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Porto 2-1 Chelsea: Jose Mourinho has unhappy return to former stomping ground as Blues fall


The warnings from Jose Mourinho were loud and clear. Stars on the bench, stars left in London and still Chelsea were unable to stop their star from falling a little further.
Mourinho blamed attitude ahead of the game, but it was not a problem of desire in Porto, where they were outclassed at times and flattered by the result.
 
They were not awful for the entire game – there was a flurry in stoppage-time - but they were unrecognisable from the champions of last season, that imperious winning machine, built in Mourinho's ruthless image. 
 
Suddenly Chelsea are ravaged by nerves, prone to panic, vulnerable from set-pieces and low on confidence. No-one epitomises the mess more than Branislav Ivanovic who was tormented by the outstanding Yacine Brahimi.
 
How Iker Casillas enjoyed this record-breaking night as Mourinho's mind tricks produced no magic and begged the question: what can he do next?
 
He has tried to charm and defend his players, he chided them gently before his verbal criticism became fiercer and culminated with threats to drop them all and 'play the kids'.
 
Then this setback. Another defeat, a fifth in a campaign when the only wins have come against Walsall, Maccabi Tel Aviv, nine-man Arsenal and West Bromwich. Are they still listening?
 
Asmir Begovic emerges with some credit, having kept the score down with a series of saves, while in front of him only Willian responded to a recall, scoring his third free-kick in as many games to equalise at the end of the first half.
 
Porto had gone ahead through Andre Andre – so good they named him twice – and went back in front early in the second half when captain Maicon headed in from a corner.
 
Conceding such a crucial goal from a set-piece will infuriate a meticulous organiser such as Mourinho - but he has broader issues.
 
This was a difficult test against an ambitious team and the result is not fatal in Champions League terms. Chelsea ought to qualify from Group G, which also contains Maccabi Tel Aviv and Dynamo Kiev.
 
Mourinho, however, cannot cajole his team into life. Keep an eye out for his selection for Saturday's game at home to Southampton.
 
Double Player of the Year Eden Hazard and Nemanja Matic were axed for this one. There was no John Terry, but that has become the norm and the reason remains a mystery.
 
Can they be much worse with Terry at the back? He would bring leadership and organisation at least. Kurt Zouma and Gary Cahill are Mourinho's new guard and they lacked composure in Porto.
 
Omitting Hazard and Matic was perhaps an attempt to jolt them back into form. Both are vital to Chelsea, but the future looks bleaker for others.
 
Radamel Falcao, Loic Remy and Oscar did not make the squad, left in London despite being fit and available. It meant no recognised centre forward on the bench, and fortunately the unreliable hamstrings of Diego Costa did not twang on this occasion.
Costa, free from the ban ruling him out of domestic matches at the moment, started hungrily and created an early chance but Cesc Fabregas was denied by Casillas, making a record 152nd appearance in the Champions League. 

 

 

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