Chelsea gave a helping hand to a former hero on Wednesday by rounding off the Champions League group stage with a 3-1 victory over Sporting which sent the Portuguese side packing and opened the door for Schalke 04 to reach the last 16.
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The English side finished comfortably clear at the top of Group G after a Cesc Fabregas penalty and a rasping strike from Andre Schuerrle set them on their way and John Obi Mikel rounded off the scoring after Jonathan Silva had given Sporting hope.
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The result proved a boon to Chelsea’s former Champions League-winning coach Roberto Di Matteo whose Schalke side clinched the runners-up spot after a 1-0 win over Maribor that left them on eight points, one clear of Sporting.
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Chelsea, who dominated Wednesday’s match, finished with 14 points, having won four of their six group games.
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Chelsea’s place in the last 16 was assured long before kickoff, as was their status as group winners, after they thrashed Schalke 5-0 in their last game.
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But after their unbeaten start to the season was halted in a Premier League defeat at Newcastle United on Saturday, there was no question of Jose Mourinho taking it easy or picking an entirely second-string side.
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With Nemanja Matic restored to midfield alongside Fabregas and Diego Costa leading the line, Chelsea enjoyed an immediate stranglehold on possession and were ahead after just eight minutes.
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Fullback Filipe Luis was brought down by Sporting’s Ricardo Esgaio and Fabregas stepped up to fire his penalty straight down the middle and into the net.
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The one-way traffic continued and the hosts doubled the lead eight minutes later when Schuerrle found the bottom corner with a fierce drive from the edge of the area having been teed up by Matic.
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The Portuguese team perked up in the second half and grabbed a goal back through Silva who fired home from the edge of the area, but hopes of a revival were dashed by Mikel’s close-range finish.
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