CaughtOffside rates the Chelsea players for their performances against Sporting Lisbon…
Sporting Lisbon 0-1 Chelsea – Nemanja Matic headed the crucial goal for Chelsea as they edged Sporting Lisbon by a goal to nil in the Champions League group stage.
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The Blues were given a tough nights work by their Portuguese hosts, and will regret not making things easier for themselves – with Andre Schurrle missing a golden chance to double his sides advantage.
Read the full Chelsea ratings below:
GK) Thibaut Courtois – 7
Several decent saves from the Belgian made sure of Chelsea’s victory – solid.
RB) Branislav Ivanovic – 6
After an early injury scare, returned to be his usual solid presence in the Chelsea defence – booked for a clear body-check.
LB) Filipe Luis – 6
Given the start ahead of Cesar Azpilicueta, and looked good, especially going forward, but did pick up a yellow card.
CB) Gary Cahill – 8
A rock at the heart of Chelsea’s defence tonight – winning everything in the air – a strong contender to be Terry’s successor as Blues captain.
CB) John Terry – 6
Worked as hard as ever on his 100th Champions League appearance – making him the sixth English player to reach that milestone.
CM) Oscar – 6
Several flashes of brilliance, but should have made the game safe when he had his chance one-on-one.
CM) Nemanja Matic – 9
Took his chance well, thumping his header into the net when there was still work to do. Excellent all round performance.
CM) Cesc Fabregas – 8
Classy performance which demonstrated perfectly his superb passing range. Made the goal with excellent free-kick.
RW) Andre Schurrle – 5
Struggled again when starting the game, not helping his growing reputation as a super-sub. Horror miss summed up his night.
LW) Eden Hazard – 7
Went past his marker with ease on several occasions, and was unfortunate his sublime cross was not finished by Schurrle.
ST) Diego Costa – 7
Worked hard and kept the Lisbon defenders on their toes throughout the game. Decent effort considering his injury issues.
Manager: Jose Mourinho – 7
Picked the strongest team available to him and got the result he was after, even if his side were forced to work hard.
Subs:
1) Willian – 6 – Replaced the struggling Schurrle and did his job well.
2) John Obi Mikel – 6 – Solidified up the midfield after replacing Oscar.
3) Mohamed Salah – 5 – Had little time to make an impact as Chelsea protected their lead.
SEE ALSO: best Premier League players 2014/15