Moisés Caicedo saves face for wasteful Chelsea against battling Pafos

The brief ripple of applause at full time said it all. This was a deeply unconvincing display from ­Chelsea, who took 78 agonising minutes to find a way past the might of the champions of Cyprus, and it was not a surprise that Stamford Bridge greeted victory with such a muted response.

The mood was one of relief. There was plenty of angst on a night when the home fans continued their protests against Chelsea’s ­owners. The football was too slow, too ­predictable, and it hardly seemed to register that Moisés Caicedo shattering Pafos FC’s defiance ensured that Liam ­Rosenior’s side will have a chance to secure direct qualification into the ­Champions League last 16 when they visit Napoli in their final game next week.

It had threatened to end with Rosenior overseeing one of the most embarrassing results in ­Chelsea’s European history. This was the 41-year-old head coach’s first taste of managing at this level and he knows it will be tougher against Napoli. The Italian champions need to win to avoid elimination and, with the race for a place in the top eight so tight, Chelsea may live to regret not doing more for their goal difference here.

Pafos are 30th in the standings and could make it in the playoffs if they beat Slavia Prague next week. They took pride from turning Rosenior’s fourth game in charge into such a grind. “I just have to keep focusing on the job,” Rosenior said. “I would love the fans to be with us and with me. To do that I need to earn that.”

Chelsea have had a mixed return to Europe’s top table. They were schooled by Bayern Munich in their opening game, responded with comfortable wins against Ajax and ­Benfica, followed dropping points against Qarabag by ­thrashing ­Barcelona and imploded when they were 1-0 up against Atalanta last month. They remain ­maddeningly inconsistent, although they can never be ruled out in a cup com­petition. For Rosenior, there is ­encouragement to be taken from mid-season ­managerial changes ­acting as the catalyst for Chelsea’s two ­Champions League wins.

It was Roberto Di Matteo in 2012 and Thomas Tuchel in 2021. What those two managers had, though, was a group of hardened winners. Rosenior has inherited a callow squad from Enzo Maresca, which is one of the gripes supporters have with the ownership, and those who pine for the good old days perhaps felt a pang of nostalgia at David Luiz sitting on the Pafos bench.

Who can forget the 38-year-old defender playing with one working hamstring when Di Matteo’s side stunned Bayern in the 2012 final? The Brazilian also helped Antonio Conte’s Chelsea to win the league in 2017 and was one of a few familiar faces in the Pafos team. Ken Sema, once of ­Watford, was at left-wing back and the attack featured Mislav Orsic, the Croatian forward whose goal in a win for Dinamo Zagreb ended Tuchel’s time at Chelsea.

Rosenior is the fourth head coach to try his luck since Tuchel’s departure. His new players are yet to adjust to his methods. Chelsea were ­missing Cole Palmer, who was rested after complaining of tightness in his thigh, and there were long spells when they struggled to absorb the absence of their best player.

It was another tough night for Liam Delap. The striker was starved of ­service, failed to shake off his ­markers and never looked like ­scoring before being taken off with 20 minutes left.

There was some enterprising football from Chelsea during the first half. Enzo Fernández had a goal disallowed and Reece James shot inches wide. Jay Gorter made fine saves from Caicedo and Jorrel Hato.

Pafos, who almost led when Jajá hit the woodwork after his shot deflected off James’s arm, sat back and left everyone behind the ball. They posed such little threat that Filip ­Jörgensen had not made a save before injury forced the ­Chelsea goalkeeper to make way for ­Robert Sánchez at half‑time. Equally they had three draws from their first six games and were ­organised enough to draw Rosenior into ­bringing James off for Estêvão ­Willian for the second half.

Estêvão livened up the crowd and almost broke the deadlock with a rasping volley. Yet the frustration deepened. Alejandro Garnacho and Pedro Neto struggled on the flanks and Chelsea began to run out of ideas. They tested Gorter with efforts from distance but grew ponderous on the ball.

When the possession is aimless, though, set pieces offer salvation. One slip proved costly for Pafos. Nany Dimata failed to clear Neto’s corner at the near post and Caicedo punished the substitute by heading in from close range.

The celebrations were far from ecstatic. Pafos fumed, claiming Benoît Badiashile had shoved one of their players over in the middle. ­Chelsea had avoided their first goalless draw in Europe in 54 games.