Free Kick: Terry calls the shots at Stamford Bridge

Can Chelsea, leap another European Cup hurdle, now that they are drawn against Lisbon's Benfica who twice held Manchester United to a draw in the group stage and have now eliminated Zenit St Petersburg? After their dramatic and remarkable victory against Napoli it should not be beyond them. But who at Stamford Bridge is now in charge? Officially of course it is the former star of FA Cup finals Roberto Di Matteo, but on that dramatic Wednesday evening at The Bridge, it grew pretty clear that the man calling the shots was the captain and centre half John Terry, scorer of that precious header. He was seen giving vigorous instructions when he had been forced off the field after 98 embattled minutes.

Give Di Matteo due credit, even if it seems that the players find him somewhat remote, for helping create a happier climate and a more united squad with the departure of Andre Villas Boas, who so plainly found the managerial task too much for him while making tactical and psychological mistakes which helped to alienate his senior players, notably his high-handed insensitive treatment of Nicolas Anelka and Alex, both of whom have now left the club for prosperous contracts in Paris and Shanghai. Benfica, needless to say, have their cohort of Argentinians.

Their right midfielder 24-year-old Nico Gaitan could give Ashley Cole a challenge, while the inventive little veteran Aimar, once in Spain with Zaragoa and Valencia, makes bullets for the Spanish striker Rodrigo, who once played for Bolton Wanderers, to fire.

Chelsea game

There were elements of Chelsea's home match against Napoli which were somewhat puzzling. Why did another ex-Bolton player, Gary Cahill, not only start the game on the bench but also never get off it?

True, he, like the Brazilian David Luis, who was preferred to him had been vulnerable in Naples, but when Terry withdrew, it was puzzling to see him replaced not by Cahill but by a somewhat erratic full back Bosingwa.

The author is a football expert based in England.