Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has admitted that he feels sympathy for Sporting Lisbon after watching his side put them out of the Champions League with a 3-1 victory at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues boss hailed the result as an "important win" but said that he would have liked to have seen the Portuguese side join them in the knockout stages of the competition.
"We were very focused and serious. I'm happy with that. I feel sorry for Sporting, I would have liked them to qualify," he told Sky Sports News.
"The win was important. It was a good reaction to losing at Newcastle and a good chance for players to have more minutes. I'm happy with many things we did.
"We have a good squad. It was a game without pressures - it was quite an easy game to play."
Chelsea's win sends them through to the last 16 as Group G winners, with Schalke 04 joining them in the next phase as runners-up.
Written by
Mark Langshaw
Mark Langshaw
