Chelsea vs. Sporting Lisbon: Score, Grades, Reaction from Champions League

Group G winners Chelsea helped send Sporting Lisbon out of the Champions League as they completed the group stage with a 3-1 win at Stamford Bridge.

Cesc Fabregas (from the penalty spot) and Andre Schurrle both scored inside the opening 15 minutes to give a rotated Blues side a comfortable early advantage, before Jonathan Silva’s goal shortly after half-time halved the deficit.

However, a rare goal from John Obi Mikel minutes later restored Chelsea’s two-goal lead and, with Schalke winning against Maribor in Slovenia, Sporting were duly usurped by the German club in the race to finish second in the standings.

The Portuguese side will now compete in the knockout stages of the Europa League in the new year instead.

Afterwards, Schurrle told Sky Sports:

"

That’s what we wanted. We wanted a win today after the defeat [against Newcastle United] at the weekend. We bounced back, we scored a couple of goals, and we look to the next game now.

I could have scored more, but I’m happy to score a good goal after a not-so positive time for me.

We can rotate, we can make changes, and we still have so much quality on the pitch and can win the matches. We have a big squad, and that’s what we need for our goals. We do not fear anybody—we know there are very good teams in this competition, but if we are at our best we can beat anybody.

"

With progression and top spot already secured, Mourinho opted to make a few changes, with Branislav Ivanovic, John Terry and Eden Hazard among those rested as Kurt Zouma, Filipe Luis and Schurrle were all given rare starts. Two of those players would be heavily involved as Chelsea burst into a commanding early lead.

The opening goal came from the penalty spot. A fine through ball from Nemanja Matic was chased by Mohamed Salah, who turned at the byline and slipped the ball to the oncoming Filipe Luis. The Egyptian ran into the box and was fouled by Ricardo Esgaio, with the referee pointing instantly to the spot.

With Hazard given the night off, it fell to Fabregas to take the penalty, the Spaniard making no mistake as he nonchalantly passed the ball home.

Seven minutes later, the home side doubled their advantage, and again Matic—enjoying himself in the middle of the park—was heavily involved. He burst through Sporting’s midfield before sending a fierce pass into the path of Schurrle on the edge of the box.

From there, the German did brilliantly: Turning on a sixpence before rifling a right-footed shot that beat the goalkeeper low to his right.

Clive Mason/Getty Images

Sporting, knowing a defeat would leave them at the mercy of results elsewhere, pushed forward in search of goals, but the only real chance of note they created in the first half fell to Islam Slimani, as he headed wide from close range. Chelsea had chances to further their advantage but were denied by some stout defending from the visitors, although Schurrle could perhaps have done better when Cesar Azpilicueta’s low cross presented him with a fine chance inside the box.

The second half also saw an early goal, but this one went to Sporting as the game was briefly thrown back into doubt. Jonathan Silva was the scorer, as he beat Petr Cech with a powerful drive from just inside the box.

In truth, Chelsea still looked the more threatening of the two sides, with Salah and Schurrle both going close either side of Silva’s strike. Five minutes later, they would get their third goal of the game, and the one that seemed to finish things as a contest.

"

What an unbelievable strike for Mikel's first Champions League goal! LOL JK, it was a tap-in http://t.co/ZCizsPjb7k https://t.co/QXE31gAYYH

— TheScore Sidelines (@SidelinesTS) December 10, 2014"

Mikel was the man who claimed it, robbing Gary Cahill of the credit as he got the last touch after the defender’s glancing header had sent Fabregas’s free-kick goalward.

Sporting coach Marco Silva immediately went to the substitutes’ bench in search of a change to the dynamic that could rescue something from the game, but Chelsea were now in cruise control and seemed to be the only side likely to score.

Substitute Loic Remy came on and went close a couple of times, as Mourinho delved into his squad to give highly touted youngster Ruben Loftus-Cheek 10 minutes of European action—the youngster’s exciting cameo nearly capped off by a goal before the offside flag denied him the chance.

Chelsea ended the group with 14 points from a possible 18, with Sporting’s seven not enough as Schalke edged them out by a single point thanks to Max Meyer’s decisive strike in their game with Maribor.

"I am so happy with that," Mourinho told Sky Sports. "I feel sorry for Sporting, I would like them to qualify…but we did our job and we are professionals.

"We did what we had to do. It was good for some players who are not playing a lot to get some more minutes. I am happy with the victory and many things we did during the game."

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

Player Ratings

Player	Rating
Petr Cech	6
Filipe Luis	7
Kurt Zouma	7
Gary Cahill	7
Cesar Azpilicueta	7
Cesc Fabregas	8
John Obi Mikel	7
Nemanja Matic	8
Mohamed Salah	6
Andre Schurrle	7
Diego Costa	6
Substitutions
Loic Remy	7
Ramires	6
Ruben Loftus-Cheek	7

Player	Rating
Rui Patricio	7
Mauricio	7
Paulo de Oliveira	6
Jonathan Silva	7
Ricardo Esgaio	5
Diego Capel	6
William Carvalho	7
Andre Carrillo	7
Adrien Silva	7
Joao Mario	6
Islam Slimani	7
Substitutions
Carlos Mane	6
Fredy Montero	6
Andre Martins	6

What's Next?

The draws for the first knockout round of the Champions League and Europa League take place on December 15.