Schalke 0-3 Chelsea: Five things we learned

Defend first, attack second

Gary Cahill – Man of the moment

You know it is Mourinho’s Chelsea when you notice the state-of-the-art defending technique in which three players are inside their own box at all times, even when the opposition is about 30 yards outside the box.

That is the mark of a sturdy defense, in which the players do not leave their positions, or rather get back to their positions as soon as possible. Even though Gary Cahill stole the show in defense on Tuesday night, it will be John Terry’s containment which will win the manager’s praise.

The way Terry guided Cesar Azpilicueta, who was playing as a makeshift left-back in the absence of Ashley Cole, during every Schalke attack was remarkable. At times, it was as if Terry was keeping an eye out for two players instead of one. His vast experience paid dividends for Chelsea in Germany on Tuesday night.

Just like the setup of any other Mourinho team, Chelsea heeded more attention to their defensive duties, especially in the second half. And when they gained control of the ball, the defenders cleared the ball to wings, where a player named Eden Hazard was always on standby to run the Schalke’s defense ragged.

That’s exactly how Chelsea’s last two goals of the game came about. Mourinho’s game plan worked, yet again.