Chelsea rounded off their Champions League group-stage campaign with a 3-1 victory over Sporting Lisbon at Stamford Bridge this evening.
The Blues, who had already secured top spot in Group G prior to this game, were ahead after just eight minutes when Cesc Fabregas converted from the penalty spot following a challenge on Filipe Luis inside the area.
Andre Schurrle added a second shortly after, although Jonathan Silva's strike five minutes after the restart gave the Lions real hope of claiming something from the contest.
It was not to be in the end, though, with John Obi Mikel bagging a rare goal to secure the points and end Sporting's adventure in this competition at the same time.
Here, Sports Mole takes a look back at how the 90 minutes of action unfolded in West London.
Match statistics
CHELSEA
Shots: 9
On target: 5
Possession: 55%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 10
SPORTING LISBON
Shots: 9
On target: 4
Possession: 45%
Corners: 5
Fouls: 14
Was the result fair?
Marco Silva would have felt aggrieved to see his side a couple of goals behind at half time despite his charges producing a few decent attacks in the first half, but on the balance of the 90 minutes of play Chelsea were deserved winners in the end. It must be remembered that the Blues had already secured top spot heading into this one, and therefore they were always likely to be under the cosh at times. However, despite pulling a goal back in the second half through Silva's strike, the visitors could not create any real openings which proved to be their major downfall in the end.
This was by no means a vintage Chelsea showing, but they did exactly what needed to be done to see off their opponents with minimal fuss, helping to rebuild some momentum following that disappointing defeat at the hands of Newcastle United last time out which ended their 23-game unbeaten run. The Blues' reward for finishing top is a meeting with one of the competition's second-placed sides in the first knockout stage, although no matter who they draw, the Premier League leaders will feel confident that they can go all the way this year and replicate their 2012 achievement.
Chelsea's performance
Jose Mourinho may have made six changes to his starting XI for this one, but there is no denying that he lined up with a strong, positive side with the purpose of winning the game. Mikel, who picked up a rare goal this evening after tapping the ball home from an inch or so, was fielded alongside Nemanja Matic in a deep-lying midfield role, while Fabregas was given the freedom to play further up the field.
While a lot of the pre-match talk was about the youngsters that Mourinho was potentially going to start with at Stamford Bridge, in the end it was a night for a few of the fringe players to make an impact. Mohamed Salah was involved heavily before being withdrawn, without making any real major impact in an attacking sense, while Schurrle impressed in the first half in particular to give his manager some room for thought. Their two goals against the Lions ensured that Chelsea end the group stages as top scorers in the competition, sending out a real message to fellow European heavyweights watching on.
Sporting Lisbon's performance
The Portuguese outfit started with no fewer than six players who had come through the club's academy, with Silva being forced into making four changes due to injuries and suspension. One of those brought in at full-back, Ricardo Esgaio, cost his side dearly early on when he brought down Luis, although overall it was a decent enough performance from the visitors in the English capital.
Andre Carrillo in particular stood out, causing all sorts of problems for Chelsea on both flanks, yet in the end the Primeira Liga outfit could not do enough to draw level with their opponents having pulled one back five minutes into the second half. Sporting find themselves eight points off the pace in their domestic league, and although they now have the Europa League to contend with in the New Year, they can take the many positives away from their Champions League campaign into the coming months.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Andre Carrillo: His team may have lost fairly comfortably in the end, although there is little denying that the Peruvian was the best man on the field. While Chelsea produced a solid team effort, it was more about individuals for the Green and Whites, with Carrillo the only player looking likely to make things happen for his side, giving Luis in particular a torrid evening.
Biggest gaffe
Sporting would have no doubt travelled to West London with the intention of keeping the game tight, looking to pick off their opponents as and when the chances arose. Those plans went up in the air inside eight minutes when Esgaio brought down Luis with a sloppy challenge which was certainly avoidable, allowing Fabregas to convert and send Chelsea on their way.
Referee performance
The biggest call Svein Oddvar Moen had to make all night came early on with that aforementioned penalty which he awarded to the hosts. The Norwegian official had little choice but to point to the spot, although he could have perhaps allowed play to flow a little more in the second half, particularly when quickly halting play following a tug on Diego Costa's shirt with Chelsea still in possession.
What next?
Chelsea: The Blues may have seen their unbeaten start to the season come to an end at St James' Park last weekend, but tonight showed that they are in the mood to quickly bounce back with Hull City next up in the Premier League.
Sporting Lisbon: The Portuguese club had gone six games without defeat prior to this setback, although they will look to rectify that when Moreirense visit the Estadio Jose Alvalade at the weekend.
Daniel Lewis
