Good evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's Champions League Group G opener between Chelsea and Maccabi Tel Aviv at Stamford Bridge. The hosts come into this match as heavy favourites to pick up all three points, but the visitors will feel that this is as good a time as any to visit the home of the English champions. It could be a significant night one way or the other in West London. Let's start with a look at the team news...

CHELSEA STARTING XI: Begovic; Azpilicueta, Zouma, Cahill, Baba Rahman; Loftus-Cheek, Fabregas; Willian, Oscar, Hazard; Remy

CHELSEA SUBS: Blackman, Terry, Ivanovic, Ramires, Matic, Traore, Diego Costa

Well, we expected changes to the Chelsea side and Jose Mourinho has not disappointed. A number of regular first-team players have been dropped to the bench as a result of the club's dreadful start to the new season, with the most notable of those perhaps being John Terry. Gary Cahill captains the side in his absence, with the England centre-back returning alongside after himself being left out at the weekend.

In all, Mourinho has made no fewer than six changes to his starting XI this evening, but it seems to be more than simply playing a weakened side against a team they are expected to beat. There are very few straightforward games at this level anyway, and every team would want to start with a victory, so the changes seem to be a genuine shake-up from Mourinho in response to his side's form. It may upset the apple cart a little, but drastic actions were perhaps needed.

In addition to Cahill in defence, there is a first start for summer signing Baba Rahman on the left. He will be hoping to impress on his full debut as he looks to push Azpilicueta a little harder than Filipe Luis did last season, although he is not in at the Spaniard's expense tonight. Instead, Azpilicueta switches over to right-back - his primary position before Mourinho arrived at the club - to replace Branislav Ivanovic, who has been woefully short of his usual high standards so far this season.

Behind them it is Begovic who once again fills in between the sticks, with Courtois sidelined through injury for a couple of months. That is obviously a huge blow for the club and, although Mourinho has praised Begovic so far this season, he has conceded seven goals already this term. Admittedly, he hasn't had much of a chance with any of them, but there is no doubt that Courtois is a level above the former Stoke shot-stopper.

More changes comes in midfield, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek is handed a start alongside Fabregas, who drops back into a deeper role. The Spaniard is one of many to have struggled to replicate last season's form so far this time around, and Chelsea will be desperate for him to return to his best as soon as possible. Matic, who scored a stunner against Everton last time out, drops to the bench, while Mikel is not involved at all.

The hosts are crying out for a performance from Hazard, who has been nowhere near the level that say him named PFA Player of the Year last term. He is too good a player to carry on in such disappointing form, though, and you feel that it will only take one good performance for him to find his feet again. He is joined by the returning Oscar, back from injury, and Willian in that trio behind the main striker, who tonight comes in the form of Loic Remy. He is preferred to Diego Costa, who is dropped to the bench. Costa didn't manage a single Champions League goal in seven appearances last season, having struck eight times in nine games for Atletico the year before.

MACCABI STARTING XI: Rajkovic; Shpungin, Tibi, Ben Harush, Ben Haim; Alberman, Zahavi, Rikan, Mitrovic; Igiebor, Ben Haim

MACCABI SUBS: Lifshitz, Itzhaki, Micha, Vermouth, Carlos Garcia, Peretz, Radonjic

As for Maccabi, their main dangerman will be Eran Zahavi, whose record this season is very impressive indeed. The Maccabi team is built around the playmaker, who has a very good eye for goal too. He has scored seven goals in the qualifying rounds of this competition already, while in all competitions he has 12 this term, netting in seven of his side's 10 league and European games so far.

Chelsea fans will be well aware of Tal Ben Haim in defence too, with the centre-back having spent a season with the Blues. He made 23 appearances for the club overall in 2007-08, a season he began under Mourinho before the Portuguese boss was sacked. He has an exact namesake Tal Ben Haim playing up front for Maccabi tonight who, for the sake of clarity, I'll refer to as Ben Haim II.

