Sporting Lisbon vs. Chelsea: Score, Grades and Post-Match Reaction

Chelsea knew they were going to have to survive a good team in Sporting Lisbon and a rowdy environment when the two sides met in the Champions League group stage on Tuesday. What they didn't know was that they were going to need to survive their own inability to finish chance after chance, too.

In the end, the Blues came away with a 1-0 win, as Nemanja Matic's 34th-minute goal was the difference. But despite taking 15 shots and putting seven of them on target—and controlling 54 percent of the possession, per WhoScored.com—Chelsea could never quite earn the second goal that would have taken some of the pressure off their shoulders, and it nearly cost them.      

Despite a raucous environment in Sporting's home digs, it was Chelsea who were in control of this game almost immediately. Just two minutes in, Oscar beat the offside trap with a lovely through ball to the normally clinical Diego Costa, who found himself alone on goal. Keeper Rui Patricio was up to the task, however, saving Costa's shot with his legs and preventing Chelsea from earning an early lead.

Costa wouldn't score in this one, but he would show a bit of good sportsmanship—however odd it seemed at the time—per Leander Schaerlaeckens of Fox Sports:

Patricio again played the role of hero in the 15th minute, as Oscar set a teammate free on goal with a pinpoint pass, this time freeing Andre Schurrle. The German looked to slip past the keeper and bury his shot, but Patricio was having nothing of it, blocking the effort.

Schurrle tested the keeper with a blistering effort from the edge of the box but was stymied. 

Four minutes later, the German had another chance to score, as Eden Hazard sprinted down the right and played a pass back to Schurrle with space to shoot on the far post. It looked like a sure goal, but somehow, the World Cup star botched the effort, sending it wide. 

But finally, in the 34th minute, the Blues got their goal. Cesc Fabregas curled a scintillating free kick to the back post, where Matic slipped by his man and sent a header over Patricio. 

Francisco Seco/Associated Press

Chelsea took its one-goal advantage into the half, but it was nearly spoiled three minutes into the second half, as Nani let fly with a brilliant effort that had Thibaut Courtois beat but sailed just wide. Nani quickly helped people forget about that excellent effort minutes later, however, as on the counterattack, he found himself with space on the left before cutting inside, only to backheel a pass to no one at all. It appeared he confused the referee for one of his teammates.

Bleacher Report UK passes along the moment:

Surely, Manchester United fans had a chuckle over that one. 

Much like Schurrle in the first half, Nani was left to lament several chances gone awry during the second 45. In the 55th minute, a Chelsea deflection put the ball right on the foot of Nani on the left side of the box, but the Sporting man could only manage to find the side netting.  

Indeed, for much of the second half, Chelsea found themselves on the defensive, as Sporting looked a far more proactive side trying to earn the draw. But the Blues had their chances, too. Costa sent a shot into the side netting in the 80th minute and then appeared to be free on goal after a beautiful Matic through ball, only to see Patricio beat him to the ball, rushing out of his net as though he was doing his best Manuel Neuer impression.

Again, Chelsea appeared to have wrapped things up in the 86th minute, as Willian found Filipe Luis in prime scoring position, only to watch as the left-back sent his shot wide. 

The Blues very nearly regretted their various misses and close calls just a minute later, as Nani—who was dangerous throughout but maddeningly lacked the final bit of quality to pull his side even—cut inside from the left and sent a curler toward the far post that froze Courtois but agonizingly went just wide. 

Julian Finney/Getty Images

And so Chelsea, with nerves surely frayed, survived with three points intact and now have taken four points in their first two UCL matches. A win is a win seemed to be the prevailing theme in manager Jose Mourinho's post-match comments, via Chelsea's official website:

"

It’s three points. This is not a knockout where goals are fundamental, this is points. We lost two points at home, we recovered that and because of the other draw we are in a position where I would not say we are comfortable but we can control our destiny.

Our next two matches are against Maribor. If we get six points we will go to 10, job done.

Now we just have to focus on beating Maribor which I believe will not be easy because to draw in Germany means something.

"

One would imagine the club won't be entirely pleased with the performance, but on the road against a tough opponent, it is a welcome result.

Grades

Player	Position	Grade
Thibaut Courtois	GK	B
Filipe Luis	LB	B
Gary Cahill	CB	B-
John Terry	CB	C+
Branislav Ivanovic	RB	B
Eden Hazard (off 85')	LM	B
Cesc Fabregas	CM	A
Nemanja Matic	CM	A+
Andre Schurrle (off 58')	RM	B-
Oscar (off 71')	CAM	A-
Diego Costa	F	C+
Substitutes
Willian (on 58')	RM	B-
John Obi Mikel (on 71')	CM	C
Mohamed Salah (on 85')	LM	C

Player	Position	Grade
Rui Patricio	GK	A
Jonathan Silva	LB	C
Mouhamadou-Naby Sarr	CB	C-
Mauricio (off 63')	CB	C-
Cedric Soares	RB	C
William Carvalho	CM	B-
Joao Mario	CM	B
Adrien Silva (off 81')	CM	C+
Nani	LW	B-
Islam Slimani	F	C
Andre Carrillo (off 81')	RW	C+
Substitutes
Paulo Oliveira (on 63')	CB	C
Diego Capel (on 81')	RW	C
Fredy Montero (on 81')	CM	C

Man of the Match: Nemanja Matic, CM, Chelsea

Julian Finney/Getty Images

This easily could have been Patricio as well; however, Matic not only scored the game-winning goal but also controlled the midfield throughout. Few players have his combination of size, touch and ability to drive the ball forward to set his team on the front foot or to destroy an opponent's best-laid plans in the midfield with a crunching tackle. 

Fabregas and Costa have been earning most of the plaudits for much of the season, but Matic's ability to control the midfield has been instrumental in the team's hot start. It didn't go unnoticed in this contest.

What's Next?

In Champions League play, Chelsea will play NK Maribor on Oct. 21 while Sporting Lisbon will take on Schalke that same evening. 

Anything less than a draw in that game will leave Sporting Lisbon in trouble in this group, as Chelsea will be expected to defeat NK Maribor. The Blues and Schalke remain the favorites to advance to the knockout phase.