Mikel scores as Blues see off Sporting

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Chelsea 3 Sporting Lisbon 1

John Mikel Obi scored the clinching goal as Chelsea ended the Champions League group stages with a stylish victory that dumped Sporting Lisbon in to the Europa League.

The Blues were already assured of finishing top of Group G, but made a blistering start with a Cesc Fabregas penalty and rasping Andre Schurrle strike putting them in control.

Jonathan Silva made it 2-1 after the break but Mikel’s tap-in – his first goal since January – made the game safe.

Teenage midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek came on for his debut in the final ten minutes as the hosts cruised to a victory that was never in doubt.

Chelsea’s fringe players played with real purpose from the outset and one of them, the excellent Filipe Luis, was the creator of the opening goal within seven minutes.

The Brazilian full-back knocked the ball past the on-rushing Ricaro Esgaio, and the stand-in Sporting right-back was already committed to a clumsy looking challenge that brought a clear penalty.

Fabregas coolly stroked home the spot-kick down the middle of the goal – and Chelsea soon doubled their lead.

A fine burst from Nemanja Matic created space for Schurrle, who turned instantly and found the bottom corner with a fierce strike that just beat Rui Patricio.

The Blues, with Fabregas finding acres of space in a more advanced role and Mikel and Matic controlling the centre of the pitch, could have been out of sight by the break.

Schurrle was a constant threat and almost added a second with a near-post strike, Matic sent a well-controlled half-volley narrowly over the bar and Mohamed Salah failed to make the most of a couple of excellent positions.

But within five minutes of the restart the Portuguese side pulled a goal back as the impressive Andre Carrillo easily beat Luis down the right flank and when his dinked cross was not cleared, Silva fired the ball home.

Salah almost restored the two-goal advantage seconds later with a clever first-time hit with the outside of his right foot that was brilliantly saved by Patricio.

But the keeper was helpless to prevent Mikel making it 3-1, the Nigerian touching the ball in from on the goal-line when Gary Cahill headed a free-kick towards goal.

With Schalke leading Maribor in the other group game and Sporting knowing they needed a draw to progress, the gaps started to appear in the away defence.

Diego Costa was denied an obvious penalty when he was tugged back when through and Loftus-Cheek could have marked his debut with a goal in a decent 10-minute substitute appearance.

But although a fourth home goal on the counter-attack looked likely, it did not arrive.

Chelsea: Cech; Azpilicueta, Cahill, Zouma, Luis; Mikel, Matic; Fabregas (Loftus-Cheek 83), Schurrle (Ramires 74), Salah (Remy 71); Costa.
Subs not used: Beeney, Ivanovic, Oscar, Drogba.

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