The defensive Ben Haim is expected to be a busy man tonight, but Chelsea are not quite the dominant force they were last season at the moment. They have made a terrible start to the new campaign - their worst to a top-flight season for 29 years, and there is an argument to be made that they are already out of the title race. Of course, it seems ludicrous to say that after only five domestic games, but they are now 11 points adrift of Manchester City, which is a huge gap to make up no matter how long they have left.

The Blues have incredibly already lost three league games this season, including both of their last two. It has been a start that has taken many by surprise considering how comfortably they cruised to the title last season, but in hindsight perhaps there were a few signs towards the closing stages of the 2014-15 campaign. Chelsea have only really played to the level they are capable of once in 2015 so far, beating Swansea 5-0, with their other games being relatively unconvincing.

Of course, the major difference is that last season they were still winning matches when not playing well, whereas this time around they can't seem to buy a victory. Another loss tonight - unthinkable as it is - would condemn them to three in a row for the first time since 2006, and three in a row in the same season for the first time in the Roman Abramovich era. They have lost five and won just two of their last eight matches, including the Community Shield, being beaten the same amount of times in their last seven games as they were in the previous 61. I know, Jose.

The attributes that made Chelsea such a formidable force last season - and indeed through Mourinho's two reigns at the helm - seem to have abandoned them this season. Chief amongst that is their defence record, with Chelsea conceding more goals in the Premier League so far this term than any other side. They have shipped 12 goals in their opening five games - a tally it took the, until December (15 games in) to reach last season. In the whole of Mourinho's debut campaign they let in just 15 goals. They haven't kept a clean sheet, meanwhile, in nine outings.

Four of those goals have been conceded here at Stamford Bridge, where they let in just nine throughout the entire 2014-15 campaign. It is that home form which is perhaps the toughest thing to figure out for Chelsea, who have failed to win nine of their last 15 competitive games in front of their own fans having won 14 and drawn one of the 15 prior to that. They are still winless at home this season and have already been beaten more times at Stamford Bridge than they were in the whole of the previous campaign.

In all, they have already dropped five Premier League points in front of their own fans having dropped just eight throughout last season. Their home record in Europe does bode well for tonight, though, with Chelsea losing just one of their last 35 group games in their own back yard. They were, however, knocked out by PSG here last season courtesy of a draw that saw the French champions progress from the last 16 on away goals.

Chelsea are unbeaten in their last eight Champions League outings, but interestingly they have failed to win any of their last three opening games in this competition. Traditionally they have fared well on matchday one, winning eight and drawing three up until 2013, but a home defeat to Basel has sparked a relatively poor run. They were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw here by Schalke on matchday one this season, but they did bounce back to comfortably win the group.

There is no doubting the quality that runs through Chelsea's side, and often a wounded team can be the most dangerous to play, but Maccabi Tel Aviv will arrive at Stamford Bridge in optimistic move. There has not been a better time to play Chelsea probably since Roman Abramovich took over and certainly not while Mourinho has been in charge, and the visitors will feel that they have a real chance of pulling off what would be a famous victory for them tonight.

They are still underdogs, though, and even with Chelsea's struggles it would be a major shock if Maccabi were to get anything from this game. They have earned their place among Europe's elite, however, so they are unlikely to roll over for their hosts this evening. The Israeli side won their domestic league title for the third season in a row last term, a run that followed a 10-year drought, and they have already had plenty of experience in the Champions League this term.

Maccabi were forced to enter the Champions League at the second qualifying stage, and things did not begin well when they were beaten by Maltese outfit Hibernians in the first leg of their opening tie. They bounced back to win the second leg 5-1, however, earning themselves a match against Viktoria Plzen in the third qualifying round. Again, they were beaten 2-1 in the first leg to leave themselves with an uphill battle, but once more they fought their way back with a 2-0 victory in the second.

Their run was expected to come to an end when they drew Basel in the playoff, but they managed to overcome the Swiss outfit on away goals. They drew 2-2 in the first leg, with Zahavi getting his side's second in the sixth minute of stoppage time - a strike that proved to be crucial in terms of the tie when the two sides played out a 1-1 draw in Tel Aviv. Their victory over Basel is certainly not one to be sniffed at considering the Swiss side beat Liverpool last season and also took a maximum six points of Chelsea themselves the year before that in the Champions League.

