Basle 1-2

Independent:

Chelsea 1 Basel 2

Jose Mourinho's 'eggs' look undercooked as Swiss side force historic win

Manager - whose name had been sung all around the ground earlier in the game - leaves to a smattering of booing from home fans

Sam Wallace

Even when the end came at Chelsea for Jose Mourinho precisely six years ago, it was a draw that did for him against Rosenborg - ending months of strife and simmering resentment. In those days a draw was, by the standards of the time, unacceptable but tonight things got a whole lot worse.

Chelsea's defeat to Basel was the first time that the club have lost in the group stage at home since a defeat to Besiktas in October 2003, in the days when Mourinho was still Porto manager and Roman Abramovich's millions had just turned European football upside down. The Chelsea owner was pictured on a cycling holiday in Croatia earlier today but he was back at Stamford Bridge to watch and down the tunnel to the home dressing room within minutes of the end.
Last season it was the draw with Juventus in his opening home group game that left Roberto Di Matteo playing catch-up and ultimately saw his side eliminated by Christmas. This season Chelsea's group E does not have quite such a difficult array of opponents but still, Mourinho's side have given themselves an awkward task from the very start. Win your home games in the Champions League and you are most of the way to qualification.
It was politic not to mention the analogies about good eggs and mediocre ones, after a Chelsea performance that never really caught the imagination and had Mourinho scowling on the touchline for most of the evening. Oscar scored with the last kick of the first half, but the uninspiring Swiss side, equalised through Mohamed Salah and then their captain Marco Streller claimed an unlikely win.
Later, Mourinho tried to protect his team and offer himself up as the fall-guy for what was just the third home group stage defeat in the Champions League of his entire managerial career. But he could not help himself pointing out that this is a Chelsea team that lacks “maturity and personality” and even, in his words, “shakes a little bit”.
Even more worrying for Mourinho, Chelsea had very little cutting edge. Samuel Eto'o does not have the razor-sharpness that the Champions League requires, not yet anyway. And the second option was Demba Ba who came on to no effect. Fernando Torres was not even on the bench.
It makes the next Champions League match, a trip to Steaua Bucharest on 1 October a game that, at the very least, Chelsea cannot afford to lose. Rafa Benitez's side dispatched the Swiss team in the semi-finals of the Europa League last season but they simply proved too obdurate for Mourinho's players tonight when Chelsea had precious few goalscoring chances despite the better possession.
“I'm happy with the three strikers for the rest of the season,” Mourinho said. “I'm happy. The players are the players, they're good professionals, they're trying their best every match. I can't complain about any of the three.” He sounded like he was trying to convince himself, above all. Especially given the impact of Wayne Rooney, his summer target, for Manchester United on Tuesday night.
Oscar strikes to give Chelsea the lead on the stroke of half-time (Getty) Oscar strikes to give Chelsea the lead on the stroke of half-time (Getty) 
There was a debut tonight for Willian, whose last game was 2 August for his previous club Anzhi Makhachkala. There was a second consecutive start for Eto'o, who was playing for just the second time since 24 August. These new signings are under-cooked, and it showed. In all, Chelsea looked sluggish throughout their ranks.
