FC Porto 0-2 Chelsea: Three Things We Learned

Chelsea have taken a huge step towards qualification to the Champions League semi-finals by getting the better of FC Porto 2-0 in the first leg of their quarter-final tie at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium in Seville on Wednesday evening.

Thomas Tuchel’s side had got the better of Atletico Madrid over two legs in the Round of 16 and headed into the tie against Portuguese giants Porto as favourites.

Chelsea took the lead in Sevilla in the 32nd minute when Jorginho found Mason Mount, and the English midfielder made a clever turn and finish.

Ben Chilwell took advantage of a defensive mistake from Porto in the 85th minute to make it 2-0 to Chelsea, who are now rated at 4/5 by Betfair to reach the final of the Champions League this season.

Here is what we learned from Chelsea’s win against Porto in the Champions League on Wednesday evening:

Mason Mount is absolutely superb

Mason Mount has popped up again and again with important goals this season, and the 22-year-old was brilliant against Porto in the Champions League on Wednesday evening. The England international is a complete midfielder who can score goals, create chances, drive the team forward, and stop the opposition’s game. Mount was a key figure under Chelsea manager Frank Lampard, and he has made himself indispensable under Tuchel. Against Porto, Mount took one shot which ended in goal, played one key pass, had a pass accuracy of 85.7%, took 26 touches, made one tackle and one interception, and put in three crosses.

Chelsea wing-backs deserve credit

Ben Chilwell and Reece James were the two wing-backs against Porto, and the Chelsea duo were superb. James worked hard for the team, was always looking for the counter-attacking move, and was available for the ball. Chilwell was brilliant defensively and scored a wonderful goal. It was a tactical masterclass from Chelsea against Porto, and the two wing-backs were key.

Edouard Mendy is hugely reliable

Edouard Mendy has established himself as the number one goalkeeper at Chelsea, and on the basis of his performance against Porto, it is easy to see why he is considered better than Kepa. The 29-year-old was the busier of the two goalkeepers in the first half and made a crucial save to deny a header from Pepe. Moussa Marega was denied after the break, and one could argue that without Mendy between the posts, Chelsea would have lost.