Cypriot minnows Apoel Nicosia secured a 2-2 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, but agonisingly missed out on a place in the Europa League, while Porto sealed an impressive 3-0 win away to hapless Atletico Madrid.

Chelsea had already secured top spot in Group D before kick-off, but in time-honoured fashion, Carlo Ancelotti chose not to drastically alter his side from their weekend defeat by Manchester City, in an attempt to return to winning ways.

Petr Cech, culpable for City's winner on Saturday was replaced by Ross Turnball, there was a full debut for French maverick Gael Kakuta, while Joe Cole was drafted into the side and Didier Drogba continued upfront.

A Nicolas Anelka goal was enough to secure victory for the Blues the last time the two sides met, but this was a much more open affair, and both sides could easily have added to their tallies.

The Cypriots took the lead early on when Constantinos Charalambides delivered from the right allowing Marcin Zewlakow to slot home at the near post with John Terry appealing in vain for an offside flag that never came.

Joe Cole was denied what he thought was a certain equaliser when he was flagged offside after converting a Florent Malouda cross, but the Blues didn't have to wait much longer for their leveller.

Michael Essen it was whose swerving 25-yard strike gave Dionisis Chiotis no chance at all, however the influential Ghanaian was soon forced to limp off, to the obvious concern of his manager, who is already short of several key players through injury.

Moments later the home side took the lead for the first time after a flowing move involving Kakuta and Yuri Zhirkov, the Russian crossing for Drogba who clinically drove the ball into the corner with his left foot.

Into the second half, and Ivan Jovanović's side nearly found a quick equaliser when Turnball was forced to save well from Nuno Morais' deflected long range effort, before Cole was again unlucky, striking the bar with a cross.

But Chelsea were denied the win when substitute Nenad Mirosavljuevic stole onto John Obi Mikel's pass before running through to score, earning the Cypriots an unlikely draw.

In the group's other game, a hapless Atletico Madrid returned to their dreadful form of earlier in the season, capitulating to a 3-0 defeat to Porto at a half-full Vicente Calderon stadium.

Quique Flores' side needed only to match Nicosia's result to ensure Europa League qualification but failed dramatically, as goals from Bruno Alves, Radamel Falcao and Hulk condemned the Spaniards to a heavy defeat.

The Portuguese champions dominated from the off, having secured a 2-0 victory in the return fixture at the Estadio do Dragao in September, captain Bruno Alves heading home the first from a corner after only ninety seconds!

Less than a quarter of an hour into the encounter, the visitors went 2-0 in front, Falcao stealing in to grab his third of the campaign after Sergio Asenjo could only parry a speculative long range strike from Jorge Fucile.

Diego Forlan, Sergio Aguero and Maxi Rodriguez had chances for the home side, while Falcao could also have added to his personal tally before the powerfully-built striker Hulk put the game beyond doubt deep into the second half.

The Brazilian created space for himself in the area before unleashing an unstoppable drive that flew in off the underside of the bar.

The home fans had long since seen enough, and Hulk's goal prompted a further exodus from the Atletico faithful.

Chelsea, as we already knew before Tuesday's action, win the group, while Porto had also long since secured second spot, while it is Atletico pip Apoel Nicosia to a Europa spot courtesy of a better head-to-head record.