Chelsea vs. Steaua Bucharest: 6 Things We Learned

With all due respect to Steaua Bucharest, Chelsea will be kicking themselves for letting it get to this point.

The West London club feel they should not be in the Europa League after their stunning Champions League triumph last season.

After losing the first leg 1-0 in Bucharest, Chelsea needed to secure a win by two goals to go through to the quarter finals. 

However, they dug themselves in a hole to climb out of, with some shocking defending. Steaua defender Vlad Chiriches poked home after the ball bounced around the penalty area.

Goals from Juan Mata, John Terry and Fernando Torres, who also missed a penalty, gave the Blues the 3-1 scoreline they needed to progress, but what exactly did we take from this enthralling encounter?

Let's find out, shall we?

Fernando Torres Can Score...But Cannot Defend

If Chelsea was expecting their £50 million striker to put in an incredible shift up front, they may be forgiven for being pessimistic.

However, when the Spaniard decided to help out defensively, the Chelsea fans will be baffled about his contribution, as the 28-year-old seemingly did more harm than good in his own penalty area.

The corner was delivered towards the front post and, as Ramires missed his interception, Torres' attempted clearance fell to the feet of Chiriches who, at the second attempt, prodded home. 

The Spaniard is not entirely at fault, as it was poor defending overall from the Blues.

But you can't help but feel he would have been better waiting on the halfway line for the ball to come out for him.

Nevertheless, his goal at 2-1 was crucial and a fine goal, a brilliant finish from a player so desperate for a break.

Is he finally back?

Juan Mata Is Pivotal to Chelsea's Success

It's nothing new, you will inevitably tell me.

But tonight we saw just how vital Juan Mata is to Chelsea at a time where they are struggling.

The magnificent Spaniard has scored an incredible 19 goals while also assisting 28 for his teammates in his 49 appearances this season. And if that does not show how important he is to the team, what will?

His goal against Steaua was a perfect example of his intelligent movement. With a pass into Ramires, the Spaniard continued his run and as Ramires picked him out, his cool finish went under the goalkeeper and trickled into the net.

It set Chelsea on their way to a 3-1 victory and Mata was given a standing ovation for his superb performance.

Could it be another award for the 24-year-old, who was Player of the Year in his debut season at the club?

You could put your house on it.

John Terry Should Never Be Left out If Match Fit

John Terry scored a vital header in the game and was a commanding presence throughout in the air. He was given the chance to prove himself and did just that.

A superb header, albeit with lots of space from the Steaua defence, but nevertheless it was a classic header from the 32-year-old.

The former England captain did show signs of nerves and perhaps rustiness when Raul Rusescu broke free and his lack of pace showed. Luckily for Terry, his goalkeeper Petr Cech made a fine save.

After his performance tonight, it would difficult for Rafa Benitez to omit Terry from the lineup; his performance was recognized by the fans and to replace him with Gary Cahill for the game against West Ham would certainly make him even more unpopular.

If that is possible...

Away Goals Are Important and Make the Competition Exciting

As Tottenham discovered earlier on, away goals are extremely key in cup competitions.

They had secured an excellent 3-0 win at White Hart Lane against a woeful Inter Milan side but, just a week later, found themselves losing by the same scoreline to the same team.

Extra time beckoned for Andre Villas-Boas' side, and luckily for them, Emmanuel Adebayor could not miss when he was gifted the chance from Samir Handanovic. Spurs went through thanks to their vital away goal.

Steaua Bucharest certainly came close to achieving a similar goal when they went in front at Stamford Bridge.

Unfortunately for the Romanian side, goals from Mata, Terry and Torres were just too much for them to recover from.

In spite of this, it was a spirited performance and they provided excellent opposition for Chelsea, who scraped through in their usual "all-drama" fashion.

When Chelsea's Magnificent Trio Play, There Is No Stopping Them

They cost a staggering £83 million combined, but Roman Abramovich will be more than happy to spend that kind of money if Mata, Eden Hazard and Oscar continue to impress as they are currently.

Mata has amazed Blues fans who probably thought they had seen the best of him in his debut season last year. But for Hazard and Oscar, it has been a debut season of ups and downs. Individually, it's an entirely different matter.

Hazard has impressed many with his direct pace and dribbling ability and his return of 11 goals with 20 assists shows that the £32 million spent was a wise investment.

Oscar's six goals in 10 European games is an impressive total for a 21-year-old adapting to his new club, including his stunning strike against Juventus in the Champions League group stage.

It's no coincidence that when all three play together, the Blues seem to click.

Surely after their brilliant performances against Steaua, Rafa Benitez will realise it is time to ditch the negative tactics and play all three together.

Raul Rusescu Is a Bargain Buy

Steaua Bucharest striker Raul Rusescu would have been virtually unknown before his club met Chelsea in the Europa League, but the 25-year-old will be hoping he has done enough to put himself in the shop window.

A storming campaign including 18 goals in 21 games in the Romanian League has seen him receive his first cap for his native country Romania, and five goals in 12 Europa League games has seen him impress on a global scale.

Just 24 years old, Rusescu is a natural-born striker. Playing on the shoulder against Chelsea, he scored the only goal a week ago in the 1-0 victory in Bucharest.

He almost added to his tally after breaking through, but Petr Cech made a great save to palm his effort round the post. Nevertheless, any visiting scouts would have taken notes on his energetic performance.

I'd say he is a David Villa-style striker, a clean striker of the ball with a quick burst of pace. As he is available for around £4 million, he could be a bargain summer signing for any Premier League side.