Brave Blues Bow Out  (Sky Sports)

Chelsea 2 AS Monaco 2

Chelsea saw their UEFA Champions League dream evaporate at Stamford Bridge after Monaco, at one stage 2-0 down and heading out, came back to earn a 2-2 draw.

A place in the final had seemed a real possibility for the West Londoners when Frank Lampard added a second to Jesper Gronkjaer's opener shortly before half time, but a quick-fire response from Hugo Ibarra and a killer second from the mercurial Fernando Morientes ultimately knocked the stuffing out of The Blues' challenge.

Claudio Ranieri and his men will rue a catalogue of missed chances which undermined a superb display for the best part of an hour, and ultimately proved very costly.

Chelsea almost got the perfect start; with just 35 seconds on the clock Julien Rodriguez's poor clearance allowed Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink a shooting chance but the hit-man could get no real purchase on his effort.

A Gronkjaer cross then caused confusion as Flavio Roma came and missed his punch, but as the ball dropped on the volley to Lampard he made no contact with his left foot.

The first genuine chance arrived on the quarter hour mark when Geremi's rasping long-range drive was parried out by Roma straight into the path of Joe Cole 12 yards out - but the England international snatched at his volley and screwed it wide of the left-hand upright.

Cole made amends moments later with some wonderful trickery and a cute ball to send Hasselbaink through, but Roma spread himself well to make a great save from the Dutchman.

Chelsea got the breakthrough their pressure deserved on 22 minutes with a remarkable Gronkjaer strike.

The Dane cut in off the right flank and arrowed a left-footed effort into the top corner of Roma's goal from the edge of the box - although there will be some debate as to whether the erratic wide man intended it as a shot.

Stamford Bridge's euphoria was almost cut short two minutes later when Jerome Rothen pulled back into the path of Morientes whose shot cannoned off the post after a crucial touch from John Terry.

Just past the half hour Hasselbaink outmanoeuvred Rothen on the right wing and fired over a pinpoint cross for Gudjohnsen but, with Roma stranded, the Iceman could only thump his header against the bar with the goal gaping.

Lampard was the next to knock on the door, and was only thwarted by another superb save from Roma who went full length to push the ever-impressive midfielder's volley around the post.

Chelsea received another warning shot five minutes before the break when Morientes spurned a glorious chance to level matters on the night.

After a strong run from inside his own half, Rothen slid in the on-loan Real Madrid star but, after side-stepping Gallas, Morientes placed his shot the wrong side of the upright with only Cudicini to beat.

The hosts did get their noses in front on aggregate a minute before the interval with a typical Lampard strike: the England star made a trademark burst into the box and, after Gudjohnsen had cleverly flicked Melchiot's pass into his path, stretched to hook his shot beyond Roma under pressure.

Incredibly, however, there was still time in a breathless first period for Monaco to grab themselves an away goal.

Rothen, a hugely impressive presence on the left, beat Melchiot with ease on his way to the by-line and pulled back for Morientes to direct a looping header towards the far post where Ibarra bundled home after the ball had hit the woodwork.

There was no let up in the pace after the break and Gudjohnsen should have done better from Bridge's deflected cross just moments into the second half but produced a wild air-shot.

The ever-lengthening list of missed Chelsea opportunities increased five minutes later when Gronkjaer blazed wastefully over with a clear sight of goal after Bridge had produced yet another fine run and cross from the left.

The Londoners' profligacy was put into stark reality on the hour mark when Didier Deschamps's men fashioned a devastatingly simple second to all but kill the contest.

Morientes and Lucas Bernardi played a one-two which took out both Terry and Gallas in one fell swoop and left the competition's top scorer the chance to hammer home the ninth of a memorable campaign under the body of Cudicini.

With Ranieri's men subsequently needing three to progress the home crowd unsurprisingly lost their buoyancy and Chelsea's momentum, and stream of chances ebbed away with it, in spite of more tinkering from the Italian who threw on Glen Johnson, Hernan Crespo and Scott Parker.

The changes bore no real fruit as Chelsea struggled to rediscover their early verve, but in truth the best chances came at the other end with Ibarra, Rothen and Dado Prso all having chances to embellish the scoreline.

It ended all square on the night though, but there was no escaping the sense of despondency as Chelsea's European adventure drew to a frustrating end.

Teams

Chelsea Cudicini, Melchiot (Johnson 64), Gallas, Terry, Bridge, Gronkjaer, Lampard, Geremi (Parker 69), Cole, Hasselbaink (Crespo 69), Gudjohnsen.
Subs Not Used: Ambrosio, Babayaro, Stanic, Huth.
Booked: Cole, Johnson.
Goals: Gronkjaer 22, Lampard 44.

Monaco Roma, Evra, Squillaci (Plasil 45), Rodriguez, Givet, Ibarra, Cisse, Rothen, Bernardi, Morientes (Nonda 81), Giuly (Prso 67).
Subs Not Used: Sylva, Oshadogan, Adebayor, El Fakiri.
Booked: Evra, Bernardi, Rothen.
Goals: Ibarra 45, Morientes 60. Agg (3-5)

Attendance: 37,132

Referee: Anders Frisk (Sweden).