Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic has admitted his relief following the team's narrow victory over Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League.

Matic scored the only goal of the game in Portugal on Tuesday night as the Blues won their first match of this season's competition.

However, the Serbian concedes that Chelsea were made to work for the three points, particularly in the second half when they failed to kill off the game.

"We played the first half well. We controlled the whole 45 minutes but in the second half it was more difficult to play our game," he told the club's official website.

"Sporting pressed us a lot and we had a few good chances we didn't take, but the most important thing is that we won and took very important points."

Chelsea continue their Premier League campaign on Sunday when they welcome London rivals Arsenal to Stamford Bridge.

Written by
Jack Prescott