In terms of domestic form, Maccabi have made a decent start to the defence of their league title, picking up seven points from their opening three games to sit in second, two points off the leaders. They were relatively comfortable champions last season, finishing the regular campaign five points clear before extending that lead to six by the end of the championship round. They also completed the double with success in their domestic cup to cap off a memorable season for the club.

This year has the potential to be even more memorable given their return to the Champions League proper following an 11-year absence. The only previous time that they have reached the group stages of this competition was in 2004-05, when they were drawn alongside three previous winners in Bayern Munich, Juventus and Ajax. Unsurprisingly they finished bottom of that group, but they did pick up a win and a draw along the way.

That victory is one of just four from 24 games that Israeli clubs have ever managed in the Champions League proper, and there is the potential for them to make history this evening. No side from Israel has ever won an away game in this competition and, should they manage that against such an illustrious side like Chelsea, then they may begin dreaming of being the first Israeli side to ever reach the knockout rounds of the Champions League.

PREDICTION: We're 10 minutes from kickoff at Stamford Bridge now, which means that it is time for a prediction! Chelsea's form this season makes this a little harder than it should have been, but the hosts should still have enough about them to get the victory. It may not be an emphatic one, particularly considering Mourinho's weakened team selection, but it still should be fairly comfortable. I'll go for a 2-0 Chelsea win.

These two sides have never played each other before, but not everything about Tel Aviv will be an unknown quantity for Chelsea fans. I have already mentioned Ben Haim's stint with the Blues, but Maccabi boss Slavisa Jokanovic also played for the club from 2000-02, alongside a young John Terry. The midfielder made 53 appearances towards the tail end of his career. He will also be well known to many English fans for his spell in charge of Watford last season, whom he helped win promotion to the Premier League only to leave in the summer over due to reported differences over his contract.

Chelsea have only ever made one visit to Israel before, and that ended in defeat when they were beaten in Tel Aviv by Hapoel 2-0. They went on to draw the second leg of that UEFA Cup second round clash in 2001-02, being dumped out of the competition in the process. Interestingly, John Terry played in both of those games, while Jokanovic featured for Chelsea in the match in Israel.

Maccabi have only ever faced English opposition on two previous occasions too, and their record is similarly poor. They faced Stoke home and away in the group stages of the 2011-12 Europa League, being beaten 2-1 at home and losing 3-0 on their only previous visit to these shores.

Right, we're just a couple of minutes away from kickoff now as Champions League football returns to Stamford Bridge for another season. The referee tonight is German Felix Zwayer, who is taking charge of his first ever game in the Champions League proper. A big night for all involved, then.

KICKOFF: Here we go then! Chelsea get us underway for what is a huge match for both them and Jose Mourinho as they look to kick-start their season.

YELLOW CARD! It didn't take the referee long to produce his first Champions League card! He flashes yellow to Loftus-Cheek for a high tackle on Mitrovic.

Tibi rather gets away with one here as his lack of pace is exposed with a ball down the right channel. He has a sizeable head start on Remy, but Remy still wins the race, only for the ref to award a soft free kick the way of Maccabi.

Oh my word! When things aren't going your way, they really aren't going your way! Chelsea have a great chance to make the perfect start to the match as they win an early penalty, with goalkeeper Rajkovic racing off his line and bringing down Willian. The keeper had little choice in truth, with Ben Haim carelessly giving the ball away to Remy, who in turn slid it through for Willian. There are no doubts about the penalty, although Chelsea may feel that it should have been a red for the keeper. The ref only produces yellow, however, and Rajkovic is handed another let-off when Hazard, usually so deadly from the spot, blasts his effort well over! Incredible!

That is more or less a microcosm of Chelsea's season so far. Everything that they did well last season has been going wrong this time around. Hazard could not miss from the spot last term, but that was a truly dreadful penalty from the Belgian, who looks a shadow of his former self at the moment.

The visitors have offered very little in an attacking sense so far, but they may be given a boost from that missed penalty. Chelsea, meanwhile, look like a team really struggling for confidence.

