Soccer: Ballack and Essien give Chelsea win

German captain Michael Ballack scored a second half penalty to earn his new club Chelsea a 2-0 victory over Bundesliga opponents Werder Bremen in their Champions League soccer opener this morning.

Stepping up instead of Chelsea's usual penalty taker Frank Lampard, who has had little success from the spot recently, Ballack added to midfield dynamo Michael Essien's 24th minute strike from close range in the Group A match.

Bremen, renowned for their attacking flair, kept the pressure on the English champions and World Cup golden boot winner Miroslav Klose was particularly dangerous, hitting the bar with a header in the second half.

Lampard also hit the post in a fast and furious end-to-end game that put Chelsea level on points with rivals Barcelona at the top of the group, after the Spanish champions put five goals past Levski Sofia without reply at the Nou Camp.

For an attacking side Bremen held a tight back line for the first 20 minutes, keeping out strikers Andriy Shevchenko and Didier Drogba and Chelsea's marauding midfielders.

It was an unfortunate tumble on Stamford Bridge's slick surface that allowed the home side through.

Lampard, driving through the middle, was dispossessed by defender Petri Pasanen but the Finn slipped in the area, poked the ball through to Essien and the Ghana midfielder slammed it home for his first Chelsea goal in European competition.

That prompted Bremen to resume their natural game.

They opened up on the wings and tested Chelsea's defence with a rampaging run by Klose, whose shot ricocheted away for a corner off Khalid Boulahrouz's head. Minutes later defender Pierre Wome piled through the midfield and went close.

Ivan Klasnic and Brazilian Diego also had chances in the second half and it was as the Germans looked their most dangerous that Drogba earned the penalty on the counter-attack.

He was forced over in the area by Clemens Fritz and Greek referee Kyros Vassaras pointed immediately to the spot.

Ballack, who left Bayern Munich for Chelsea in the close season, had suffered taunts from the travelling fans all through the game but made no mistake with his 68th-minute spot kick.

Only on Monday, Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho confirmed Lampard as his penalty taker despite the England midfielder missing three out of his last four for club and country.

He had left open the possibility, however, that Lampard might delegate the duty on the night if he wished.

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In other Champions League matches today:

* PSV Eindhoven and Liverpool played out a goalless draw in the Netherlands.

* European champions Barcelona thumped Levski Sofia 5-0 - a sobering start for the first Bulgarian club to reach this stage of the competition - for their biggest Champions League win.

* Bayern Munich thumped Spartak Moscow 4-0 at home.

* AS Roma beat Shakhtar Donetsk 4-0 in Rome.

* Inter Milan slipped up in Lisbon, losing 1-0 to Sporting and having Patrick Vieira sent off midway through the second half.

* And Valencia beat Olympiakos Piraeus 4-2 in Greece. Fernando Morientes, the former Real Madrid striker back in Spain after a short sojourn in Liverpool, scored a hat-trick for Valencia.

- REUTERS