Chelsea top of the group and porto sink Atletico Madrid

APOEL FC 0-1 Chelsea FC

It was business as usual for Chelsea FC as, despite a few late scares from a determined APOEL FC side, a goal from Nicolas Anelka earned their second successive 1-0 victory in Group D.

Drogba suspended
With Didier Drogba two games into a three-match UEFA Champions League suspension Anelka once again harboured Chelsea's goalscoring burden in Nicosia, as he had at home to FC Porto a fortnight ago. His 18th-minute breakthrough had been coming but the visitors failed to press their advantage and were almost made to pay as an increasingly adventurous APOEL side laid siege to their goal late on. Yet there was no way through.

Belletti build-up
After a typically cautious start, the visitors gradually wrested control of the game and were almost in cruise control when Anelka – who also struck the only goal of the game against Porto – broke the deadlock on 18 minutes. Given freedom to roam down the right, Juliano Belletti attacked with purpose, making light work of Altin Haxhi before cutting back to Anelka. The Frenchman still had work to do but he did it with aplomb, firing his first-time shot inside Dionisios Chiotis's far post.

Growing threat
Despite Chelsea's dominance the goalkeeper – APOEL's hero as they earned a point at Club Atlético de Madrid on Matchday 1 – otherwise had very little to do. Ashley Cole, Florent Malouda and Anelka all tried their luck from distance, but with little menace, and on the counterattack the home side began to ask questions of the Blues' back line. Christos Kontis and Nenad Mirosavljević both threatened, briefly, and it proved the platform for a much-improved second-half performance from the home team.

Attacking bent
With the words of coach Ivan Jovanović ringing in their ears the Cypriot titleholders stepped up a gear after the restart, winning a succession of corners but Chelsea stood firm. An injury doubt before the game, striker Kamil Kosowski was introduced just before the hour to inject another dimension and, going into the final ten minutes, APOEL found it.

Charalambides chance
Attacking down the flanks they began to peg back Chelsea as Belletti and Cole had done earlier in the match and with six minutes remaining came their chance: Constantinos Charalambides sending his header a whisker wide. It was as close as they would come, despite the efforts of Jean Paulista and Kosowski, so Chelsea go three points clear in Group D ahead of their meeting with Atlético in three weeks. Still on one point, APOEL nevertheless travel to Porto with confidence restored.

Porto 2-0 Atletico Madrid

FC Porto made their second-half superiority tell as they saw off Club Atlético de Madrid 2-0 at the Estádio do Dragão to revive their Group D fortunes and move second in the section thanks to goals from Falcao and Rolando.

Improvised opener
Porto were desperate for victory after a Matchday 1 loss at Chelsea FC, and deservedly broke through on 75 minutes when Falcao beat Atlético's substitute goalkeeper David De Gea with a wonderfully improvised back-heel from a Hulk pass. Seven minutes later Rolando tucked the ball into the empty net after his central-defensive partner Bruno Alves's header from a corner had rebounded off the post.

Injured Roberto
The home side were quicker into their stride with powerful forward Hulk involved in most of their best moves. One superb delivery from the left wing would have resulted in the game's opening goal had home captain Bruno Alves been able to connect at the back post. By then Porto were aiming at a new goalkeeper. Roberto had watched efforts from Mariano González and Hulk sail well over before injuring his right leg trying to make a clearance. When Falcao headed just over on 25 minutes, Roberto ended up in a heap in the back of the goal and could play no further part.

Helton busy
With regular No1 Sergio Asenjo on duty with Spain at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt, Atlético coach Abel Resino turned to 18-year-old De Gea. The debutant had little to do for the rest of the half as the visitors grew into the game. Sergio Agüero and Diego Forlán both forced Porto No1 Helton into stops and with a slightly cleaner contact at the near post Juanito could have given the visitors the lead with a header from a Simão corner.

Thunderous drive
There could be no faulting Juanito's connection with another header from the same source early in the second half. This time, from a central position about six metres out, he could not keep the ball down. Just beyond the hour mark, De Gea suddenly found himself much busier, saving from a thunderous Bruno Alves free-kick, and then using his body to scramble a long-range effort from Porto substitute Fredy Guarín around the post.

Hulk assist
It was fitting that Hulk played a key role in Falcao's goal 15 minutes from time. De Gea could only return the big Brazilian's shot back to him. After initially miscontrolling the return, Hulk squared for Falcao, whose superb finish at last found De Gea wanting. The Colombian should have added another with a free header moments later, although Porto's second arrived soon after thanks to Rolando. Porto will take confidence from the victory into their double-header with APOEL FC, while Atlético have it all to do as they twice take on group leaders Chelsea with just a point to show from their opening two outings.