Chelsea vs Porto: Why dropping out of the Champions League has a silver lining for the Blues

Playing in the Europa League could be Chelsea's most likely chance of qualifying for next season's Champions League

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho (Getty Images)

Chelsea cannot afford to lose to Porto in Wednesday’s Champions League clash otherwise they risk seeing Dynamo Kiev join the Portuguese side in the last-16 of the competition, with the Blues dropping down to the Europa League.

But one silver lining, should they suffer defeat at Stamford Bridge, would be that the Europa League offers them the best chance of Champions League football next season.

Chelsea suffered a devastating 1-0 defeat by Bournemouth on Saturday evening that leaves Jose Mourinho’s side in 14th position, just two points above the relegation zone and an alarming 14 points off the top four.

Speaking after the match, Mourinho suggested that a top six finish could well be beyond his side this season after suffering their eighth loss in the league this season, but the Champions League may not be out of reach just yet.

Uefa reward both the Champions League and Europa League winners with a place in the elite competition next season, a ruling that came to fruition when Liverpool were allowed to defender their European crown that they won in 2005 despite finishing in fifth that season.

Furthermore, the Blues did the same in 2012, when their Champions League victory over Bayern Munich superseded their sixth place finish in the league and saw them into the competition the following season at the expense of Tottenham.

The last time Chelsea dropped down into the Europa League - which came that year in 2012/13 - they went on to win the final, becoming the first club ever to win the Champions League and Europa League in consecutive seasons in the process.

Of course, Chelsea could qualify for the Champions League next season by winning it this season, but the likelihood of an English club winning the competitions looks about as realistic as Chelsea’s hopes of retaining the Premier League given the recent performances by the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich.