Mikel Obi scored his first Champions League goals as Chelsea sent Sporting Lisbon crashing out of the Champions League as the Blues got back on track with 3-1 win at Stamford Bridge.
Jose Mourinho’s side had suffered their first defeat of the season at Newcastle on Saturday and they wasted little time erasing the bitter taste of that Premier League loss with a dominant display in their Group G finale at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues were already certain of qualifying for the last 16 as group winners, but Sporting needed a point to be sure of progressing in second place and they weren’t up to the task.
Cesc Fabregas opened the scoring with an early penalty and Andre Schurrle extended Chelsea’s lead.
Jonathan Silva reduced the deficit for Sporting in the second half, only for John Obi Mikel to net Chelsea’s third.
Sporting’s defeat, combined with Schalke’s win against Maribor, meant the Portuguese club were consigned to the Europa League as Chelsea did a big favour for their old boss Roberto di Matteo, who led the Blues to their first Champions League title in 2012 and is now in charge at Schalke.
With Chelsea already through, Mourinho was able to rest Eden Hazard, John Terry and Oscar among others, as he made six changes from the loss at Newcastle.
There was no opportunity for Diego Costa to indulge in some Christmas shopping, however, as Mourinho, concerned about the Chelsea striker’s spluttering displays following a series of injury problems, named his team’s leading scorer in what was still a strong starting line-up.
Never miss a moment! Get the stories shaping Nigeria, delivered straight to your phone. Follow Peoplesdaily Newspaper on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive reports, and the headlines everyone will be talking about, before anyone else.