Once again, Juan Mata found himself on the bench, along with John Terry. Chelsea, as custom befits, found the proverbial bus parked in front of the Basel goal and could not find a way round until virtually the last kick of the half.
They lack the pace on the counter-attack, especially when Eden Hazard is obliged to come short and occupy the playmaker's role. It is early days yet for Eto'o but he struggled to get into the game. As for Marco Van Ginkel, making his first competitive start for the club, he had a struggle finding his touch which affected his confidence and he was eventually replaced with John Obi Mikel.
The liveliest livewire of all before the break was the Egyptian winger Salah who is raw but direct and had the Chelsea defence scuttling back on a few occasions. With 30 minutes gone, David Luiz gave the ball away and Basel worked it beautifully through their opponents to get Salah free. He cut inside on his left foot and could not keep his shot on target.
Mourinho looked nonplussed by the performance. In his programme notes, he had asked the supporters to be patient with his four “kids”, in attack. In the event he selected the 32-year-old Eto'o and the three youngsters - Oscar, Hazard and Willian - who cost a combined £92n. These are young players but they are the kind of young players who are expected to make an immediate impact.
Salah's directness caused the Chelsea defence trouble (Getty) Salah's directness caused the Chelsea defence trouble (Getty)  
In the end, the Chelsea goal came just moments before half-time. Luiz surged forward and found Frank Lampard in an advanced position. His pass into the right channel was beautifully weighted  through the Basel back line into the stride of Oscar who dispatched a right-footed shot across Yann Sommer and into the far corner.
For Oscar it was his sixth goal in seven Champions League games. He struck the bar with a beautifully hit shot from the left side on 56 minutes; a hit that came from nothing and beat Sommer with its flight and dip. But that was just about as close as Chelsea came as the momentum sagged in the second half.
It took until 65 minutes for Mourinho to look down the touchline and call Mata over from the group warming up. Coming on for Willian, Chelsea's No 10 occupied the right side of the attacking three, allowing Oscar to continue in the central role.
There had been little pressure on Chelsea's goal until the equaliser and the chances, few that there had been, had been in the away side's area. Yet the first Basel goal was a beauty. There was a ball from the left from Behrang Safari that went from Marco Streller to substitute Matias Delgado and out to Salah on the right who beat Petr Cech.
Mourinho played his last hand in response. Off came Van Ginkel, replaced by Mikel, and, more surprisingly, Lampard, who had been at the heart of Chelsea's best work, also came off. His little flick to Eto'o on 69 minutes might have made a goal had the striker been sharper. Lampard was replaced by Demba Ba as Chelsea went to a 4-2-4 system with Eto'o pushed left.
Marco Streller scores the winner for Basel to stun Chelsea (Reuters) Marco Streller scores the winner for Basel to stun Chelsea (Reuters)  
Streller's winner was glanced in direct from a corner from the left with Gary Cahill unable to get past the big centre-forward. By then, Chelsea had run out of ideas and the manager whose name had been sung all around the ground earlier in the evening left to a smattering of booing.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech; Ivanovic, Cahill, Luiz, Cole; Van Ginkel (Mikel 75), Lampard (Ba 75); Willian (Mata 66), Oscar, Hazard; Eto'o.

