OTHER than José Mourinho’s repeated use of his name to indulge further his deep-seated paranoia, Petr Cech, watching on television in Oxford’s Radcliffe Hospital, had little to worry about. The Czech Republic international’s goalkeeping jersey appears to have been left in safe hands.

Hilário’s previous game of competitive football was for Nacional, the Portuguese club, in April, though on the basis of this performance he may be far busier for the remainder of this season.

Wearing the No 40 shirt, which probably reflected his place in the pecking order at the start of the season, he acquitted himself admirably, doing more than enough to win Mourinho’s confidence.

“Hilário showed his security from the first moment,” Mourinho said. “The team gave him confidence and he gave confidence to the team. He played a comfortable game.”

Hilário’s composure should never have been in doubt because he is a 31-year-old veteran of several Champions League campaigns. Admittedly, most have been viewed from the substitutes’ bench, but these were daunting circumstances nonetheless. In addition to being plunged into the biggest grudge match in European football, the former FC Porto goalkeeper was also playing for his immediate future as the game’s dealmakers have not been slow in attempting to take advantage of Cech’s misfortune.

More than a dozen agents have made contact with Peter Kenyon, the Chelsea chief executive, offering a variety of goalkeepers, with the out-of-contract Fabien Barthez and Gianluigi Buffon, wasting away in Serie B with Juventus, among those being touted.

To a lesser extent, Mourinho’s reputation was also on the line as Hilário is the first goalkeeper he took to the club. As with much of the rest of his squad, he was fortunate by the options bequeathed to him by Claudio Ranieri, inheriting not one but two world-class goalkeepers in Cech and Carlo Cudicini.

It took Arsène Wenger the best part of a decade to sign a top goalkeeper for Arsenal, but at least Mourinho possesses certain genetic advantages. His father and inspiration, Felix, is the most fêted goalkeeper in Portugal’s history, presumably for his cat-like reflexes. Mourinho may not be blessed with his father’s agility, but he has benefited from his eye for talent, as Hilário did not let him down.

The Chelsea fans did their best to encourage their temporary hero with shouts of “We’ve got Hilário”, and the debutant was also indebted to Michael Essien for giving him that most precious gift to nervous goalkeepers, an early touch of the ball. After Essien’s fourth-minute backheader had warmed his fingertips, he was rather underoccupied, reflecting Chelsea’s comfort in a strangely lacklustre opening.

His value soon became apparent, particularly as a shot-stopper, as Deco succeeded in creating more space for Lionel Messi towards the end of the first half. The game’s first opening also fell to the teenage Argentinian, but Hilário was his equal. If he was a tad slow in coming off his line when Deco released Messi, he immediately made amends, tipping his right-footed shot around the far post with an agile dive.

Six minutes later he was called into action at his near post after some slick passing by Barcelona put Xavi through on goal, getting down well to smother the shot.

Standing just over 6ft and with little knowledge of his defenders, Hilário was never going to dominate the area in the manner of Cech, with uncertainty in the air appearing to be his only discernible weakness. Towards the end of the first half he made a terrible hash of attempting to claim the ball from over Eidur Gudjohnsen’s shoulder, with Chelsea fortunate to be awarded a free kick.

Mourinho’s words of reassurance during the interval must have had the desired effect as the second half passed off without alarm. Ricardo Carvalho was required to clear a header by Ronaldinho off the line at the back post with Hilário stranded at the near, but he was otherwise untroubled, standing tall to save a free kick from the Brazilian and getting down well to stop a well-struck drive from Xavi.

Mourinho looked on with the paternalistic pride he exudes when things are going well, no doubt also inherited from his father, while Kenyon will not have to spend much of Roman Abramovich’s money in the immediate future. Cudicini should have recovered from concussion to play in the return leg in a fortnight, but Hilário should be more than capable as a deputy, as Mourinho confirmed. “Carlo and Hilário are very good goalkeepers and will cover the first two places,” he said. “We need to get some security in place of Petr but are looking for a third-choice goalkeeper.”

With Chelsea’s goalkeeping cupboard seemingly so well stocked, Cech’s health will remain the club’s prime concern and, given the ease with which his third choice kept out the European champions, Mourinho will not need to risk rushing his first choice back too early.