FC Basel 1-0 Chelsea
Chelsea crashed to a dire defeat in Switzerland, but qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League nonetheless.
The 0-0 draw between Steaua Bucharest and Schalke was far more significant than the poor performance that saw Chelsea beaten for the second time this season by the Swiss side.
Chelsea played out a dire first half, where they looked well off the pace and gifted their hosts the majority of the chances.
There were few performances of credit but Frank Lampard, so supreme at Upton Park on Saturday, seemed a passenger in a game that out-manouvred him in every way.
Petr Cech was among the few able to claim credit for his selection – pulling off several fine saves to keep Chelsea in the game.
Just before the break Samuel Eto'o, one of the many anonymous men in Chelsea's white away strip, appeared to cause himself a groin injury stretching for thin air – and was replaced by Fernando Torres.
Blues surprisingly came out unchanged.
The game chuntered on: ice crystals slowly formed in the sub-zero air, but none of them had anywhere near the solidity a chance on goal might have.
Both teams seemed to be headed for a bore-draw, until late pressure from the bosts saw Mohamed Salah fore past Cech to delight the locals.
Chelsea will win the group if they beat Steaua in their final group match – which is at Stamford Bridge next month.
