Shevchenko strike rescues Chelsea

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PORTO, Portugal -- Andriy Shevchenko's 16th minute goal allowed Chelsea to snatch a 1-1 draw from manager Jose Mourinho's former club Porto in their Champions League first knockout round, first leg tie on Wednesday.

The Ukraine striker equalized with his 58th European club competition goal, four minutes after midfielder Raul Meireles had put the Portuguese league leaders ahead.

The English champions lost central defender John Terry to injury in the eighth minute when the England captain collapsed after turning his right ankle and crawled to the touchline. He was carried off on a stretcher.

With their inspirational skipper off the field, Porto capitalised on the gap in Chelsea's defense.

Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Helder Postiga dribbled cleverly into the box and Claude Makelele cleared the ball but only as far as Meireles.

The midfielder hit the ball high on the volley from 20 meters and it skimmed off Chelsea's Frank Lampard into the corner of Petr Cech's net.

Mourinho reacted with an attacking substitution, sending midfielder Michael Essien into central defence and bringing on fleet-footed Dutch winger Arjen Robben.

Robben made his presence felt almost immediately. He collected the ball 40 metres out, wrongfooted Porto's defence and sent Shevchenko through to shoot low past keeper Helton.

The former AC Milan striker needs only five more goals to overtake Gerd Muller as the all-time European club competition top scorer.

It was eventful end-to-end stuff in the first half. Cech saved Chelsea in the 20th minute when he blocked a point-blank shot from Lisandro Lopez.

Six minutes before the break Portugal winger Ricardo Quaresma produced a piece of trademark magic when Meireles laid the ball off to him and he lifted it against the bar with Cech beaten.

Muscle problem

Mourinho was forced to substitute Robben at halftime after the Dutchman suffered a muscle problem. Nigerian John Obi Mikel came on and helped smother the danger from Quaresma.

"We have problem after problem," Mourinho lamented on Sky television. "We keep losing players. Essien is the power of midfield and he is out of position. Robben has a muscular problem because he did not have time to warm up."

The London side then slowed the game, defending deeper and apparently happy to soak up pressure from the Portuguese side.

Chelsea's top scorer Didier Drogba hit the post in the 77th minute after a fine move from Shevchenko but, with heavy rain falling, second half chances were few and far between at either end.

Lopez had the last chance of the game when he pulled free in stoppage time but with Cech bearing down on him he sent the ball over the bar.

Mourinho, who led Porto to Champions League glory in 2004 before being lured to Chelsea by billionaire owner Roman Abramovich, last visited the Dragon stadium with Chelsea two seasons ago in the group stage. Chelsea had already qualified and lost 2-1 after winning the home game 3-1.

After a rocky start to Wednesday's match they will be the happier side, returning to Stamford Bridge on March 6 with an away goal.

"Under the circumstances I am happy. You come here and after five minutes you lose John Terry, you have to change the whole system and we were playing against a good team," Mourinho said.

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