Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo defended his decision to drop Fernando Torres from the starting lineup after last year's winners crashed to Juventus 3-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Goals from Fabio Quagliarella, Arturo Vidal and Sebastian Giovinco put Chelsea on the brink of becoming the first ever team in Champions League history to not progress into the knockout rounds while trying to defend their title.
With Torres off color for quite a while now, Di Matteo decided to play Eden Hazard up front, although his decision to start with right-back Cesar Azpilicueta, instead of Victor Moses, down the right can be questioned.
"I thought this was the team to beat Juventus but if the result is negative you always face repercussions," he said. "Torres, like all players who don't start, was disappointed but he certainly has a future and we all have to pick ourselves up again.
"We wanted to reinforce our midfield a little bit and try to control their left side where (Kwadwo) Asamoah and (Claudio) Marchisio play, and also not to give a point of reference for their center-backs with Hazard, (Juan) Mata and Oscar interchanging positions and finding space.
"Hazard had the first good chance and Oscar and Mata also found themselves with ones in front of the keeper. In transition I thought we were very dangerous and created some good opportunities.
"But the first goal was unlucky, a big deflection, and Petr Cech got something on it but couldn't quite save it. In crucial, tight games the first goal is often decisive.
"My conviction was 100 percent to go for this team and it did create some problems for Juventus. The second goal was a deflection as well but after the first goal we had to take a few more risks to get into the game again."
Chelsea now need to beat Nordsjaelland in the final group game and also hope Shakhtar Donetsk, who ensured progress with a 5-2 win over the Danish side, get the better of Juventus in Ukraine. Di Matteo is hopeful everything will work out for his team.
"While there is hope you still try and who says Juventus are not going to lose to Shakhtar Donetsk," he added. "We just have to make sure we win our last game and 10 points is usually enough. Sometimes it is not but many times it is enough to qualify."
Juventus assistant manager Angelo Alessio was understandably ecstatic after his side's victory. "We chose the players who were in better shape tonight," he said. "I have to compliment the whole team on this game.
"We wanted to maintain a high pace over the 90 minutes, we wanted to force them to defend. Of course we were playing against a big team like Chelsea so it's inevitable that they had a few chances as well.
"Our last game will be extremely important as we are not through yet, but we will play the same way we did tonight. We like to play football -- we did everything we could to win, and were rewarded with an important victory. Both teams have great players and it was a beautiful game."
