Scorer: Chelsea: Anelka 48

Nicolas Anelka’s rebound strike early in the second half saw Chelsea edge past the Portuguese champions with a damp squib of a display on an extremely damp night.

Anelka looked as if he’d added to Chelsea’s growing list of squandered opportunities when he hit his first shot at Porto keeper Helton.

But he was able to clip the rebound into the net from a tight angle to give Chelsea a winning start in Group D.

Despite never being at their best, Chelsea did create enough chances to have won the game comfortably.

But they clearly missed Didier Drogba, suspended for his well-documented antics after Chelsea’s last Champions League fixture, last season’s semi-final against Barcelona.

The visitors had the first clear sight on goal when the striker nicknamed Hulk for obvious reasons fired in a shot which Chelsea keeper Petr Cech decided to save with his knees.

Chelsea may have lacked width and a centre-forward but chances came, and went, at regular intervals.

Frank Lampard was wasteful with two headers, Anelka shot straight at Helton and a couple of decent crosses from the right by Branislav Ivanovic were crying out for Drogba to be awaiting them.

Porto’s Fredy Guarin headed over from eight yards shortly before the break. And Anelka made them rue that miss shortly afterwards.

Saloman Kalou wasted another Ivanovic cross on 58 minutes, although Helton did well to turn the header aside.

And the Portguese champions caused a few problems as they pressed for an equaliser in the final quarter, Guarin twice denied by Cech, the second save with his legs again.

And Cech made an even better save to deny substitute Silvestre Varela with none minutes left.

Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti spoke after the game of Chelsea’s tiredness. But it was a typically lacklustre early group stages display. And they still deserved their win.