SM
Real Sociedad vs. Real Madrid: 16 hrs 6 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews
CL
Champions League | Group Stage
Sep 12, 2017 at 7.45pm UK
 
Q

6-0

Pedro (5'), Zappacosta (30'), Azpilicueta (55'), Bakayoko (71'), Batshuayi (76'), Medvedev (82' og.)
FT(HT: 2-0)

Chelsea hit six against Qarabag FK in Champions League opener

:Headline: Result: Chelsea hit six against Qarabag FK in Champions League opener: ID:307103: from db_amp
Chelsea mark their return to the Champions League with a 6-0 victory over minnows Qarabag FK at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea have opened their Champions League campaign with a 6-0 victory over Azerbaijani outfit Qarabag FK.

The Blues dominated from start to finish at Stamford Bridge, with Pedro, Davide Zappacosta, Cesar Azpilicueta, Tiemoue Bakayoko all getting on the scoresheet before a late own goal from Maksim Medvedev completed the rout.

It took just four minutes for Chelsea to create their first chance of the night with Marcos Alonso being denied from 14 yards out but moments later, Pedro gave his side the lead with a wonderful effort into the corner from the edge of the box.

Qarabag were all over the place at the back but to their credit, Gurban Gurbanov's team were doing an effective job in keeping openings down to a minimum.

Chelsea would have to wait until the 19th minute for their next couple of chances, with Willian's low effort being parried by goalkeeper Ibrahim Sehic and into the path of Batshuayi, who fired into the side-netting from an acute angle.

Just before the half-hour mark, Chelsea had their second through Zappacosta, who drilled an effort inside the near post from the right flank, although his strike appeared to be intended for a teammate in the middle.

As half time approached, the tempo dropped considerably but Qarabag showed that they should still be taken seriously at the other end as Pedro Henrique cut inside onto his left foot before forcing a solid save out of Thibaut Courtois.

After the restart, there were signs that both Chelsea and Qarabag understood that the game was effectively over as a contest and the home team put the result further beyond doubt when Azpilicueta glanced a header into the roof of the net from eight yards after meeting Cesc Fabregas's cross.

The third goal gave Antonio Conte the chance to introduce Eden Hazard in order to step up the Belgian's recovery from a fractured ankle, but the attacker remained on the periphery of the game for much of the final half-hour.

Willian went close to a fourth when rattling the crossbar from inside the penalty area, but the Blues extended their advantage through Bakayoko, who sent a deflected shot into the roof of the net after Qarabag had failed to clear a corner.

Batshuayi had shown some impressive touches in and around the penalty area, but the forward finally netted the goal his play deserved when he drilled a low strike into the bottom corner from 20 yards out.

Qarabag were tiring, but Chelsea were in no mood to take it easy on the minnows, with Batshuayi forcing Medvedev to bundle the ball into his own net after Zappacosta had given all the time that he wanted to move into a crossing position.

Dino Ndlovu squandered a late opportunity for the visitors when blazing over the crossbar from 16 yards out, but conceding a late goal would have been harsh on Chelsea who displayed their strength in depth after Conte had opted to make five changes to his starting lineup.

amp_article__307103 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2017-09-16 07:55:30:
html db last update - 2021-03-10 21:13:23 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html
Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal34245582265677
2Manchester CityMan City33237380324876
3Liverpool34228475344174
4Aston Villa34206871502166
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs32186865491660
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd33165125150153
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle331551369541550
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham34139125463-948
9Chelsea32138116157447
10Bournemouth34129134960-1145
11Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton331111115254-244
12Wolverhampton WanderersWolves34127154654-843
13Fulham34126165054-442
14Crystal Palace34109154456-1239
15Brentford3498175259-735
16Everton34118153648-1233
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3479184260-1826
18Luton TownLuton3467214775-2825
19Burnley3458213769-3223
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd3437243392-5916
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .