Chelsea win, Liverpool lose in Europa League
Chelsea beat Sparta Prague 1-0 in the first leg of the last-32 match of the Europa League.
After the ignominy of a premature demise from the Champions League as defending champion, Chelsea s quest to win the Europa League began by gaining a slender advantage at Sparta Prague on Thursday.
On another miserable night for striker Fernando Torres it required substitute Oscar to clinch a 1-0 victory in the first leg of the last-32 match.
But there was only gloom for another former winner of Europe s most illustrious club competition. Five-time European Cup champion Liverpool lost 2-0 at Zenit St. Petersburg to mirror its struggles in the Premier League in which it sits in ninth place.
In the Czech capital, Chelsea s breakthrough came after manager Rafa Benitez replaced Juan Mata with Oscar.
And the Brazilian s first involvement in the match ended with a goal in the 82nd minute after playing a one-two with Eden Hazard.
In December, Chelsea became the first Champions League winners to exit the competition in the group stage.
There has been little domestic respite for the London club, which is third in the Premier League, out of the League Cup and facing an FA Cup fourth-round replay against third-tier club Brentford on Sunday.
The Europa League is Liverpool s last chance of glory this season and now needs to overturn a 2-0 deficit next Thursday at Anfield.
