Chelsea resumed their Champions League play tonight in a match versus Ukraine Champions Shakhtar Donetsk, in a big match for their future in this years tournament. The Blues needed a win to further cement their chances of coming out of the group stages and they came out on top in a exciting 3-2 scoreline. Let's take a look at how each player performed.
GK Petr Cech: 7.5
Another less than stellar performance from the legendary keeper as he let in two goals. The defense did leave him exposed many times, but part of being a keeper and a captain is organizing the back line.
D Branislav Ivanovic: 8.0
Ivanovic put out a very strong performance in defense as he usually does. He was very good at manning the right side and made many threatening runs on the wing. It was a very typical Ivanovic performance.
D David Luiz: 7.0
Another shockingly poor performance from David Luiz. At the beginning of the year it was thought that he had gotten over his bad habits as he started off with brilliant defensive performances but tonight was nothing like that. With John Terry by his side he seems to be one of the world's best but without him he seems to lose all of his focus on defending. Sometimes even the simplest things such as clearances become problems. These last couple years with John Terry will be very important for David if he wants to release his unlimited potential, and he needs to study the Chelsea Legend's way of going about business.
D Gary Cahill: 8.5
I don't think Cahill's name was called very much throughout the match and for a defender that can be a good thing, but when he was called upon he defended with class. Cahill is definitely one of Chelsea's most consistent footballers and may have taken Luiz's starting spot beside Terry.
D Ryan Bertrand: 7.0
Bertrand is usually a solid choice when Ashley Cole is out, but tonight he was no where near solid. Both goals from Donetsk came from Bertrand's poor positioning on the left side. Ryan was nothing close to his usual self and looked at times lost on the pitch. Ashley Cole getting a new contract is going to be vital for Chelsea's future.
M Ramires: 8.5
Ramires was all over the pitch tonight, as usual, and made many darting runs from box to box. His pace is a huge problem for any defender and he also was a very solid defender alongside Mikel. Good performance from the Brazilian.
M John Obi Mikel: 9.5
Mikel is clearly the most underrated footballer in all of the world, and maybe the most consistent. He shut down many runs from the Ukraine side in front of a very shaky defence. Mikel also looked likely to score, which can't be said much and even scored an off-sides goal. Mikel is a stonewall in defence and is a huge staple in the Chelsea picture.
M Juan Mata: 8.5
Not the Spaniards usual magic but still a wonderful performance. He controlled the play great for Chelsea and found Victor Moses on a corner for the winner in extra time.
M Oscar: 9.0
This kid is truly something special. He seems to get more confident with every touch of the ball. After his wonder goal vs. Juventus you thought it might be impossible to score one better, but he proved that wrong. After a mistake from the Donetsk keep Oscar struck a wonder volley from 40 yards out with absolute perfection for his yet another brilliant goal. He is spectacular on the ball and puts almost everything on target. If he figures out how to bring this play to the Premier League he will be truly unstoppable.
M Eden Hazard: 8.5
There's only one way to stop Eden Hazard, and that's by fouling him. The Belgian drew 7 fouls and used his slick skills to threaten the Donetsk defense every time on the ball. Another great performance from the young star.
F Fernando Torres: 8.5
He put the ball in the back of the net. End of story.
F Victor Moses: 9.0
Scored a miraculous goal in extra time that probably looked very familiar to Bayern Munich fans.
F Daniel Sturridge: 7.5
What honestly can he do with 5 minutes on the pitch? Come on Di Matteo.
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