Decent chance for Chelsea as Fabregas wins the ball well in midfield, allowing Oscar to break forward. He is eventually brought down by Ben Haim, handing the hosts a free kick in a good position...

It is a really disappointing effort from Oscar as he puts his strike tamely into the wall. Even if that had made it over, it didn't have the power to really trouble the keeper. Moments later Willian makes a bright run down the right before drilling a low cross into the box that Rajkovic spills before collecting at the second attempt.

Chelsea are certainly on top at the moment, with Maccabi unable to keep possession for any substantial length of time. The hosts still don't look particularly dangerous when coming forward, though.

They were in need of a little slice of luck, and Chelsea have got it to open the scoring here! They win a free kick in a decent crossing position which Willian, who has been Chelsea's best player so far whips into the middle of the box. It is one of those which is very difficult for the keeper, who is expecting someone to get a touch. That touch never comes, however, with the ball flying straight through into the corner.

That might be exactly what Chelsea needed to settle themselves down here. After their start to this season and that missed penalty something has finally gone right for them, and that should do wonders for their confidence.

This could be another bad piece of luck for Chelsea, though. Willian goes down clutching his hamstring, which is always likely to see a player withdrawn due to the nature of the injury, but the Brazilian looks like he wants to continue.

Willian does indeed come back on, which suggests that it isn't a hamstring strain as it would be foolish to risk doing further damage here. If he is able to continue then it will be a boost for Chelsea as he has started the match brightly.

A good spell of possession for Chelsea eventually comes to nothing, but the hosts are camped inside the Maccabi half right now and have been for the vast majority of the match. The visitors simply haven't been able to get out yet.

CHELSEA SUB: Chelsea are going to be forced into a change here as goalscorer Willian trots off to be replaced by Diego Costa. It doesn't look like a serious one for Willian, but there is no point in taking any risks with him.

CHANCE! Decent sight of goal for Chelsea as Cahill gets in front of Ben Haim to reach a corner, but he can't keep his header down. It was by no means the easiest opening, but he may feel that he should have done better.

Maccabi have their brightest attacking moment so far as Zouma gives the ball away in a good position, but the defender atones for his error to make a fine tackle. Begovic then clears under pressure from Ben Haim II.

Costa's introduction has seen Remy move over to the right, incidentally, which is a blow for a strike who would have been keen to take a chance up front in Costa's absence.

Perhaps a chance for Maccabi here? Baba Rahman comes right through Ben Haim II from behind to gift the visitors a free kick in a good crossing position...

CHANCE! It is a big chance for Maccabi! Chelsea hold a high line but are caught completely out, with Zouma dropping too early to play everyone onside. The delivery is a good one and Zahavi finds himself in a fine position, but he puts his header over the bar when he really should have done better.

YELLOW CARD! Igiebor becomes the second Maccabi player to go into the book for a late challenge. No complaints there.

The visitors have a rare chance to break quickly, with Ben Haim II finding himself free from the shackles of Baba Rahman momentarily. However, he doesn't show enough intent on the counter, cutting back on himself and taking all of the momentum out of the attack.

Another decent chance for Maccabi as Baba Rahman carelessly gives the ball away deep inside his own half. Zahavi, Igiebor and Rikan are all in attendance, but a poor pass sees a fine opening go begging.

Chelsea rattle the crossbar through Oscar, but it wouldn't have counted anyway. Costa tried a bicycle kick inside the box but didn't connect cleanly with it, instead sending it into the path of Oscar. The Brazilian really should tuck it away, but hits the bar from point blank range before having his blushes spared. The ref appears to have given the free kick for a high foot, which is a very harsh decision.

SHOT! Maccabi are just starting to come into this one a little more in an attacking sense, with Hazard losing the ball in midfield and Zahavi collecting possession. He is up there on his own so goes for goal from range, sending his shot high and wide of the target.

The visitors are enjoying their best spell of the match right now, and Chelsea look relatively content to just see out the half now. They have been a little sloppy in the last few minutes, though.

