Chelsea kept their unbeaten start to the season going in emphatic fashion this evening as they thrashed Maribor 6-0 in their Champions League Group G clash.
Loic Remy opened the scoring early on for the hosts before going off injured to be replaced by Didier Drogba, who netted his first goal since returning to the club just 10 minutes later.
John Terry added a third before the break, while Mitja Viler turned the ball into his own net to make it 4-0 10 minutes into the second half.
The visitors then missed a penalty before Hazard added a brace to cap off the scoring, including one from the spot as Chelsea picked up their biggest ever Champions League win.
You can read how an action-packed night at Stamford Bridge unfolded courtesy of Sports Mole's live minute-by-minute coverage below.
Good evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's Champions League clash between Chelsea and Maribor as both sides look to maintain their unbeaten start to life in Group G at Stamford Bridge. The hosts are clear favourites going into the game, but will be wary of a Maribor team that has proved anything but pushovers so far. Let's start with a look at the Blues...
It has been a very assured start to the season from Chelsea, both at home and abroad. Jose Mourinho's side went into the campaign as favourites for the Premier League title and among the upper echelon of challengers for the Champions League, and so far they have done nothing to dispel those pre-season predictions. Domestically, they sit top of the table, already five points clear having only dropped two points from their opening eight matches.
They also sit atop the standings in Group G after the first two matches, although performances in Europe have so far been a bit of a mixed bag. They were held to a disappointing draw against Schalke at Stamford Bridge in their opening match of the campaign, but picked up their first victory in Lisbon with a 1-0 triumph over Sporting. They completely dominated that latter match, but missed a host of golden opportunities and ultimately only ran out narrow victors.
That Sporting match aside, a clinical touch in front of goal has not been a issue for Chelsea this season. Summer signing Diego Costa - although injured for tonight's match - has been on fire since his move from Atletico, already netting nine goals. Chelsea as a team have managed 23 in their opening eight Premier League matches, which unsurprisingly is the highest tally in the division.
They will be confident of netting against Maribor tonight as well having not failed to score in any of their last 20 European outings at Stamford Bridge. The goals haven't been quite as free-flowing generally speaking when it comes to the Champions League, however, with Chelsea having failed to score more than one goal in any of their last four games in the competition. I suspect that may change this evening, however.
The main thing that strikes you about this Chelsea side is the balance they have. With the striking problem from last season seemingly solved, it is almost the perfect side, with a midfield that is both sturdy and creative in front of a formidable defensive line that is as good as any around. Only one team has conceded fewer goals in the Premier League this season, and it is that defensive solidity that could prove most vital in their expected title race.
They come into tonight's match still unbeaten in their 11 outings in all competitions so far this season, dropping points just twice in the process. Their winning streak currently stands at five match, while you have to go back to the Champions League semi-final in April for the last time any team beat them in a competitive match - a run of 13 games overall. Already they look likely improving on their Champions League performance from last season - in the groups at least - as they still managed to make it through to the knockout rounds despite losing twice to Basel on 2013-14.
Their home defeat to Basel last season is one of just two times that they have been beaten in front of their own fans in the Champions League in their last 16 outings in the competition. That run stretches back to the 2011 semi-final defeat against Manchester United, although it should be noted that they have lost one and drawn one of their last two home Champions League games. In all competitions, they have lost just two of their last 29 home outings, and have won five of six so far this season. The only exception to that one was the draw with Schalke here on matchday one.
As for Maribor, they face a daunting challenge coming up against the might of Chelsea, but they will be buoyed by their form so far in the competition. They have put their names forward early on as contenders for a shock qualifying spot, although they will need to continue to surprise people if they are to remain in their current position until the end of the group stages. Nothing currently separates them and Schalke, who are both on two points with two goals scored and two conceded.
They have established themselves as a team that are difficult to break down and get past, and Chelsea will be careful not to underestimate the Slovenian side this evening. They fought to the death in their opening match against Sporting and were rewarded with an equaliser in stoppage time, while they also held Schalke to a 1-1 draw in their last European outing having taken the lead in that game.
