Unhappy return for Jose Mourinho as Porto sink Chelsea
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ByEurosport
Updated 29/09/2015 at 21:58 GMT
Champions League, Group F - Porto 2 (A. Andre 39, Maicon 52) Chelsea 1 (Willian 45)
Porto's midfielder Andre Andre celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the UEFA Champions League Group G football match at the Dragao stadium in Porto on September 29, 2015
Image credit: AFP
Jose Mourinho suffered a nightmare homecoming as Porto, the club he led to the Champions League title in 2004, inflicted a 2-1 defeat on his woefully out-of-sorts Chelsea side in Group G on Tuesday.
The Portuguese took the lead just before half time when Yacine Brahimi tore Chelsea captain Branislav Ivanovic apart and got a shot away which Asmir Begovic saved only for Andre Andre to tap in on the volley from close range.
Willian’s free kick equaliser was not nearly enough to galvanise Chelsea with the final kick of the first half as Porto came out in the second looking extremely motivated. They took the lead through a near post corner which left Chelsea’s defenders all pointing fingers at one another – the story of their game.
This is now Chelsea’s fifth defeat this season, more than they suffered in all of last season, and although they’ll be confident of two victories against Dynamo Kiev in their next Champions League fixtures, any slip up could be costly for topping or getting out of this group.
Porto look like a real danger at home, as always, and have ended a run of seven consecutive defeats for Portuguese sides against Chelsea tonight as they top Group G.
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Porto's Brazilian defender Maicon (L) celebrates a goal with Porto's Uruguayan defender Maxi Pereira (R) during the UEFA Champions League Group G football match at the Dragao stadium in Porto on September 29, 2015.
Image credit: AFP
KEY MOMENTS
13’ – CHANCE! – Willian picks up the ball in the Porto half from a Costa flick on and plays through Pedro who is clean in on goal. Under pressure from Martins Indi he shoots low and Casillas flicks a boot out to save well.
39’ – GOAL! – Powerful play from Imbula in the middle as he bursts through a challenge from Ramires and lays it wide to Brahimi. He then turns Ivanovic inside out and gets a shot away which Begovic saves brilliantly. Unfortunately it falls to Andre who adjusts himself well to volley into the back of the net.
45+2 – GOAL! – Chelsea hit back with a free kick on the edge of the area won by Ramires. Willian bends it round the wall to Casillas’ side but he is stepping across to cover the wall and it just floats into the top corner as the referee blows for half time.
52’ – GOAL! – Corner from Neves comes in at the near post and Maicon dances his way in front of Ramires to glance it in as Begovic is stranded.
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Chelsea's French defender Kurt Zouma (C) vies with Porto's Cameroonian forward Vincent Aboubakar (L) next to Chelsea's Bosnian goalkeeper Asmir Begovic during the UEFA Champions League Group G football match at the Dragao stadium in Porto on September 29,
Image credit: AFP
54’ – CHANCE! – Costa drifts inside off the left and curls one over Casillas but his effort smashes the crossbar. Casillas gets up and thanks the bar as Porto clear.
71’ – CHANCES! - Aboubakar lays it to Imbula on the edge of the area and he is allowed a strike at goal. Begovic saves but it drops to Brahimi who runs rings around Ivanovic and crosses low. It goes right across the face but Pereira picks it up and lays it to Aboubakar in the middle. He turns and shoots but it is just blocked before it ends up in the back of the net.
72’ – CHANCE! – Brahimi again as he wriggles through a gap between Ivanovic and Zouma into the box but he can’t tuck the ball under Begovic who steams out to block well from close range.
74’ – CHANCE! – Ball comes in from the corner and Casillas comes out but he misjudges it terribly. The ball drops onto Ivanovic’s head at the far post but he directs it wide.
90+2 – PENALTY NOT GIVEN! – Costa tucks the ball inside Marcano who handles it obviously in the area and the referee doesn’t give a penalty. It’s not the ref’s fault as he can barely see but the official behind the goal is just yards away and should have flagged it.
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Porto's Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas (L) catches the ball next to Uruguayan defender Maxi Pereira and Chelsea's Brazilian-born Spanish striker Diego Costa (R) during the UEFA Champions League Group G football match at the Dragao stadium in Porto on Se
Image credit: AFP
KEY STATS
Porto have ended Chelsea’s run of seven straight victories against Portuguese opposition.
Iker Casillas has now made more appearances than any other player in the Champions League after reaching 152 games, one game more than Spanish international colleague Xavi.
Vincent Aboubakar’s 100% Champions League goalscoring record is over as he now has five goals in six games. Still not bad…
Jose Mourinho has now lost twice in five matches against his former club Porto.
Porto have scored in each of their last 12 Champions League games, losing only once 6-1 against Bayern Munich last season.
Porto have conceded more than one goal only twice in their last 35 home Champions League games. Moreover, no English club has ever scored more than one goal in 11 away Champions League games against Porto.
TALKING POINT
Can Chelsea go on performing the way they’re performing at the moment? The result wasn’t great and their performance wasn’t great either. In the first half they struggled to make chances and looked shaky almost every time Porto had players overlapping on the wings. Crosses into the box were dealt with but the second ball was rarely won by a Chelsea player. Jose Mourinho is renowned for his teams working like a well-oiled machine, but this current Chelsea side look a shadow of that. If this form continues, their season could peter out sooner rather than later.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Yacine Brahimi – He tore Ivanovic to shreds every time he had the ball and the only way to stop him was to foul him. The Algerian was at the heart of everything Porto did well going forward tonight. The only thing missing was a goal.
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Porto's Algerian midfielder Yacine Brahimi (L) vies with Chelsea's Spanish midfielder Pedro during the UEFA Champions League Group G football match at the Dragao stadium in Porto on September 29, 2015
Image credit: AFP
PLAYER RATINGS
Porto – Casillas 6, Maxi 7, Maicon 6, Marcano 6, Martins Indi 6, Danilo 6, Neves 7, Imbula 7, Brahimi 9, Aboubakar 9, Andre 8. Subs – Layun 6, Evandro 6, Osvaldo 6.
Chelsea – Begovic 7, Ivanovic 5, Zouma 6, Cahill 6, Azpilicueta 6, Mikel 5, Fabregas 7, Ramires 7, Willian 8, Pedro 7, Costa 7. Subs – Matic 5, Hazard 6, Kenedy 5.
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