CHANCE! Good goalkeeping this time from Rajkovic as he is once again forced to come off his line. Loftus-Cheek is the man running onto a through-ball from Hazard, but the keeper goes with his feet this time and makes a good challenge.

There will be two additional minutes at the end of this first half.

Chelsea have their second penalty of the first half right on the stroke of the break as Costa goes down under the challenge of Ben Haim. It was good play from Costa after a period of heavy pressure, but Ben Haim looked like he got a foot to that. It is a harsh one from the ref.

It took a while, but Oscar eventually tucks away the spot kick, sending the keeper the wrong way with a low strike right into the bottom corner.

The referee brings an end to the first half at Stamford Bridge, and that second goal right before the break makes things look a lot more comfortable for Chelsea now. They go into the interval with a 2-0 lead over Maccabi Tel Aviv having dominated the vast majority of the match so far. It hasn't all been good from the hosts, but it is very hard to see them failing to win this game from here.

Chelsea had a glorious chance to break the deadlock after just five minutes when Willian went down under the challenge of the keeper, who was only shown a yellow card when Chelsea may have felt that it was worthy of a red card. More misery arrived for the hosts from the resulting spot kick as Hazard, usually infallible from the spot, blasted his effort well over the crossbar.

The opening goal did arrive 10 minutes later, however, and it was a change in fortune for Chelsea as Willian's free kick, intended as a cross, went straight through and beat Rajkovic to open the scoring. It is one of those that is always tough for the goalkeeper as they are expecting a touch, but the young shot-stopper may still feel unhappy at how it went in.

Chelsea remained on top for the majority of the first half, and the second goal eventually arrived in the last minute of stoppage time when they were awarded another penalty. This time it was a more debatable decision as Ben Haim appeared to get a touch on the ball when challenging Costa, although the striker may still have got to the ball before the keeper had he not subsequently been brought down by the Maccabi defender. Hazard was taken off spot-kick duties this time, with Oscar the man to tuck it away into the bottom corner.

There is no doubt that Chelsea deserve the lead at the halfway stage, but in truth they haven't exactly created a host of chances themselves. Their only two shots on target have been the goals, and aside from those they can only really point to half-chances for Cahill and Loftus-Cheek. Maccabi haven't offered much themselves, though, with their best moment seeing Zahavi glance a header over the crossbar when he should have done better. The visitors did enjoy a purple patch of around five minutes or so, but on the whole they have been camped in their own half for much of the match.

KICKOFF: Maccabi Tel Aviv get us back underway for the second half as they look to launch an unlikely comeback at Stamford Bridge. No changes for either side at half time.

It will be interesting to see how the visitors approach this second half. They don't have much to lose by going for this, and a goal back could set the cat amongst the pigeons considering Chelsea's start, but they certainly won't want to be on the end of a drubbing here.

Chelsea almost get in behind the defence as Loftus-Cheek slides a ball through for Costa, but the striker is forced to turn back on himself having been greeted by the onrushing keeper. Strange to see him not go for goal then.

Chelsea have quickly resumed their control of this match, with Maccabi's biggest problem being their inability to keep hold of possession. They have shown very few signs of creating something from open play in this game.

Zahavi has looked so isolated throughout this match, with Maccabi unable to get their star player involved at all aside from that header in the first half. It has been far too easy for Chelsea, who have dominated without needing to be anywhere near their best.

CLOSE! Having said that, Maccabi almost pull a goal back! They break down the right flank and the cross finds Rikan unmarked on the edge of the box. He watches it all the way and hits a decent volley that nicks off Igiebor on its way narrowly wide of the post.

There have been some incredible goals in the Champions League tonight, and this is right up there with them. Costa has been poor since coming on in truth, but he comes up with a moment of class here, firing a first-time volley right into the top corner from Fabregas's cross. What a way to get your first European goal for Chelsea. Magnificent strike.

There is a chance for Chelsea to get a few goals now. That third goal has put the result well and truly beyond doubt, and they should get the confidence to get one or two more at least. A big victory could be exactly what they need to kick-start their campaign.

