirkov produced a fine display in the first half before both were subbed off in the second half.
Copenhagen can look back on their campaign as a success, becoming the first Danish team to make the last sixteen and having also earned a 1-1 draw against Barcelona.
The notable exception from the Chelsea starting line up was Fernando Torres, dropped to the bench, explained by Carlo Ancelotti as rotation. There had been much speculation in media circles as to whether the Spaniard to start but the Chelsea boss kept to his pre-match word that he would rotate his side. Nicolas Anelka was the man to come in, partnering Dider Drogba up top.
Jon Obi Mikel started in central midfield despite the threat of a one match ban if he were to receive a yellow card and Branislav Ivanovic was chosen to pair up with John Terry at the heart of the Blues defence.
For Copenhagen Mikael Antonsson overcame injury fears to start at centre back while former Chelsea player Jesper Gronkjaer started up front, sat just off Dame N'Doye.
It was the home side who had the first attempt on goal of the evening, Ashley Cole being slipped in behind the Danish defence and squaring for Lampard who got ahead of the near post and got too much of his boot on the ball, sending it wide of the upright.
Copenhagen's opening opportunity came in the shape of a 19 yard free kick after Vingaard was brought down by Bosingwa, Claudemir was only able to drive the ball straight into the Chelsea wall however.
Didier Droga showed good feet to create space for a shot but his long range effort was easily stopped by Copenhagen keeper Wiland.
On 18 minutes Chelsea produced a fine move to create a chance. Zhirkov poked through for Drogba to head into the area, the Ivorian producing a delightful backheel for Ashley Cole who squared for Zhirkov, only to see the man who started the move push the ball wide of the left hand post.
Not long after it was Anelka who had the chance to put the Londoner's ahead as Ramires played an expansive ball out from the back to Zhirkov who burst towards the opposition area and play Anelka through, the Frenchman finding the angle too tight in the end, Wiland coming out to save.
The display from both Anelka and Drogba in the first twenty minutes vilified Ancelotti's choice to drop Torres to the bench as the frontmen were making dangerous side-to-side runs that had the Danish defence baffled.
Following a John Terry foul just outside the area Dame N'Doye had the chance to line up a free kick. Petr Cech stepped to his left, guessing that was the way the Senegalese striker was going to go. He was, however, left flat footed as the effort went to his other side, rattling the inside of the post and rebounding to safety.
Yuri Zhirkov continued to make incisive runs into the centre of the pitch and he had another chance when Anelka cut back from the byline and pushed the ball across to the Russian who shot wide as he found himself under pressure.
The last ten minutes of the first half went quietly, Chelsea producing a couple of opportunities, though often finding the final ball lacking, while the visitors began to look stretched and often off of the pace of the game.
Despite Chelsea's dominance in the first half the Danish fans in the Shed End were in good voice supporting their boys in pink. Much of the home sides threat came from a left hand side which saw Ashley Cole bombing forward from his wingback position and Yuri Zhirkov cutting inside and causing havoc as Drogba and Anelka ran the opposite direction, cutting across the Copenhagen defence.
The best chance of the game yet fell to Didier Drogba three minutes into the second half, a wonderful in swinging ball from Jose Bosingwa out on the right found the big striker in behind the opposition defence but he could only place his right foot volley wide of the mark.
Drogba was soon involved again, flicking a ball over the top of the Danes backline sending Anelka through but with the angle against him the Frenchman turned back inside and allowed the defenders to get back at him.
Moments later Chelsea had a corner from Lampard which bounced off heads and found its way to Mikel on the corner of the six yard box but he could only head onto the bar under pressure from Jesper Gronkjaer.
Mikael Antonsson, who faced a race to get fit for the game, proved his inclusion was not a mistake as he raced after Nicolas Anelka and with the Chelsea striker looking almost certain to score the defender produced a miraculous sliding challenge to get a block on Anelka's effort.
As the second half wore on Chelsea continued to create without the cutting edge to make a guilt edged chance but with Copenhagen rarely causing any trouble the game was simply rolling on by.
Fernando Torres was eventually called into the fray with 23 minutes left on the clock, he replaced Nicolas Anelka who had had a decent game, using his pace and movement to get behind the Copenhagen back four on numerous occasions. The world cup winners first touch was greeted with great cheers from the home faithful and the shot that came from it, albeit after some weaving, took a deflection that nearly wrong-footed Wiland.
Torres' first clean effort on goal came from a tight angle as he forced himself past Wendt at right back and shot into the hands of Wiland.
Copenhagen finally found a way into the Chelsea penalty area as Dame N'Doye burst at their defence, only to see himself blaze high and wide of the goal when he had two players in the box with him.
Dider Drogba possesses great power in his shooting so the chance he had from a free kick he won himself could, and perhaps should, have resulted in the Copenhagen keeper having to do more than thrust his arms in front of him and taking the ball from the air.
There were long range efforts from Bosingwa, Drogba and Essien within the final ten minutes and finally Frank Lampard tried to set up Fernando Torres for his first Chelsea goal when he would have been better off taking the shot himself.
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