Florent Malouda spared Chelsea blushes and perhaps saved Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti’s job to boot, well for now.
With four minutes remaining, and the score precariously poised at 1-1 the Frenchman popped up to lash home a winner that, Chelsea deserved, but looked like was never going to come.
MSK Zilina who had yet to score in four straight defeats had the audacity to open the scoring on 20 minutes when Babatounde Bello, from Benin in West Africa poked home from close range past a hapless Ross Turnbull.
That silenced the 40, 266 crowd who came to Stamford Bridge expecting a cricket score.
Chelsea who had five changes from the league defeat to Birmingham on Saturday were terrible for the opening 25 minutes.
Bereft of leadership on the pitch, Chelsea looked like a club in crisis.
After going one down, the sheer shock of what be could become the most embarrassing defeat in their Champions League history loomed large.
The home side finally put together a series of passes and peppered the Slovakians' goal but to no avail in the first half.
Eventually Chelsea got their toes back in the game with a goal on 51 minutes when Daniel Sturridge tucked home a smart right-footer after good set-up play from substitute Salomon Kalou.
Excellent goalkeeping from Martin Dubravka and the woodwork prevented nervous Chelsea from taking over completely.
They finally got the three points and won Group F with a game to spare thanks to the trusty foot of Frenchman Malouda.
But it was close – too close for Chelsea and Roman Abramovich’s reputation.
Chelsea (4-3-3): Turnbull; Ferreira, Bruma, Ivanovic, Van Aanholt; Ramires, McEachran (Mellis 90+1), Malouda; Kakuta (Kalou h-t), Drogba, Sturridge (Anelka 73).
Unused subs Hilario, B Clifford, Mikel, Sala.
Scorers Sturridge 50.
Booked Ramires 80.
Zilina (4-4-2): Dubravka; Angelovic, Piacek, Pecalka, Gergel; Jez, Guldon, Bello, Vladavic (Rilke 89); Majtan (Poliacek 84), Ovavec (Ceesay 63).
Unused subs: Krnac, Leitner, Zosak, Sorek.
Scorer Bello 18.
Referee Robert Schörgenhofer from Austria.
Crowd 40,266.
Shots on Chelsea 9 Zilina 5
Corners Chelsea 12 Zilina 1
Fouls Chelsea 13 Zilina 9
Offsides Chelsea 2 Zilina 2