Basel (4-4-2): Sommer; Voser, Schar, Ivanov, Safari; Salah (Xhaka 87), Diaz, Frei, Stocker (Ajeti 81); Sio (Delgado 65), Streller.

Man of the match Salah.
Match rating 7/10.
Referee D Orsato (Italy).
Attendance 38,000.

=================

Guardian:

Basel strike back twice to ruin Oscar's promising night for Chelsea

Chelsea 1 Basel 2

Chelsea
Emboaba Oscar 45
 
Basel
Mohamed Salah 71,
Marco Streller 82
 
Dominic Fifield at Stamford Bridge

Any fanciful hopes that José Mourinho would wave his magic wand and right all that was wrong in these parts have now been dispelled. A little over a month since he returned triumphantly the scale of the task he has taken on is clear: the final whistle prompted boos from the home support as the players from Basel celebrated a first win on English soil. Mourinho, head bowed, departed down the tunnel with defeat hard to digest.
Not since Besiktas back in October 2003 had Chelsea, under Claudio Ranieri, succumbed at home in the group stage of the Champions League. This was more than a jolt to the system. It was a migraine-inducing reminder of this team's fallibility, a position of relative authority having been surrendered wastefully; even attempts to salvage a point were rather unconvincing and laced with panic. The last time Mourinho had overseen Chelsea in this area in European competition, against Rosenborg six years ago, they had been jeered off and he was sacked within 48 hours. In that context Roman Abramovich's march across the pitch and into the home dressing room post-match seemed ominous.
At least there is an apparent acceptance within the hierarchy these days that this campaign will have moments like this, with Mourinho having been at pains to stress his is a young team in transition and a side, as he suggested again here, that "lacks maturity" to recover from setbacks. Whether that is fair, given Chelsea have claimed a European Cup and a Europa League in the last two seasons and that the average age of their starting line-up was almost 28, is open to question.
Yet the mental fragility was clear. Their performance through much of the opening period had been stodgy at best and Oscar's goal on the stroke of half-time was plucked just as the Swiss relaxed for the first time. But there was carelessness in an inability to capitalise on that, and the first coherent attacking move mustered by the visitors cut Chelsea to shreds.
The equaliser was slickly constructed, the ball shifted smartly from left to right at pace with home defenders lunging in but unable to intercept, before Mohamed Salah curled a delicious shot beyond Petr Cech. The winger had been pesky before that, tormenting Ashley Cole whenever offered an opportunity to charge into space beyond the full-back, and had scored in last season's Europa League semi-final here between these sides. That reward had been overtaken by a glut of subsequent home goals. Here it merely pepped Basel's resolve.
Eight minutes from time Salah broke again and Marco Streller's near-post attempt was deflected behind for a corner. Kay Voser's near-post delivery was flicked in by Streller, the striker having benefited from a tangle between Gary Cahill and Samuel Eto'o in the six-yard box that served to liberate him from his marker, and the Swiss had their win.
Their manager, Murat Yakin,, attempted to maintain his deadpan calm post-match but could not help but enthuse at his team's performance, and particularly their resilience and recovery after the interval while his players celebrated raucously with the stereo blaring in the nearby dressing room. His introduction of the much criticised Matías Delgado had added bite to their pursuit and his game-plan frustrated Chelsea throughout. Even Voser and Behrang Safari deserved credit for recovering some poise having been embarrassed in the early exchanges by the galloping Willian and Eden Hazard. The wingers promised much but delivered little while Eto'o is still rusty, not sharp enough yet to capitalise on the movement his brain is so willing him to instigate. Juan Mata was introduced at 1-0 and offered little while Fernando Torres was not even in the match-day squad. Oscar alone of the home players posed a persistent threat and, while he purred, Chelsea had threatened to prosper.
The Brazilian, one of the three players 22 or under whom Mourinho has selected – he had promised four "beautiful, young eggs" in the build-up – had conjured the lead from nothing while the Swiss contemplated some half-time satisfaction. David Luiz was permitted to amble forward, Frank Lampard collected possession and slipped a pass inside Safari and Oscar's first-time finish back across Yann Sommer and into the far corner was supremely accurate.
The playmaker enjoys this stage and had scored twice against Juventus in the corresponding fixture last season, only to see that lead hauled back to 2-2. It turned out to be worse this time, though he was unfortunate before the hour as he collected possession and arced a shot on to the crossbar from just outside the corner of the penalty area.
Memories of that flash of brilliance were dulled in defeat, a fourth match without a win exposing the work that must be done to re-establish this squad as contenders on all fronts. Mourinho rightly said that this result does not make progress into the group stage impossible but his team must surely claim all six remaining home points available and, potentially, also win in Basel in their penultimate game. Rafael Benítez's side did that in last season's Europa League. The boos that pursued the home players down the tunnel here were reminiscent of the general mood under the Spaniard; things were not supposed to be as grim with Mourinho back in charge but reality is biting.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/gallery/2013/sep/18/champions-league-chelsea-basel-gallery

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Telegraph:

