Rubin Kazan vs. Chelsea: Rating the Blues Players' Performances

Chelsea advanced to the semifinal of the Europa League on Thursday with a 5-4 aggregate victory over Rubin Kazan after the Russians won 3-2 on the night in Moscow.

The Blues had been in cruise control up until the halftime whistle when Petr Cech was called into action for the first time, saving well to his right from Gokdeniz Karadeniz.

It seemed to ignite Rubin, and the Russians were the better team after the interval.

It had taken Fernando Torres just four minutes to open the scores when he expertly lobbed the advancing goalkeeper from 35 yards, but the home side were level through Ivan Marcano on 50 minutes, who headed beyond Cech.

Chelsea were still in control, and Victor Moses added a second to make it 2-1 on the night before Karadeniz drew level on the hour.

Another soft penalty was awarded against the Blues after John Terry's apparent hand ball in the first leg gave Rubin an away goal. This time, Cesar Azpilicueta was the offender, adjudged to have fouled Alexander Ryazantsev in the box. It looked weak at the time, and television replays showed the attacker appeared to fall easily.

Bebras Natcho converted from 12 yards to make it 3-2, but the Blues did enough to see the game out and march into the semis—making them the only English team remaining in European competition this term after Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United crashed out of the Europa League quarterfinal with defeats to FC Basel and Benfica, respectively.

As Rafa Benitez's side takes a step closer to a second European final is as many seasons, Bleacher Report ranks the performances of his players in the Russian capital.

Petr Cech

It was a strange night for Chelsea and Petr Cech in Moscow.

The Blues looked comfortable for long spells against Rubin Kazan, but still wound up losing the match 3-2 due to their own misgivings more than anything.

Cech had very little to do in the game, yet he conceded three goals. In truth, there was little he could do about the first two and with the third coming from a penalty, it was always going to be in the attacker's favor.

He made an excellent save just before halftime to deny Gokdeniz Karadeniz from close range. Had that gone in, it could have proved an altogether different evening for the Blues.

Chelsea went through overall on aggregate, but the Czech stopper will be disappointed to have conceded the goals he did.

Verdict: 7/10

Cesar Azpilicueta

Chelsea's Spanish defender may have given away a penalty at the Luzhniki Stadium, but he can hardly be blamed for the apparent gamesmanship of Alexander Ryazantsev, who went down all too easily in the box.

Other than that, Azpilicueta was probably Chelsea's most accomplished defender after teammates John Terry and David Luiz endured one of their least impressive outings together in the middle.

Azpilicueta provided support on the wing Yossi Benayoun and Victor Moses, while he had the better of his man out wide.

Overall, a strong performance from the Spaniard.

Verdict: 7/10

Paulo Ferreira

Paulo Ferreira's last outing for Chelsea came on Feb. 27 away to Middlesbrough in the FA Cup, and his start against Rubin Kazan on Thursday was just his sixth in 2012-13.

Taking that into account, this was a fine performance from the Portuguese.

He rarely put a foot wrong in Moscow. Playing out of position on the left side of defence, he put his experience to good use and stepped in to perform an accomplished job for Ryan Bertrand—missing due to illness.

Ferreira knows he is no longer a first-choice defender for the Blues, but nights such as this show the value he brings.

Verdict: 7/10

David Luiz

David Luiz has had much better nights at the back for Chelsea. He will be disappointed for his performance in Moscow on Thursday.

Rubin Kazan offered very little in the first period, but as they chased the game after the interval, they put the Blues under pressure in the box, and alongside John Terry, Luiz was found wanting on occasions.

The Brazilian is capable of so much more, but with with the small matter of an FA Cup semifinal with Manchester City at the weekend to contend with, he'll be happy to get this poor performance out of his system.

Verdict: 6/10

John Terry

Normally so reliable for Chelsea, John Terry has endured a patchy run of form since his return from injury earlier this year.

There's no doubt he has fallen victim to Rafa Benitez's rotation policy, but as he struggles for form, with big games on the horizon, it's understandable he may miss out on a starting place in the coming weeks.

He'll want to forget his display on Thursday in a hurry, too. The former England captain lacked conviction and, at times, authority.

Rubin Kazan looked dangerous in the air, an area where Terry normally outwits and outmuscles the opposition, which will be a concern for Benitez. He was also pulled out of position on a number of occasions.

He doesn't need us to say it, but Terry is capable of so much more.

Verdict: 5/10

Ramires

He set up Victor Moses for Chelsea's second with a delicate flick and played well alongside Nathan Ake in the holding role for Chelsea on Thursday.

