Shevchenko proved last night to be the peerless Euro star as Blues of Chelsea cruise past the ineffectual Levski Sofia into the last sixteen of the Champions League.
If not quite a landmark game, or even a landmark moment, it was most important to Andriy Shevchenko who was given the chance to notch his 57th goal in European competition and in doing so becoming the second-highest goalscorer in its history. This puts the erstwhile faltering (at least in the Premiership) Ukranian ahead of Raul and Eusebio and just five behind Gerd Müller’s record of 62. Who would bet against him out-doing the barrel chested German before the end of the season, especially if Chelsea keep on disposing of teams with a maximum of efficiency, though somewhat lower in the spectacle stakes?

It was also Shaun Wright-Phillips moment as he notched up his first-ever goal for Chelsea (this in his 52nd appearance) and it may well have been his last goal for the club he joined for £21m two summers ago given the probability of his leaving in the January transfer window. Beside SRF, Sheva’s total might start looking respectable.

Shevchenko’s fee, however, dwarfs that of Wright-Phillips, and Chelsea’s return on their £30.8m signing is still to be reaped but this first Champions’ League goal in blue may prove to be the start of something more dramatic. The aplomb with which he took his first-half opportunity, flicking the ball in with the outside of his right boot, was vintage Sheva and bodes well. The Stamford Bridge crowd afforded him a most generous of ovations when he was substituted - how fortunes change when you think back to his substitution at Old Trafford 10 days ago.

“Hopefully in the knock-out stages he has some more to make us go further,” chimed Mourinho afterwards. Probably not just the wish of thousands of Chelsea fans, but surely of one Andriy Shevchenko as well.

From Independent Sport