The incisive insider

Jose Mourinho8217;s new team Chelsea outclassed his old team Porto 3-1 to leave the European champions with an uphill battle to qualify fro...

Jose Mourinho8217;s new team Chelsea outclassed his old team Porto 3-1 to leave the European champions with an uphill battle to qualify from Group H of the Champions League this season.

Porto, who won five trophies in two seasons under Mourinho climaxing with the European Cup last May, were no match for the London side who dominated in the drizzle at Stamford Bridge after goals from Alexei Smertin 7th, and Didier Drogba 50th put them in command.

Substitute Benni McCarthy8217;s 68th minute reply gave Porto a brief ray of hope, but skipper John Terry8217;s 70th minute header quickly restored Chelsea8217;s two-goal lead.

With Chelsea now on six points from their opening two matches they are almost certain, even at this early stage of the competition, to advance to the last 16.

After the match, Mourinho refused to dwell on his past glory with Porto, saying only that it was good to see old friends again. 8216;8216;The result is great. We have six points and we are in a fantastic position to go into the next round8217;8217;, he said. 8216;8216;We have beaten the European champions, who were unbeaten in the competition for 12 matches.8217;8217;

Mourinho was spat at from the crowd when he sat in front of Porto supporters during his team8217;s warm-up. 8216;8216;It is not important. I can understand some people love me, some don8217;t love me.

8220;That8217;s football. That8217;s life8217;8217;, he said, adding he had also received greetings and good wishes from the Porto contingent.

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Mourinho praised the multi-national, multi-million dollar London side8217;s work ethic and team spirit. 8216;8216;Every second we play as a team. The way my big players play as a unit 8212; that is why in nine matches this season no one has beaten us8217;8217;, Mourinho said.

Icelandic striker Eidur Gudjohnsen, who had an outstanding match without scoring, played a major part in the opening goal, starting the move by bringing Damien Duff into play, and then hooking Duff8217;s return lobbed pass into the heart of the Porto Defence with the outside of his right foot.

The cross found unmarked Russian midfielder Smertin, who volleyed it into the ground and wide of goalkeeper Vitor Baia for his first goal for the club.

Chelsea virtually wrapped up the points in the 50th minute after Drogba was fouled by Ricardo Costa. Duff took the inswinging free-kick which Drogba headed past Baia for his third Champions League goal of the season.

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Porto8217;s hopes rose briefly when a shot from Carlos Alberto took a slight deflection and panicked Chelsea keeper Peter Cech into an uncharacteristic blunder 8212; pushing the ball straight to substitute McCarthy who lashed it back into the net for only the second goal Chelsea have conceded in nine matches this season.

Two minutes later McCarthy conceded a free-kick when hefouled Tiago and Terry powerfully dived low to head home Lampard8217;s free kick.

Reuters

All results

GROUP E

Rosenborg 1 8211; Arsenal 1
Roar Strand; Fredrik Ljungberg
PSV 1 8211; Panathinaikos 0
Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink

GROUP F

AC Milan 3 8211; Celtic 1
Andriy Shevchenko, Filippo Inzaghi, AndreaPirlo; Stanislav Varga
Barcelona 3 8211; Shakhtar Donetsk 0
Deco, Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto8217;o

GROUP G

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Werder Bremen 2 8211; Valencia 1
Miroslav Klose, Angelos Haristeas; Vicente
Anderlecht 1 8211; Inter Milan 3
Walter Baseggio; Obafemi Martins, Adriano, Dejan Stankovic

GROUP H

CSKA Moscow 2 8211; PSG 0
Sergei Semak, Vagner Love
Chelsea 3 8211; Porto 1
Alexei Smertin, Didier Drogba, John Terry; Benni McCarthy