Mount makes historical past as darkish horses Chelsea seize Champions League initiative vs Porto

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Chelsea followers drew comparisons between midfield maestro Mason Mount and all-time prime scorer Frank Lampard because the 22-year-old’s smartly-taken purpose helped give the Blues the initiative of their Champions League tie with Porto.

England midfielder Mount struck with Chelsea’s first effort on purpose on the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan in Seville, rolling Zaidu Sanusi expertly earlier than driving into the underside nook simply after the half-hour mark. 

Full-back Ben Chilwell then pounced on a defensive error to double the lead with 5 minutes to play, as Chelsea secured a 2-Zero win and took a large stride in direction of the Champions League semi-finals.

Journey restrictions between Portugal and the UK imply each legs of the quarter-final in opposition to Porto are being performed in southern Spain, with Chelsea classed because the guests on Wednesday night time.

In a recreation which was tight for lengthy intervals, it was Mount who broke the impasse, including to the burgeoning status cast primarily underneath former supervisor Lampard and which is constant to flourish underneath new boss Thomas Tuchel.

Mount’s sensible strike was his eighth of the season throughout all membership competitions, however a primary ever within the Champions League as he grew to become the Blues’ youngest ever scorer within the knockout phases of the event.

After being tutored for thus lengthy by Lampard, many Chelsea followers hailed Mount because the inheritor obvious to he mantle held by Lampard whereas a marauding midfield goalscorer throughout his personal enjoying days.

Wednesday’s end result for Chelsea additionally means they proceed to establishe themselves as darkish horses for the Champions League this season underneath Tuchel, after easing previous La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid within the final spherical and now putting one foot within the final 4 of the competitors. 

Following the home embarrassment to West Brom on the weekend, Tuchel opted to go away the expertise of Thiago Silva on the bench, going for a backline of Andreas Christensen alongside Antonio Rudiger and César Azpilicueta.

Up entrance, Kai Havertz led the road by way of the center whereas Tuchel saved the religion with Timo Werner regardless of his latest woes in entrance of purpose, and Mount was trusted to offer thrust from midfield.

Porto proved they have been no pushovers by dumping out Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus within the final spherical, and it was the Portuguese champions who began the livelier, pegging Chelsea again and maintaining Edouard Mendy on his toes with out testing the Frenchman totally.

However as Porto pressed, it was Chelsea who struck with their first effort on purpose within the 32nd minute.

Italian metronome Jorginho slipped an exquisite go into Mount, who slipped the attentions of Sanusi expertly earlier than discovering he backside nook.

Firmly established as a vital cog within the Chelsea machine, it was proof of simply how very important Mount will probably be for his or her ambitions transferring ahead each domestically and in Europe’s largest membership competitors.

Werner had an opportunity to double Chelsea’s lead firstly of the second half, solely to move over from a whipped cross from Mount – very a lot in line with the German’s latest goal-shy kind.

Mendy was then known as on to save lots of from Porto’s Moussa Marega when the French keeper seemed at risk of being caught in no-man’s land.  

Ever a menace, Pepe poked the ball into the Chelsea web following a scramble for a nook, however the whistle had gone for offside within the build-up. The London membership then continued to stay dangerously as Luis Diaz flashed extensive of Mendy’s purpose with a fierce effort.

On the different finish, Havertz poked the ball extensive with the purpose at his mercy after Porto goalkeeper Agustín Marchesin had spilled a long-range effort from Rudiger and Werner squared the ball to his compatriot, though the offside flag was already up.

Tuchel noticed his crew miss some golden possibilities. © Reuters

Azpilicueta additionally headed extensive as Chelsea seemed to capitalize on their strongest spell of the sport.

Tuchel launched Christian Pulisic and Olivier Giroud for ineffective German duo Werner and Havertz with 25 minutes to play, because the big-money summer season signings once more fell considerably flat on the large event.

Pulisic had a golden likelihood to double Chelsea’s benefit and rattled the crossbar with a rocket of an effort, earlier than left-back Chilwell lastly elevated the deficit, pouncing on a defensive error from to spherical Marchesin and slot into an empty web.

Chilwell struck late for Chelsea. © Reuters

The end result places Chelsea firmly forward within the tie earlier than they return to the identical venue for the second leg on Tuesday, on that event technically as the house crew.

The Londoners already know that past that lies a gathering with the winners of the last-eight tie between Actual Madrid and Liverpool, with the Spaniards in management after their Three-1 residence leg win on Tuesday night time. 

With the likes of reigning champions Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester Metropolis all within the different half of the draw, Tuchel will eye a golden alternative to information his crew into the ultimate, repeating his feat with PSG final season.