Chelsea look like being the only English side to succeed in Europe tonight. Having seen both Manchester clubs lose last night, Arsenal are 2-0 down at the hands of Dinamo Moscow having also seen Giroud sent off. Chelsea won't be losing this one from here, though.

MACCABI TEL AVIV SUBS: Jokanovic has seen enough from his starters and opts for a double change here as Ben Haim II is replaced by Dor Miha, while Rikan also departs in favour of Dejan Radonjic.

CHELSEA SUB: Chelsea also make a change of their own as Ramires replaces Oscar.

Cahill is very fortunate not to be shown a yellow card here as he blatantly tugs back Radonjic having been held off by the sub. The referee chooses leniency, however, and lets the Chelsea skipper for the night off.

Chelsea have enjoyed 61% possession in this match and, in truth, even Maccabi's 39% possession has largely come in areas not dangerous to Chelsea. This has been about as comfortable as it will get in the Champions League.

Shooting chance for Ramires as the ball breaks to him after a decent Chelsea move was cut out by a sliding interception, but the midfielder takes a touch before dragging his effort comfortably wide.

MACCABI TEL AVIV SUB: A third and final change for the visitors as Shpungin is replaced by Dor Peretz for the final 20 minutes or so.

That's a bit more like the Hazard we've come to know in recent seasons! He wins the ball in a good position before jinking his way into the box past a couple of yellow shirts. His eventual shot is blocked, but that is the first time that he has really looked like his old self tonight.

CHANCE! Decent chance for the visitors as Radonjic beats the offside trap well to latch on to a clever through-ball. The angle is against him, however, and in the end his tame shot is simple for Begovic, who makes a very rare save.

CHELSEA SUB: The hosts make their final change of the game, with the impressive Loftus-Cheek being replaced by Bertrand Traore.

Chelsea have their fourth of the evening and it is a devastating counter-attack from the hosts. They break forward with a four-on-two situation, with Hazard leading the charge. He finds Remy with the pass, and the striker cuts inside before being denied by a good save from the keeper. The rebound falls right at the feet of Fabregas, however, and the Spaniard rolls it into the empty net.

This is turning out to be a very useful night indeed for Chelsea. They began the game under so much pressure, and that was only exacerbated by Hazard's missed penalty, but there is no doubt that they deserve such a comprehensive victory here. It should give them a lot of confidence ahead of their game against Arsenal at the weekend.

Maccabi are just waiting for the final whistle now. This game has been over as a contest for a while, and still it is hard to see the visitors getting a goal. In fact, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Chelsea add further to their lead.

CHANCE! Almost a debut goal for Traore as he collects a pass from Hazard before playing a one-two with Ramires on the edge of the box. He has a yard of space on his left foot, but his curling effort flies just past the far post.

Chelsea are beginning to show a bit of the swagger that made them so dangerous last season. It must be said that Hazard's all-round performance has been a little underwhelming again, but he has started to look more like his old self the longer the match has gone on for.

CHANCE! Glorious chance for Maccabi to pull a goal back! Igiebor latches on to a brilliant low ball right across the face of goal, but he can only turn his shot on the stretch over the top when he simply had to score. That is a sitter.

There is a little life in Maccabi yet. They are putting Chelsea under a bit of pressure in these closing stages as they go for a consolation goal.

The fourth official indicates that there will be two minutes added time before Maccabi are put out of their misery here.

A successful evening of work for Chelsea, then, as they cruise to a 4-0 victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv to pick up just their second win of the season in all competitions. Tougher tests will come for the hosts, both in the Champions League and domestically, but Mourinho will be hoping that this is exactly the result they needed to kick-start their season.

The night didn't exactly begin in ideal fashion, however, with Hazard missing a penalty after just six minutes, but Willian's free kick gave them the lead and seemed to settle a few nerves. The hosts were awarded another spot kick right on the stroke of half time that Oscar this time tucked away into the bottom corner, while Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas added another two after the break to seal a comprehensive and comfortable three points for the English champions.

That is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for what turned out to be perhaps the perfect tonic for struggling Chelsea as they hammered Maccabi Tel Aviv to begin their Champions League campaign with a win. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction, analysis and player ratings. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!