Moscow: Chelsea was victorious on its return to the scene of the Champions League final defeat in 2008, beating Spartak Moscow 2-0 on Tuesday thanks to first-half goals from Yuri Zhirkov and Nicolas Anelka.
Zhirkov smashed in a spectacular volley from 25 yards in the 23rd minute, leaving goalkeeper Andriy Dykan stranded just off his goalline.
Anelka doubled the lead just before halftime, turning a defender and slotting neatly into the corner. Spartak struggled to carve out many clear chances on an artificial pitch.
It was Chelsea's third win in three Champions League games and will help ease painful memories the penalty shootout loss at the same Luzhniki Stadium to Manchester United in the final two years ago.
It was Spartak's first loss in Group F, which also includes Marseille and Zilina.
Spartak's Dmitri Kombarov skewed an early chance just over after a surging run by Brazilian midfielder Ibson. The Russian only had Cech to beat but he couldn't keep his shot from the edge of the box down.
Welliton forced a smart save from Cech just after, the goalkeeper stretching out a leg to deflect his low shot at the near post after a cross from Kombarov.
Chelsea answered immediately, with Florent Malouda sending a powerful drive just past Andriy Dykan's left post.
Malouda then sprang up six yards out but his goalbound shot was blocked by a desperate lunge from Spartak defender Nicolas Pareja.
Dykan hadn't had a save to make before the opener, which came from a long ball by Jon Obi Mikel that Pareja could only head to the onrushing Zhirkov. Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti deployed the Russian wingback in an unfamiliar midfield role, with defender Alex and striker Didier Drogba sidelined.
The visitors maintained the pressure after Zhirkov's opener, with Nicolas Anelka trickling a left-footed shot a meter wide from the edge of the penalty area.
Spartak struggled to assert itself, unable to cope with Chelsea's brighter movement and physical play. When the chances came, Pareja skied a free kick and Welliton cannoned a shot into John Terry after momentarily giving the England defender the slip.
Chelsea could have turned the screw on 38 minutes when Anelka broke clear, but Dykan sprinted out of his goal to smother the ball and the Frenchman failed to find Malouda with the rebound.
Instead, the visitors struck just before the break with Michael Essien feeding Anelka, who turned defender Sergei Parshivlyuk and slotted a low shot into the corner as he fell over.
Spartak's Irish winger Aiden McGeady made an instant impact in the second half after an anonymous first period, forcing two saves from Cech after cutting in from the right. The first effort ricocheted off a defender and required Cech to tip over, while the second, a curler from 18 meters, was caught. Ari and Welliton then shot over after promising build-ups.
As the home side snapped to life in attack, it left gaps at the back that could have allowed Chelsea an early third were it not for Anelka's wayward pullback.
But Spartak continued piling forward, and put together perhaps the best move of the match in the 64th. McGeady chested a cross down to Ibson, who powered a half-volley toward the top corner that Cech stretched his fingertips to. Ibson tested Cech again with a shot from the resulting corner.
Chelsea opened up Spartak again in the 72nd, and this time Essien skidded a shot just past the post after Salomon Kalou nipped past a defender on the right to cross and Anelka stepped over.
The visitors survived goalmouth scrambles before an 80th-minute header from Ari forced Cech into a save.
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