Basel came from behind to pull off a shock 2-1 win over Chelsea this evening, condemning the Blues to a first home Champions League defeat in 30 matches.
The hosts took the lead right on the stroke of half time with the first shot on target of the match. Frank Lampard slipped the ball through to Oscar, who drove a first-time effort into the bottom corner.
Oscar hit the bar with a fine strike in the second period, but it was Basel who were to get the next goal, doing so when Mohamed Salah curled his effort past a helpless Petr Cech.
Cech was beaten again 10 minutes later when Marco Streller glanced a header past the Chelsea keeper at the near post to seal a famous victory for his side.
Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at a disappointing night for Jose Mourinho and his side.
Match statistics:
Chelsea:
Shots 12
On target 5
Possession 50%
Corners 9
Fouls 11
Basel:
Shots 6
On target 2
Possession 50%
Corners 2
Fouls 13
Was the result fair?
On the overall balance of play, a draw would have probably been the fairest result in this match. Chelsea had the better of the first half and, although they failed to create much with it, they deserved their narrow lead at the break. Basel were much better in the second half, however, and pushed on after their equaliser in search of a winning goal - something that Chelsea had not done all evening. Chelsea looked to be in control for most of the match, but it was Basel who showed more ambition in the second period and they were rewarded for it.
Chelsea's performance
With the likes of Eden Hazard, Oscar, Willian and Lampard in midfield, the last thing that we should be able to say about Chelsea is that they lacked creativity. Today, however, that was by far their biggest problem. For all of their possession in the first half, they failed to create anything until Oscar's goal in the 45th minute, and it was more of the same in the second half. Most of their big players did not perform, with Hazard having a particularly poor game, and it made for a frustrating night for the Blues. They did control the match for large periods but, as Mourinho himself said after the Everton loss at the weekend, if they cannot turn that possession into goals then they don't deserve to win.
Basel's performance
In many ways, it was the perfect away European performance. They were incredibly hard to break down in defence, keeping disciplined banks of four behind the ball when Chelsea were in possession and preventing their attacking midfield trio from getting into dangerous areas. They did not pose much of an attacking threat in the first half, but as soon as they got their equaliser they began pushing for a winner. When Chelsea would have been expected to be knocking on the door, it was Basel who looked most likely to score, and the winner was most certainly not against the run of play. A fine start to their Champions League campaign.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Oscar: Most of the Chelsea players failed to perform at the level we are used to seeing today, but that cannot be said of Oscar. He was the only bright light in an under-performing midfield, taking his goal well and coming within inches of adding a spectacular second after half time. It was not his best performance in a blue shirt, but he was the only player who looked capable of creating anything for the hosts. Mohamed Salah of Basel also deserves a mention here.
Biggest gaffe
It was a relatively gaffe-free game, but Chelsea may feel like they could have done better for the winning goal. Streller first lost his man-marker Gary Cahill before stealing in front of Samuel Eto'o at the near post. Both of them could have potentially stopped him, while Petr Cech may also have expected to save the shot, instead only palming the ball into his own net. It was not a mistake from the Chelsea keeper, but he perhaps could have kept it out.
Referee performance
Daniele Orsato had very little to do today and he will be happy that this match passed by without major incident. There were not any big decisions to be made and in truth he went by without really being noticed, which is always a good sign for a referee.
What next?
Chelsea: Chelsea are now without a win in five games and will look to stop the rot in the West London derby against Fulham on Saturday.
Basel: Basel, meanwhile, will look to continue the momentum from this match when they face Sion in the Swiss Super League on Sunday.
Barney Corkhill
