Chelsea captain John Terry was relieved after his side clung on for a 1-0 Champions League win over Sporting Lisbon despite missing a host of chances.
- Delaney: Chelsea squeak past Sporting CP in UCL win
Nemanja Matic's first-half header was the only goal, with Chelsea unable to kill the game off and almost made to pay when Nani and Freddy Montero went close in a final 10 minutes dominated by the hosts.
Terry told Sky Sports 5: "They're a good side but it's been about 10 years since they've been in the Champions League so it was a big night for them.
"We had so many chances, it was one of those nights where it just didn't go but thankfully 'Mati' came up with a good header.
"We lost our first game last year and came back to win so that was in our mind, that we had to win."
It was Terry's 100th Champions League appearance and he said: "I'm very proud, there's not too many players to achieve that."
Mourinho joined the chorus of praise for Terry, as he suggested his skipper was a worthy entrant in an exclusive club of players who have notched up a century of Champions League appearances.
"The club of 100 games in the Champions League is a restricted one," said Mourinho. "Only a very few have done it for the same club. He was probably not captain for all 100 but surely in at least 90 of them.
"He is a historical player and he will go down in the history of the club."
Goalscorer Matic has experience of Portuguese football, having rejoined the Blues from Benfica, and said: "I scored against a big rival of Benfica.
"The most important thing is we won, it's not important who scores the goals but I feel good because I scored."
Nani, on loan at Sporting from Manchester United, said: "The first half a few of our players were a bit nervous but in the second half we gave a very good response.
"I think our team deserve congratulations for the performance in the second half."