It wasn't one of Ramires' best displays in a Chelsea shirt, but his absence was certainly felt in the middle when he was replaced by John Mikel Obi on 60 minutes.

Indeed, with Ake alongside him, the Brazilian looked far more disciplined, helping Chelsea's young midfielder through the game. It was a mature performance from Ramires in Moscow. He deserves a lot of credit for the smaller things he brought Chelsea.

Verdict: 7/10

Nathan Ake

It was only in February that Nathan Ake turned 18, but judging on this performance, you wouldn't have known it.

Ake played way beyond his years against Rubin Kazan and did an excellent job alongside Ramires in midfield. The inclusion of John Mikel Obi after the break seemed to unsettle him somewhat, but overall he delivered on the promise he has shown thus far for the Blues.

The Dutch youngster isn't quite a first-team regular at Stamford Bridge just yet, but more performances such as this and he will be challenging in the near future.

Verdict: 7/10

Yossi Benayoun

Chelsea's path to the Europa League semifinals has been very much a squad effort, and Yossi Benayoun has more than played his part.

The Israeli impressed in the first leg against Rubin Kazan last week and stepped in once more to put in another solid display for the Blues.

It wasn't Juan Mata-esque, nor did it match the standards set by Eden Hazard and Oscar this term, but Benayoun was still one of Chelsea's better players in Moscow on Thursday.

He offered a threat going forward and was defensively sound, tracking back and doing his bit for the team. That's all that can be asked of any player, and Benayoun certainly didn't let Rafa Benitez down.

Verdict: 7/10

Frank Lampard

Frank Lampard's pass to set up Fernando Torres for Chelsea's opener against Rubin Kazan on Thursday after just four minutes was nothing short of sensational.

The Englishman may not have found himself on the scoresheet for the Blues, but that pass alone was worthy of a goal itself. To spot Torres' run was one thing, but to execute the pass the way he did was another, and it outlined his undoubted class.

At one point this game looked to be there for the taking, so Lampard will be frustrated he didn't do more to impose himself and get a goal.

His performance perhaps summed up that of the team—impressive in parts, but lacking that cutting edge and urgency to be considered anything more than average.

That assessment is perhaps a little harsh, but like many of his teammates, Lampard did just enough to see Chelsea through to the semis.

Verdict: 7/10

Victor Moses

Chelsea's Man of the Match, Victor Moses played like a player looking to prove a point on Thursday night.

The Nigerian has a major task ahead of him if he is to permanently dislodge one of the "Three Amigos" in Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and Oscar, but his performance in Moscow will have only helped his cause.

With Chelsea taking an early lead to put them 4-1 ahead on aggregate—cancelling out Rubin Kazan's away goal in the process—this game had a withdrawn feel to it until the home side pulled themselves back into contention late on.

Not only did Moses score Chelsea's second of the evening—adding to the strike he scored in the first leg at Stamford Bridge—he kept the Blues ticking over with an energetic display, chasing lost causes and proving a nuisance on the break.

In the 88th minute he even made a last-ditch tackle to deny a Rubin attacker in the box and kept battling to the end for his team.

It was workmanlike, but Moses deserves the plaudits for a job well done.

Verdict: 8/10

Fernando Torres

With three goals over both legs, Fernando Torres proved the difference for Chelsea in this Europa League quarterfinal against Rubin Kazan.

His expertly taken opener outlined the confidence that is returning to the Spaniard at a vital stage of the season. It also makes him Chelsea's leading goalscorer with 20 this term.

That's an impressive return for any striker, especially one who has come in for so much criticism. But just as we shouldn't be too harsh on Torres when he doesn't score, we shouldn't get too carried away with his recent form.

There's a long way to go before he can be considered among the world's best again. Scoring goals regularly will do that, so Thursday night in Moscow was a step in the right direction.

Verdict: 7/10

Substitutes

John Mikel Obi

This was an unflattering performance from the Chelsea midfielder. He was quoted earlier this week as saying he struggled for motivation when it came to the Europa League (via BBC Sport), and his display in Moscow only confirmed that.

He replaced Ramires on the hour and his inclusion unsettled the Blues midfield as the Nigerian struggled to get a grip on the game. He was also at fault for Rubin Kazan's second, failing to pick up his man in the box.

Oscar

Replacing Yossi Benayoun on 77 minutes, the Brazilian had very little time to make an impression against Rubin Kazan.

Branislav Ivanovic

Did he even touch the ball? The Serbian came on for Frank Lampard in the 90th minute to shore things up defensively, but by that time the game was long gone and Chelsea were certain to progress to the semifinal.