Di Matteo’s transformed Blues throw off shackles

Chelsea 3 Shakhtar Donetsk 2

At times the home side were mesmerised by a Shakhtar side whose football was outstanding; but in typical Chelsea fashion Moses headed home a 94th-minute corner from Juan Mata to seal a 3-2 victory for the Champions League holders that reignites their hopes of reaching the knockout stages and continues their metamorphism from long-ball battlers to a side capable of winning friends as well as matches.

Only last year Chelsea were described as possibly the most unattractive team to be crowned European champions; all long ball, aggression and backs-to-the-wall defending.

But what a conundrum Chelsea Football Club have become since then. There will be some neutrals who still find their players distasteful, their fans boorish, their superiority complex unwarranted and their off-field attitude unpleasant. But can there be anyone who can possibly claim any more they are boring? The transformation under Di Matteo was highlighted against Shakhtar in a match that rattled along at a tremendous pace; full of clever play, quick passing, well-taken goals and a total desire from both sides to play good football — even at the expense of conceding chances.

Goals from Fernando Torres, Oscar and Moses won it for the home side; but Shakhtar, who scored twice through Willian, contributed hugely to a wonderful game which leaves Chelsea second in their group with a match against Juventus next to play followed by a home match against group whipping boys Nordsjaelland.

Di Matteo had called on his side to produce a “perfect” performance to give them a chance of reaching the knockout stages — and they certainly made a prefect start with Torres scoring after only six minutes.

Torres had already come close from an Oscar cross when, following a poor back pass, he charged down a clearance from goalkeeper Pyatov and celebrated as the ball cannoned into the net off his trailing foot; the kind of luck the Spaniard just couldn’t buy last season.

But Chelsea also conceded plenty of chances against a Shakhtar side who at times played stunning football.

The Ukrainians — who have a 100 per cent record in their domestic league this season and have won 35 of their last 47 games in all — were level after nine minutes when William, the striker Chelsea tried to buy last year, finished coolly from just inside the box following a run and clever cut-back from the excellent Fernandinho.

Di Matteo had taken the controversial decision not to recall captain John Terry even though he is available in Europe while suspended in the Premier League having been found guilty by the FA of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand. Terry, he argued, was not match fit and could not be risked against a Shakhtar side of such quality.

It meant Chelsea went into the game without the ‘holy trinity’ of Terry, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole (the latter two being injured) for the first time since losing so badly in Napoli last season; a match that proved to be Andre Villas-Boas’s last Champions League game in charge.

It is clear Di Matteo is not a man adverse to taking risks; but his gamble appeared safe when, just as Chelsea were being over-run by their opponents, Shakhtar keeper Pyaytov made another horrendous error — this time racing out of his goal to clear a Mata cross with his head.

The ball fell to Oscar some 40m out and he allowed it to bounce before volleying a spectacular effort back over the keeper’s head and into the net.

But if Chelsea’s second goal was spectacular, Shakhtar’s was breathtaking. It came just seconds into the second half and saw Fernandinho produce an exquisitely-swept pass out to overlapping full-back Darijo Srna, whose low, instant cross was sweetly finished by Willian with his wrong foot, cleverly reversing the ball back to wrong-foot Petr Cech.

Srna’s effortlessly curling left-foot shot hit a post soon after and John Obi Mikel had a goal correctly disallowed for the home side as they grew in confidence before Moses, who had only been on the pitch 10 minutes, headed a dramatic winner.

“We knew the pressure we were under. It was a must-win game for us,” said Di Matteo. “Shakhtar are a very good side; they showed again how good they are. But we won and now it’s probably going to go down to the last game.”

CHELSEA: Cech 7, Ivanovic 6, Luiz 6, Cahill 6, Bertrand 6, Ramires 8, Mikel 7, Hazard 7, Mata 7, Oscar 7 (Moses 81), Torres 6 (Sturridge 90).

SHAKHTAR DONETSK: Pyatov 5, Srna 8, Kucher 6, Rakitskiy 6, Rat 7, Hubschman 7, Fernandinho 9, Alex Teixeira 7 (Ilsinho 78), Mkhitaryan 7, Willian 8, Luiz Adriano. 7

Referee: Carlos Velasco Carballo (Esp).