They may still be looking for their first victory in the competition, but manager Ante Simundza will be fairly content with what he has seen from his side on their first appearance in the Champions League proper for 15 years. Back in their last experience of the Champions League group stages they did manage to pick up a victory, but finished bottom of their group with just four points to their name.
They come into this match off the back of a disappointing result at the weekend, losing 2-1 to Celje in the Slovenian league. That left Celje just two points behind Maribor, who currently sit third in the table with 26 points from their opening 13 matches. Like the teams chasing Chelsea, they will be wary of dropping too many more points as they already find themselves six points off the leaders, albeit with a game in hand.
The defeat on Saturday ended an eight-match unbeaten streak for Maribor, during which time they won four matches and drew the other four. However, they have only won one of their last five outings in all competitions, with three draws in a row at the end of September and start of October.
Things are a little better away from home, where the Slovenian side have not lost in their last five games, winning three and drawing two. Indeed, they have lost just twice on their travels all season in all competitions. They are unbeaten in their last eight Champions League matches, although the vast majority of those have come in qualifiers and all of them have come this season.
It has actually been a long campaign already for Maribor, who played their first competitive match back in July. Already this is their 22nd outing of the season, which is double the amount that Chelsea have played so far. Included in those games was a win over Celtic that knocked the Scottish champions out of the Champions League playoff round, and their win at Celtic Park remains their only away win in the competition in their last eight attempts.
TEAM NEWS: Right, the teams are in for both sides, and the big news for Chelsea is that Mourinho has made three changes to the side that beat Crystal Palace at the weekend. Petr Cech returns in goal in place of Courtois, while there are also rare starts for Kurt Zouma and Filipe Luis, with Azpilicueta and Cahill dropping to the bench. Maribor, meanwhile, surprisingly leave Zahovic on the bench. Full team news for both sides coming right up...
CHELSEA STARTING XI: Cech; Ivanovic, Zouma, Terry, Filipe Luis; Matic, Fabregas; Willian, Oscar, Hazard; Remy
CHELSEA SUB: Courtois, Azpilicueta, Cahill, Ake, Salah, Solanke, Drogba
MARIBOR STARTING XI: Handanovic; Stojanovic, Rajcevic, Suler, Viler, Mejac, Mertelj, Filipovic, Bohar, Ibraimi, Tavares
MARIBOR SUBS: Cotman, N'Diaye, Sallalich, Zahovic, Mendy, Vrsic, Bordignon
So, what can we make of those two teams? Well, starting with Chelsea, it is interesting to see Cech return to the fold having lost his place to Courtois at the start of the season. There is no doubting the veteran goalkeeper's talent but, threatened with the prospect of losing Courtois, Mourinho had little choice but to demote Cech to the bench this season. He came on during the match against Arsenal when Courtois was forced off with a head injury and looked as commanding as ever on the few occasions he was called into action, so Chelsea fans will have no worries about a switch in such an important position tonight.
In front of him, the inclusion of Zouma is a very interesting one, perhaps with one eye on Manchester United at the weekend. Cahill is the man who makes way, leaving Terry with a relatively unfamiliar centre-back partner in what is his 501st match as captain of the club - a remarkable achievement. Ivanovic continues at right-back and should get plenty of chances to bomb forward tonight, while Luis also comes in for Azpilicueta, who is dropped to the bench following his red card at the weekend.
In midfield, the magnificent pairing of Matic and Fabregas continue for Chelsea. Matic usually gets the dirty work done very well and has established himself as one of the first names on the teamsheet since rejoining the club. He scored the only goal of the game against Sporting and was superb that night in Lisbon, so he will be looking for a similar performance here. Fabregas, meanwhile, has already gone a long way to repaying his £30m price tag and this weekend added his first goal for the club to the host of assists he has picked up.
The trio of Willian, Oscar and Hazard appear to be the preferred one for Mourinho right now, although that could change once Schurrle returns from illness. Hazard in particular has shone this season, taking a more aggressive stance when it comes to going past players and really causing problems for the opposition defenders. Oscar scored a sublime free kick at the weekend so should be flying high, and the Brazilian also works incredibly hard off the ball, which is the type of thing that Mourinho will love.