Chelsea 1 Basle 2

By Henry Winter, at Stamford Bridge

This was not in the brochure. This was not in the “Welcome Home Jose’’ script. This was embarrassing. Basle are a decent side with an outstanding individual in Mohamed Salah but Chelsea expected to enjoy a smooth, winning start to their Group E campaign.
Instead, as the final whistle signalled Chelsea’s first group-stage home defeat since 2003, Mourinho marched straight down the tunnel while Roman Abramovich, peering down from the emperor’s box, smiled wanly and shook his head.
Ten minutes later, Abramovich strolled across the pitch, accompanied by his minders, and headed towards the dressing-room. This was not what Abramovich and the Chelsea faithful had expected when Mourinho returned. This was more like the limp end to his first reign exactly six years ago.
After Mourinho’s pre-match talk, the headlines inevitably noted that Chelsea were left with egg on their faces. Mourinho could not point to inexperience or an over-reliance on “beautiful young eggs” as the average age was 27. Chelsea had enough possession, a fraction under 60 per cent, and enough chances, with 11 attempts on goal and nine corners, but badly lacked a cutting edge.
Samuel Eto’o ran hard but never showed that burst of pace required to get behind Basle’s well-drilled backline. Demba Ba came on but did little. Fernando Torres did not even make the bench. Manchester United’s success in persuading Wayne Rooney to stay looks even more damaging to Chelsea now.
The decision to loan Romelu Lukaku to Everton looks even odder. Lukaku is still learning his trade, and some question his true potential, but his performances for West Brom last season highlighted his ability. Mourinho erred in not keeping Lukaku.
The balance to the squad is wrong particularly between the ratio of finishing to finesse. Chelsea have so much creativity in Oscar, Eden Hazard and Willian, who all started, and Juan Mata who came off the bench. They just need more strikers.
After taking the lead through the excellent Oscar just before the break, Chelsea failed to go for the jugular, allowing Basle to counter-attack. Chelsea’s central midfield of Frank Lampard and Marco van Ginkel were bypassed as Salah scored.
Then Marco Streller headed in, exploiting Gary Cahill’s collision with Eto’o, and also benefiting from Chelsea’s failure to station anyone on the post. The Cobham debriefing on the second-half defending could be intense, focusing on a failure to respond quickly enough in midfield and then at a set piece.
Chelsea, who now travel to Steaua Bucharest and Schalke next month, can recover in Group E, but they will curse this second-half collapse. At half-time, such a denouement seemed improbable. The game had been subdued, very stop-start, with Chelsea failing to find a way through Basle’s strong defence for 44 minutes.
Some attention rested on Salah and his high-speed duel with Ashley Cole. Salah initially got the better of the England full-back, running in behind on to Valentin Stocker’s pass midway through the half. Salah cut inside, and shot left-footed but the ball almost disappeared down gangway No 11 in the Matthew Harding Lower.
Cole gradually imposed himself on Salah, closing the winger and eventually forcing him to switch flanks but the Egyptian international, who had so impressed against Spurs and Chelsea in the Europa League last season, came good in the second half.
A few chances arose and disappeared very quickly before Oscar’s intervention. Hazard shot wide. Giovanni Sio had a low shot held by Petr Cech. Cahill had a volley blocked. As half-time loomed, Chelsea produced a counter-attack that caught Basle out before they could get into their set defensive positions.
David Luiz began the move which angled from left to right, picking out Lampard, who played the ball into the path of Oscar. The Brazilian, arriving at speed, sent the ball right-footed past Yann Sommer. It was a fine, flowing goal out of keeping with a stuttering half.
Chelsea were on top for the first period of the second half, making their sudden demise even stranger. Chelsea had good chances to extend their lead through an Oscar shot, two Branislav Ivanovic headers and a Hazard effort.
The sight of Mata warming up had delighted the Chelsea fans and the Spaniard soon arrived for Willian after 67 minutes. Mata joined with Ivanovic and Lampard in making a chance for Eto’o, who seemed surprised by Lampard’s delivery and the moment was lost.
Basle punished Chelsea. After 71 minutes, Mourinho’s side were exposed by a great counter-attack, launched by Behrang Safari. The ball flew from Matias Delgado to Streller, who touched the ball across for Salah to beat Cech with a firm shot. Mourinho twisted again, sending on Ba and John Obi Mikel for Van Ginkel and Lampard. It was a surprise to see Lampard, the captain, withdrawn. He passed the armband to Ivanovic, who promptly handed it on to Cech.
With nine minutes remaining, Basle forced a corner after Luiz intervened to stop a link-up between Salah and Streller, As the ball curled over in front of the Shed, Streller made his move, losing Cahill and clearly targeting the near-post which had nobody on sentry duty. Streller made powerful contact, sending the ball between Cech and his right-hand upright.
Chelsea strived hard for an equaliser and Eto’o went close but Sommer would not be beaten. At the end, Murat Yakin and his players celebrated in front of their fans. Salah waved to well-wishers dotted around the ground. They had only seven attempts on goal but deserved all the points because of their belief, tactics and commitment to the end.
This may prove the shock Chelsea need to energise them, following their worst start to a Premier League season in the Abramovich era, but the failure to get a striker – or retain Lukaku – looks very, very expensive.

