Europa League ... Steaua Bucharest's Raul Rusescu scores past a helpless Peter Cech. Source: Vadim Ghirda / AFP
Chelsea's indifferent form continued as a controversial penalty gave Steaua Bucharest a 1-0 victory in Romania over a distinctly off-colour Blues.
Chelsea weren't at the races from the word go, and found themselves behind just after the half-hour mark after to a hotly disputed penalty was given to the home side.
Ryan Bertrand was adjudged to have fouled dangerman Raul Rusescu as he went up for a header, and the top scorer in the Romania league got up to take the spot-kick himself, smashing the ball under Petr Cech.
Although they initially looking to have woken up after falling behind, Chelsea toiled away, but couldn't find that cutting edge all evening, and will have to do much better in the return leg at Stamford Bridge.
In Moscow, Anzhi Makhachkala and Newcastle United played out a dour goalless draw in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie in Moscow.
The game, played on the plastic pitch at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium, struggled to ever get going on a freezing night in the Russian capital.
Toon boss Alan Pardew made seven changes from the side that lost at Swansea last weekend, with Hatem Ben Arfa making his first start since December after recovering from a hamstring injury
Anzhi boss Guus Hiddink named a strong line-up, with former Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o, Brazil international Willian and ex-Chelsea duo Yuri Zhirkov and Lassana Diarra in the side.
Read more: http://www1.skysports.com/football/live/match/283940/report
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