Goals from Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell help Chelsea FC dominate and carry a two-goal advantage going into the second leg vs FC Porto
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When the UCL draw was out, there is no doubt that both Chelsea and Porto welcomed being paired against each other. It was only the third time that Porto qualified for the last eight stage in the competition since winning it in the 03/04 season under Mourinho and Chelsea’s first appearance since the 13/14 season. A win was important for both sides but so too damage limitation across the first leg but Chelsea took care of both with a two-goal advantage at the end of a rough night for the Portuguese men.
The game was quite open as both teams were focused on attacking until the 32nd minute of the game, where we witnessed a moment of magic from Mason Mount. Jorginho’s pass to Mount was great but Mount’s touch on the ball was simply out of this world. After getting the ball in his stride, he fired the ball with a low line drive at the far post, giving the keeper Marchesin no chance. This goal gave Mount his fifth goal under new boss Thomas Tuchel, more than any other Chelsea star.
The second half turned out to be the same with Chelsea having more of the ball and the game was settled by Ben Chilwell in the dying moments of the game. The England left-back made his run from his favorite left side and then beats the Porto goalkeeper Marchesin to roll the ball into the empty net to get his first-ever Champions League goal. An elated Tuchel told media after the match, “He has the quality to do this and to do it in a quarterfinal is a big step for him. He has the right attitude towards success. He is open and hungry to learn.” “Mason is a key player for us and I am happy he fits into this role at a young age.”
Porto left a lot on the pitch, and even though the English side had more of the ball, Porto managed to get twelve shots compared to Chelsea’s six and it was clear that they had forgotten to wear their special boots & capitalize on their chances, going closest only with a header from veteran defender Pepe. Credit though has to go to the Chelsea defense who managed their opponents perfectly and kept their third straight clean sheet in the UCL, having not allowed a goal now for 346 minutes.
Ahead of the second leg which takes place on the 14th of April, Chelsea find themselves in the driving seat with two away goals and as for Porto, they have a massive task at hand as the 2nd leg returns to Sevilla’s Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium amid travel restrictions between Portugal and England.
[Image Credit: Chelsea FC]
Shashank Iyer