=====================

Mail:

Chelsea 1 Basle 2: Mourinho demanded eggs-elence... but Jose's toothless side crack up in dreadful start to Euro campaign

By Matt Barlow

Four without a win for Chelsea, and if Rafa Benitez were still in charge they would be throwing eggs, not extending metaphors about them.
Jose Mourinho’s popularity and credit in the bank will naturally ensure he gets a little longer than Benitez, but here was substance to the theory that this challenge is going to be a true test of his special powers.
His team were flat in the first half but stole the lead seconds before half-time through Oscar, only to surrender two goals in 11 minutes.
It was only the second time one of Mourinho’s Chelsea teams have lost at Stamford Bridge, the first having been defeat by Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League in his first incarnation.
Second time around, it has taken only three games, and has come against a team who can’t compare to Barca. Yes, Basle are decent and under-rated by some, but they are not world-beaters and conceded five over two legs to Chelsea in the Europa League last season.
Mourinho said his team lacked ‘maturity’ and ‘personality’, two of their great characteristics when he was last here, and accused them of getting the ‘shakes’ when the Swiss champions launched the recovery.
It was like last season under Benitez when anxiety took hold inside the Bridge once the excellent Mohamed Salah curled a left-foot shot beyond Petr Cech to level the game.
Mourinho said the players must share the blame for Basle’s winning goal as Marco Streller was allowed to muscle his way past Gary Cahill and Samuel Eto’o to the front post and glance home a corner from close range in the 82nd minute.
With Roman Abramovich peering down from his executive suite, Willian did not impress on debut after signing for £32million and nor did Eto’o, at 32, look as though he was about to roll back the years and provide the goals to power this Chelsea team.
Mourinho was quick to defend Eto’o, blaming his years in Russia at Anzhi Makhachkala for dulling his motivation and instinct but insisted the former Barcelona and Inter Milan striker remained world class.
Some Chelsea fans booed their team at the end, a noise Mourinho cannot be at all familiar with.
But times have changed since he left and four games without a win was usually close to a crisis in the culture he left behind.
He said himself in a pre-match briefing dominated by his quotes about playing the mother hen role to his young hatchlings that another foray into the Europa League was not acceptable for a club of this stature.
But this defeat leaves Mourinho on the back foot with tricky away tests to follow at Steaua Bucharest, where Chelsea were beaten in the first leg in the Europa League last season, and then Schalke.
Thus far, his team have beaten only Hull and Aston Villa and goals are not coming easily, despite a wealth of creative players available in support of the centre forward.
Mourinho maintained his  composure for most of the night, only once or twice becoming slightly  agitated on the touchline, perhaps in an effort to generate more urgency from his players.
Of the attacking players, only Oscar appears to be thriving under Mourinho. He scored a goal of simple beauty to give his team the lead, a sweet strike, arrowed into the corner of the net after a pass from Frank Lampard.
Ten minutes after the restart, the Brazilian almost extended the lead, out of the blue, with a swerving and dipping strike from wide on the left which crashed against the bar.
He was close again from a nearly identical position moments later. This time the shot flew narrowly wide and Mourinho spun on his heel. It may have been that he knew another goal would be needed to finish this off.
Mourinho threw on Juan Mata and Demba Ba in an effort to turn the momentum. Off came captain Lampard but Mata and Ba had little impact and there was no Fernando Torres on the bench.
The £50million record signing was rested, although whether he actually needed a rest is open to question since Torres has started only two of six under Mourinho, came on for the last 21 minutes at Everton on Saturday and did not play for Spain during the international break. Chelsea finished with Mata and Oscar in midfield, either side of John Mikel Obi. It was adventurous but ultimately it changed nothing.
There were 19 minutes to go when Basle equalised. A swift move cut through Chelsea’s right-hand side and a smart exchange of passes worked the ball across the edge of the penalty box where Salah completed it with a delicious finish.
Then came Streller’s header, which silenced Stamford Bridge.
Basle goalkeeper Yann Sommer protected the lead with a decent save from Eto’o in stoppage time and that was that.
To add insult to injury, Benitez’s Napoli side had just beaten Borussia Dortmund.
Mourinho darted down the tunnel with egg on his face and those Chelsea fans still in the ground booed. Abramovich peered down on the Swiss celebrations before stalking around the perimeter of the pitch and into the dressing room. It wasn’t supposed to be like this any more.

Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Cahill, Luiz, Cole, Oscar, van Ginkel (Mikel 75), Lampard (Ba 76), Willian (Mata 67), Eto'o, Hazard.
Subs Not Used: Schwarzer, De Bruyne, Terry, Azpilicueta.
Booked: van Ginkel .
Goals: Oscar 45.

Basle: Sommer, Voser, Schar, Ivanov, Safari, Salah (Xhaka 88), Diaz, Frei, Stocker (Ajeti 83), Sio (Delgado 65), Streller.
Subs Not Used: Vailati, Philipp Degen, David Degen, Sauro.
Booked: Diaz.
Goals: Salah 71, Streller 82.

Att: 38,000
Ref: Daniele Orsato (Italy).

=================

Mirror:
 
Chelsea 1-2 Basel: Shell shocker for Mourinho as his 'beautiful young eggs' crack in Champions League
 
By Martin Lipton
      
Oscar gave Blues the lead just before half-time but the yolk is on the hosts as Salah and Streller goals stun Stamford Bridge

The look on Roman Abramovich’s face told the story, even more than the jeers that cascaded around Stamford Bridge.
A short, rueful grin, but eyes as hard as stone. Unimpressed. Deeply unimpressed.
Six years ago, the Russian peered down on a side that could not beat Rosenborg and decided enough was enough.
At least - you would think - Abramovich will not be calling Jose Mourinho to demand a summit meeting on Thursday, will not be signing another mutual non-disclosure severance pact.
Both Abramovich and Mourinho have grown up since then. Mended the broken bridges. Agreed on the path forward.
But when Chelsea fail to win four on the spin, it represents an issue, if not a crisis.
When they lose two on the bounce, managers start to develop an anxiety rash.
The actions of the past, especially from a man as impulsive as Abramovich, condition the way you anticipate the future.
Just ask AVB, Roberto Di Matteo and Big Phil.
And while Mourinho has prepared the ground for a transition season, arguing that he is building for the longer term and  nurturing a squad full of "beautiful young eggs", he also acknowledges that winning remains an absolute priority.
Losing to Basel, a side conquered by Rafa Benitez’s men in the Europa League last May, was definitely not in the equation.
Mourinho, famously, lost just once at home in his first three-year spell, and defeat to Barcelona is not a badge of shame.
Now, though, he has tasted SW6 defeat, deserved defeat, after just 270 minutes of his return and to a side that should not be in Chelsea’s class, despite their feats against Manchester United and Spurs in recent years.
Marco Streller’s header, pulling away from Samuel Eto’o - whose contribution at his own end matched, for all the wrong reasons, the one he made at the other - consigned Chelsea to their first group stage home reverse since Claudio Ranieri’s team subsided against Besiktas in 2003.
But arguably more worrying, more damaging than the result, as Chelsea never got to grips with jet-heeled Mohamed Salah, was the lack of cohesion, drive, purpose and imagination.
This was reminiscent of the sort of displays that saw the Russian’s rift with Mourinho explode so damagingly last time round - and then they just WON too boringly for the owner.
Even when Oscar, slipped in on goal by skipper Frank Lampard after David Luiz stepped out from the back in the last minute of the first half, smashed them ahead, Chelsea were unable to settle or really impose themselves.
Having monopolised possession in the first half to no real effect.
Willian making little impact, Marco Van Ginkel offering far more physicality than finesse, it should have been a belated platform.
This was where Eden Hazard should have shone, rather than shrunk.
Where the experience and instincts of Eto’o were supposed to make a difference.
Where another summer of expensive imports was designed to ensure no repeat of last term’s group stage debacle.
Instead, to the consternation of the fans, the disbelief and frustration of Abramovich and the angst of the - still? - Special One, they capitulated.
Yes, only the woodwork denied Oscar a second, from 25 yards, Branislav Ivanovic headed straight at the keeper, Hazard blazed over when he should have done better.
But even before that, Salah’s pace had unhinged Chelsea far too easily, Streller should have converted Behrang Safari’s low cross.
And for the second time in less than a week, Mourinho’s changes served to confuse rather than improve, the arrival of Juan Mata sparking the leveller, the departure of Frank Lampard as he went with two up top leaving them exposed to the sucker punch.
Basle’s equaliser came from a move of infinitely better quality than anything Chelsea could put together.
Safari sauntered down the left to play into the danger area, where a one-touch interchange between substitute Matias Delgado and Streller presented Salah the opportunity to sweep home.
Worse was to come, eight minutes from time, when Chelsea - Ivanovic was suffering as badly as Cole - left themselves horribly unbalanced.
Only a terrific block by Luiz prevented Streller firing home when Salah escaped behind Ivanovic.
But when Delgado played the resulting corner in to the near post, the Basle skipper was far more purposeful and determined than anybody in a Blue shirt as he got the touch that befuddled Petr Cech.
Some huffing and puffing followed, but no way back.
Not good enough Jose. Not by a long chalk.

