DIDIER DROGBA has never looked better. Poor Andriy Shevchenko has never looked worse. Perhaps one day they will combine to form one of the great attacking partnerships, but that time seemed farther away than ever last night. For now all they share is the same colour shirt.

While Drogba epitomised a second-half performance of unremitting power from Chelsea, scoring a wonderful goal and leading his team to a deserved victory, Shevchenko’s nightmare continued. Hauled to the bench before he could trip over his laces, he departed with a smile that could only have been masking his embarrassment. He was bought to add a cutting edge on nights such as this, yet is being upstaged by a man who was once famous for falling over.

At this early stage, Drogba must be the leading contender for footballer of the season and he left to a raucous ovation last night, while his team-mate departed to the sort of sympathetic applause that he will have hated. Drogba has made himself undroppable but it is Shevchenko who has been promised a place, with José Mourinho saying that the Ukrainian would be left out only if he needed a rest rather than because he has forgotten how to trap a ball, never mind score a goal.

It is unthinkable that any player other than Roman Abramovich’s favourite striker would have been so indulged, but with Chelsea striding on from victory to impressive victory, Mourinho can get away with it. He must be hoping that one of the game’s great predators will repay him in goals.

Chelsea’s remaining Champions League group matches should be pretty relaxing affairs after an evening when they were superb from back to front. John Terry, Michael Essien and Drogba excelled.

The Ivory Coast striker’s superb strike, echoing his finish against Liverpool in the Barclays Premiership last month, saw him take possession 20 yards out with his back to goal. First Carles Puyol was thrown the wrong way by a clever drag with the instep. Then, having made space, Drogba turned and hit a powerful shot into the corner of the net. Some way to inflict Barcelona’s first defeat in 16 matches.

Shevchenko was among those who joined in the massed celebrations, perhaps hoping that some of Drogba’s form would rub off on him. But his torrid evening was to get worse as first Essien failed to spot him on a counter-attack and then he squandered a wonderful opportunity, shooting over the bar after a dreadful first touch.

“The first half had been difficult trying to control Barcelona’s counter-attacks, but once we scored it opened the game up and they lost their way,” Mourinho said.

The first period had been tight and tense, but, scoring little more than a minute after the start of the second half, Chelsea gave themselves the confidence to dominate. Frank Rijkaard, the Barcelona coach, threw on substitutes in vain.

This was not the Barcelona we have become used to and that included their dress sense. Kitted out in garish orange, the players resembled cans of Tango, while Rijkaard committed an extraordinary crime against fashion when he walked out to the dugout wearing a jacket emblazoned across the back with “Sacoor — Prestige” in big, gold letters.

Perhaps he was under orders to promote Barcelona’s official suit supplier, but the supposedly cool Dutchman looked as if he had been moonlighting as a car-park valet. He changed jackets for the second half after Uefa officials complained about the advertising. Perhaps they were as horrified as the rest by an outfit that was hardly in keeping with Rijkaard’s stylish image or that of his club, who have made much of charitably bearing the Unicef logo.

Barcelona did not look themselves in any sense. Inevitably there were moments when they threatened to prise open the Chelsea defence, particularly through the dashing Lionel Messi, but Mourinho must have been delighted at how his players shrugged off the traumatic events of Reading last weekend to work tirelessly to keep the European champions at bay.

Hilário, the third-choice goalkeeper, had a wobble under a high ball to cause a few palpitations, but he dealt ably with the few shots he had to stop and with one Ronaldinho free kick. The Brazil maestro has been inconsistent this season, with dark rumours about his dedication in training, and he was frustrated by the finish thanks to the close attentions of Khalid Boulahrouz.

Even though Drogba and Shevchenko had never looked less like a partnership than when they jumped for the same header in the first half, colliding with and then admonishing each other, Chelsea were able to overrun Barcelona in the second period.

Nothing that Rijkaard tried came off, with Eidur Gudjohnsen, anonymous on his return to Stamford Bridge, among those substituted. Even when Messi did wriggle free from Ashley Cole, Terry hacked the ball to safety.

The only disappointment for Chelsea was that such a pleasing victory over such dangerous opponents should come this early in the season. Providing Barcelona qualify from the group, Ronaldinho has plenty of time to consider his revenge.

CHELSEA (4-1-3-2): Hilário — K Boulahrouz, R Carvalho, J Terry, A Cole — C Makelele — M Essien, M Ballack, F Lampard — A Shevchenko (sub: A Robben, 77min), D Drogba (sub: S Kalou, 90). Substitutes not used: Y Ma-Kalambay, J Cole, Gérémi, W Bridge, P Ferreira. Booked: Lampard.

BARCELONA (4-3-3): V Valdés — G Zambrotta, C Puyol, R Márquez, G van Bronckhorst (sub: A Iniesta 57)— Xavi, Edmilson, Deco — L Messi, E Gudjohnsen (sub: L Giuly, 60), Ronaldinho. Substitutes not used: A Jorquera, T Motta, L Thuram, J Saviola, Oleguer. Booked: Van Bronckhorst, Xavi, Deco.

Referee: F de Bleeckere (Belgium).