Chelsea strolled into the knockout stages of the Champions League with an embarrassingly one-sided 4-0 win over Rosenborg courtesy of goals from Joe Cole, Alex and a Didier Drogba brace.

In the other Group B game, Valencia and Schalke fought out an ill-disciplined 0-0 draw that eliminates the Spaniards from the competition but gives the Germans a fighting chance of making it through to the next round.

Chelsea's progress was sealed thanks to a first-half performance of consummate ease at a chilly Lerkendal Stadium in Trondheim.

The home side demonstrated an inexplicable reluctance to put pressure on the man on the ball, and after Drogba and Michael Essien had fired in warning shots, the giant Ivorian put his side in front.

Joe Cole skipped away from a couple of challenges in midfield and fired in a low shot which 'keeper Lars Hirschfeld could only parry, and Drogba lashed the rebound into the roof of the net.

But Rosenborg had not learnt their lesson, and on 15 minutes Essien was given time and space to send in a low shot which Hirschfeld just managed to push away.

It was 2-0 inside 20 minutes. Shaun Wright-Phillips slalomed into the box and found Essien, and when he was crowded out the ball fell for Drogba to slam it home with his left foot from close range.

Frank Lampard tested Hirschfeld's concentration with a chip and Drogba saw a half-volley saved before defender Alex notched the third with a poorly struck free-kick from 30 yards that clipped Mikael Dorsin before bouncing improbably into the bottom left corner.

Rosenborg struggled to muster a fight-back in the second period, and Chelsea twice came close to extending their lead before the hour.

First Wright-Phillips thumped Drogba's right-wing cross against the crossbar, and then Essien's weak shot beat Hirschfeld before being hacked off the line by Bjorn Tore Kvarme.

The pace of the game began to visibly slacken, but on 73 minutes Chelsea suddenly upped the tempo and scored their fourth.

Essien's surge ended with a shot straight at Hirschfeld, and Joe Cole tucked away the rebound.

Rosenborg's attacking play was enlivened by the introduction of Didier Konan Ya, but despite his best efforts the home side couldn't snatch a consolation goal.

Nevertheless, they go into their final game away at Schalke 04 knowing a draw will send them through to the next round.

Valencia 0-0 Schalke 04

Ten-man Valencia's Champions League hopes disintegrated after an under-par performance against Schalke 04 in a game characterised by poor quality finishing and bad-tempered off-the-ball incidents.

Both sides exchanged half-chances in a first half low on goal-mouth excitement, but the game sprang into life after half an hour when Fernando Morientes went into the book for a crude challenge on Mesut Ozil.

Tempers flared soon after when Rafinha clashed with David Villa, and David Albelda saw red moments later for cutting down Rafinha in his stride as he attacked down the Schalke right.

Replays suggested that Rafinha made the most of the contact, and the Valencia skipper wore an aggrieved look as he trudged from the field.

Ronald Koeman responded by bringing on defender Manuel Fernandes for Morientes, and he was forced to re-shuffle his pack once more after Marco Caneira injured himself with a sly kick at an opponent.

The fans in the Mestalla had to wait until moments before half-time for the first meaningful chance of the game.

A free-kick into the away side's box found its way to the feet of Carlos Marchena, but in the absence of the linesman's flag he shot straight at Neuer from only six yards out.

The visitors made most of the running in the second half, and Halil Alintop spurned a fantastic one-on-one opportunity by allowing the home side's defenders to clear after he had taken the ball around Santiago Canizares.

Kevin Kuranyi went close for Schalke when he curled a first-time shot into the arms of Canizares and at the other end David Silva fired a half-volley into the side netting, but it was in injury time that Valencia's best chance passed them by.

With both sides tired after a ragged match, Silva suddenly found himself with only the 'keeper to beat inside the Schalke area, but from a tight angle he rolled the ball across goal and wide, and with it went Valencia's hopes of progressing to the next phase.

Tom Williams / Eurosport