=====================

Express:

Chelsea 1 - Basel 2: Second-half Swiss fightback gives Jose Mourinho the Blues

JOSE MOURINHO was left to rue missed opportunities as two second half goals from Basel condemned Chelsea to a 2-1 loss against the Swiss side at Stamford Bridge this evening.

Ben Jefferson

After a frustrating first-half Oscar gave the Blues the lead just before half-time and Chelsea were looking comfortable midway through the second period.
But a 71st minute equaliser from Mohamed Salah gave Basel hope and they got a winner from Marco Streller with eight minutes remaining.
Mourinho once again omitted Juan Mata preferring to start with Frank Lampard and Oscar in the middle of the park.
Willian showed some nice touches for Chelsea, who despite dominating possession, could not make the final ball count in the early stages.
Both Samuel Eto'o and Eden Hazard caused problems for the Swiss side but a failure to make their dominance count began to frustrate the Blues as the half wore on.
And Chelsea could have been made to pay with 29 minutes gone when Salah drove down the right, before cutting inside and curling a shot harmlessly over the bar when a better finish could of put Basel ahead against the run of play.
Chelsea's patience was finally reward just one minute before half-time when Lampard got on the ball in midfield and slipped a perfectly-timed disguised pass into the path of Oscar, who made no mistake from 15 yards out.
Two second-half goals condemned Chelsea to an unlikely defeat against Basel
The sense of relief around Stamford Bridge at the break wasn't shared by Jose Mourinho who was unimpressed with his side's efforts and demanded improvement in the second period.
But Basel did not get the memo, and came out fighting, only for their ambition to almost work against them when Oscar got away from his man and hit the bar with a wonderful curling shot in the 65th minute.
Oscar was at the forefront again six minute later when he put Hazard into space with Chelsea looking in total control, but the Belgian's shot failed to test Yann Sommer in the Basel goal.
Mata replaced Willian to heartfelt applause and moments later Branislav Ivanovic was unlucky not to double Chelsea's lead when he saw his header cleared off the Basel line.
But Basel equalised against the run of play in the 71st minute when Chelsea failed to deal with Streller on the left and Salah expertly curled a shot into Petr Cech's far post.
And, sensing an upset, Basel went after Chelsea on the break, getting their reward in the 82nd minute when Streller got ahead of Gary Cahill from a corner and headed in at the near post to leave the Blues ruing missed opportunities.

