They may have been inconsistent in terms of results, but there can be no doubting that Chelsea's 1999-2000 squad was packed full of talent.
Managed by former Italy international Gianluca Vialli, there were World Cup winners in the form of Frank Leboeuf, Marcel Desailly and Didier Deschamps, while Gianfranco Zola provided the flair.
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Also included were the likes of Roberto di Matteo, Tore Andre Flo, Dan Petrescu and George Weah.
Yet as far as an English contingent was concerned, the options were limited. Aside from senior players Dennis Wise, Chris Sutton and Graeme Le Saux, the only other members of the squad from these shores were untried youngsters.
It meant that after captain Wise suffered an injury in training, when Chelsea played host to Lazio in the Champions League at Stamford Bridge 15 years ago today, they became the first club from England to field an entire starting lineup made of foreign players.
It didn't seem that a lack of a local influence was going to have a negative impact, though, when Gus Poyet fired the Blues in front just moments before the break. The Lazio rearguard backed off the Uruguayan, who unleashed a powerful shot from 25 yards out that flew beyond the reach of Luca Marchegiani.
However, whatever Lazio head coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said to his players during the interval worked as the Italians piled on the pressure after the restart.
In the 56th minute Pavel Nedved was picked out inside the area and despite taking a poor first touch, the Czech midfielder was still able to send the ball across the face of Ed de Goey's goal for Simone Inzaghi to bundle in from close range.
Now level, Lazio set about scoring a second goal, which arrived with 67 minutes on the clock. When Sinisa Mihajlovic lined up a free kick wide on the right flank, a cross looked inevitable, but the defender produced a stunning shot that found the far corner of the net.
As the game wore on, the visitors were reduced to 10 men when Fernando Couto was handed his marching orders for a foul on Deschamps, but the West Londoners were unable to make the most of their numerical advantage in the closing stages.
It meant that not only had Lazio replaced Chelsea at the top of the group, the Premier League side had also lost their first ever home match in a European fixture - a record that dated back to 1958 and 33 matches.
Speaking after the final whistle, Vialli said: "Things are difficult now but it seems to me that when things are difficult and almost impossible we get the best out of this team."
CHELSEA: De Goey; Ferrer, Desailly, Leboeuf, Babayaro; Petrescu, Di Matteo, Deschamps, Poyet; Flo, Zola
LAZIO: Marchegiani; Negro, Couto, Mihajlovic, Pancaro; Stankovic, Veron, Simeone, Almeyda, Nedved; Inzaghi
Liam Apicella
