Dull and uneventul is occasionally just fine. Chelsea have coasted into the last four of the Champions League for the first time since 2013-14 following a 1-0 defeat against a meek Porto team in which Mehdi Taremi's goal arrived 60 seconds from the end.
Carrying a 2-0 advantage from the first leg, this was a reminder that it is OK to sometimes sacrifice style in exchange for straightforward progression. Taremi's effort was spectacular, an overhead kick that flew into the far corner, but such consolation was barely deserved for a Porto side that appeared neutered from beginning to added time. The scoreline certainly failed to give an adequate summary of what had really occurred.
Thomas Tuchel, who on the eve of this game said that now rather than the future is the time to win silverware, looked both frustrated and relieved at the end of a match in which his team did enough to stifle limited opposition without ever looking too threatened or indeed threatening at the opposite end.
Real Madrid or Liverpool will put up a far bigger challenge in the semi-finals but the West London club are potentially 180 minutes from the final of the competition owner Roman Abramovich desires more than any other. That is all that mattered.
Chelsea had entered this meeting with a pristine record in two-legged ties when they won the first game away from home. Make it 15 from 15 now.
It was evident early on that was going to be far from a dazzling spectacle and many watching on from their sofas will have been forgiven for switching over to PSG vs Bayern Munich as Porto huffed, puffed and ultimately failed to land a blow until it was too late.
But it was always going to require a remarkable act of self-sabotage for Chelsea to throw away a 2-0 lead against an opponent that, for all their resilience and determination, does not possess the same firepower as any of the other quarter-finalists.
At the same it was bizarre that they waited so long to bring Taremi off the bench and also throw the kitchen sink on.
This leg had started similarly to last week's initial meeting but where Porto’s intensity wilted midway through the opening half last Wednesday, their aggressive pursuit endured a little longer here - illustrated by 15 fouls being accumulated by half time.
Yet their only real glimpses of goal before the bizarre conclusion came from an Edouard Mendy error that went unpunished thanks to Jorginho’s intervention early on, a Jesus Corona shot that zoomed well over after Ben Chilwell misread an aerial pass 33 minutes in and a decent effort from Taremi that the goalkeeper got down well to save on 65.
That was their first attempt on target. It was also their only one until Taremi scored that remarkable overhead kick, with a shin, in the dying embers.
Chelsea were never out of control, happy to sit a tad deeper than normal and taking their time from set-pieces - of which there seemed to be no shortage. With referee Clement Turpin in a whistle-happy mood, there was little fluidity to proceedings and the home team’s best moment in the opening period came from a lung-busting N’Golo Kante charge forward after a Chilwell headed clearance.
Tuchel will have found plenty that can be worked on in training - a lack of precision in the final third, some wayward passing - but there was a clear sense that another gear was available if required.
Kante, making his first start since a minor hamstring issue sustained on France duty last month and not back to 100%, was the outstanding cast member again - covering every blade of grass, breaking up play and sometimes getting forward.
Mason Mount did not feature prominently until a blocked shot in the 58th minute, Kai Havertz drifted in and out of the match and Christian Pulisic tried hard without fashioning a moment of significance in the final third as Porto sought to kick lumps out of him. By the end the American had been fouled 11 times, a Champions League record.
But why over-exert yourself in such a hectic period when sometimes merely doing enough can be justified? Progression was all that mattered here and tomorrow night Tuchel, his staff and players can sit back and watch their next opponents.