=================

Star:

Jose Mourinho's Basel faulty after Champions League shocker

CHELSEA fell to a Champions League group stage home defeat for the first time in 30 matches on a shocker of a night for Jose Mourinho.

By David Woods

Six years ago to the day when Mourinho saw his men struggle to a dire 1-1 draw with Norwegian minnows Rosenborg, the Blues made that result look good in this opening Group E game.
Two days after the Rosenborg upset - watched by fewer than 25,000 at Stamford Bridge - Mourinho parted company with the west Londoners.
Wrong There is no suggestion, of course, something similar will happen tomorrow, but just six games into the second coming of The Special One, something already looks very wrong at Chelsea.
In their last four games, Chelsea have lost to Basel and Everton and also to Bayern Munich in a UEFA Super Cup penalty shoot-out, with a goalless draw at Manchester United the only positive.
Mourinho wanted to sign United's Wayne Rooney this summer, and you can see why, because his team lack a top-class striker.
Oscar gave the Blues the lead in the 45th minute before Mohamed Salah and Marco Streller stunned Stamford Bridge with goals in the final 20 minutes to complete a remarkable turnaround.
Roman Abramovich, who made up with Mourinho to invite him back to the Bridge, was spotted shaking his head after the final whistle. Mourinho was down the tunnel almost as quickly as Egyptian winger Salah, who also scored at the Bridge last season in a 3-1 Europa League semi-final defeat, when Chelsea ran out 5-2 winners on aggregate.
“Mourinho wanted to sign United's Wayne Rooney this summer, and you can see why, because his team lack a top-class striker”
Brazilian midfielder Oscar has two goals, and is leading scorer - with the only forward to have netted this season being Fernando Torres, in the Bayern match.
Dig You have to go back 30 matches to October 2003 for Chelsea's last group stage home defeat, to Besiktas, who won 2-0. On the eve of this match, Mourinho had talked about hatching the eggs in his squad, after laughing at a reminder of how he had moaned six years ago about not being able to buy the Grade A ones at Waitrose.
At the time, it had been a dig at Abramovich for not allowing him to buy big and although the Russian did sanction the £30m arrival of midfielder Willian, you sensed the capture of Samuel Eto'o - when the Rooney deal did not come off - was not what Mourinho was after.
Certainly, the Portuguese coach was left with egg on his face as his men cracked against the unfancied Swiss champions.
It was a pretty dire opening, but Chelsea did go ahead just before halftime with their first shot on target. David Luiz found skipper Frank Lampard, who rolled it into the box for Oscar to drill a low shot across Yann Sommer and inside the far post from about 15 yards.
Mourinho did not smile or react and he was right not to, for after the break his men showed little improvement.
He did clap when Oscar - one of the few decent performers in a blue shirt - struck the bar from 22 yards.
Then Basel seemed to realise The Special One's side were nothing special after all. His defence failed to deal with Behrang Safari's ball in from the left and Streller teed up Salah, who curled a left-footed shot into the far corner. Then Safari's corner found Streller, who glanced a header in at the near post. Eto'o had a late chance to equalise, but using his right foot - when it cried out for a left-footed effort - lifted it straight into keeper Sommer's hands. Even Juan Mata could not lift Chelsea after coming on.
At the final whistle there were a few boos - not something Mourinho would have expected when he returned.
Now come trips to Fulham in the league on Saturday and to League One Swindon in the Capital One Cup four days later.
The yolk could be on Mourinho if things don't pick up and quick!

CHELSEA: Cech, Ivanovic, Cahill, Luiz, Cole, Oscar, Van Ginkel (Mikel 75), Lampard (Ba 76), Willian (Mata 67), Eto'o, Hazard. Subs: Schwarzer, De Bruyne, Terry, Azpilicueta.

BASEL: Sommer, Voser, Schar, Ivanov, Safari, Salah (Xhaka 88), Diaz, Frei, Stocker (Ajeti 83), Sio (Delgado 65), Streller. Subs: Vailati, Philipp Degen, David Degen, Sauro. Booked: Diaz.
Referee: Daniele Orsato (Italy).