Up front, there was a lot of talk over who would replace Diego Costa in the side, and Mourinho has stuck with Loic Remy after he also started against Palace at the weekend. Drogba made his return from injury off the bench in that game, and he is a sub once more this evening. Should Chelsea find themselves in need of a goal, or to simply hold the ball up and keep possession, there aren't too many better players to be able to bring on.
Speaking of substitutes, it is a major surprise to see Luka Zahovic on the bench for Maribor, although perhaps that is a clear statement of intent from Simundza. His side are likely to try to hang on for a draw at Stamford Bridge, with the emphasis more on keeping Chelsea at bay than causing them problems at the other end. That can be the only reason for omitting the 18-year-old Zahovic, son of Slovenia's all-time top goalscorer Zlatko Zahovic. The youngster has scored nine goals in 13 games this season, including the late equaliser against Sporting.
Rajcevic does keep his place in the side, however, despite a nightmare performance on Saturday. The defender scored two own goals as his side went down 2-1 to Celje, and he will be looking to atone for his errors with a good performance tonight. Elsewhere, Tavares will be a threat, while Bohar was the man who gave Maribor the lead against Schalke in their last European outing.
PREDICTION: We're 10 minutes from kickoff at Stamford Bridge, which means that it is time for a prediction! Chelsea have been in such good form this season that I simply don't see any way how they won't win this match. Maribor will be compact and have already proven that they are a tough team to beat this season - particularly in Europe - but the hosts should simply have too much for them. I'm going for a comfortable 3-0 victory for Mourinho's men.
This is the 12th consecutive season that Chelsea have taken part in the group stages of the Champions League, but it is a step into the unknown in some respects as they have never faced Slovenian opposition before. This, therefore, is the first meeting between the two sides, while the second will take place in just two weeks as Chelsea travel to Slovenia for the return leg.
Maribor, on the other hand, have faced English opposition six times before, including two games against Wigan Athletic in the Europa League last season. They won their home leg of their group stage ties, but that is their only victory over an English side before. They have drawn one and lost four of the remaining five, including losing all three of their visits to England. They remain the only Slovenian side to have ever beaten an English team, however, with the nation's overall record in European competition standing at one win, two draws and six defeats.
It being a Champions League night, there are of course a host of other matches on offer for you tonight. Manchester City have already thrown away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with CSKA Moscow, but there are six more games on show tonight, and we have them all covered here on Sports Mole. I will also be keeping you up to date with major events from around Europe as and when they happen.
The teams are out, the Champions League music blares around Stamford Bridge, and we're just about ready to go here. Can Maribor pull off a shock in West London or will the juggernaut that is Chelsea this season rumble on?
KICKOFF: Maribor get us underway on a windy night in London. Mourinho will be looking to secure his place in the next round of the Champions League as quickly as possible, so don't expect any complacency from the hosts tonight.
As expected, Chelsea are dominating the ball in these early stages, with Maribor struggling to get anyway near it right now. Ivanovic has already found space on the right flank a couple of times, so that could be an area of the pitch to watch tonight.
Zouma has had a few touches of the ball already, which will be important for the teenager. He will undoubtedly be nervous making his Champions League debut tonight, but he has been given the ball on a few occasions just to settle those nerves.
CHANCE! The first chance of the match falls the way of the visitors as they break quickly and with numbers. The ball is eventually switched out to the left and crossed back into the middle, where Bohar is in space. He rises to get his head on the ball, but can't keep his effort down when he probably should have done a little better.
UPDATE: The first goal from the later kickoffs in Europe tonight has gone the way of Barcelona, who lead Ajax 1-0 at the Camp Nou. Neymar got the goal to continue his fine form so far this season.
This has been a good spell from Maribor in the last few minutes. They have been seeing more of the ball and have troubled the Chelsea defence on a couple of occasions. The latest of those sees the ball drop to Mertelj around 30 yards from goal, but his effort from range is far too high.
SHOT! Moments after Oscar has a minor penalty shout turned down the Brazilian picks the ball up around 25 yards from goal. He looks to find the bottom corner with a low strike, but it lacks power and accuracy as it trickles wide.
SAVE! Nice football from Chelsea as they threaten down the right flank as well. Willian eventually slides a pass down the channel for Remy, who shoots first time on the turn, drawing a good save from the keeper.
GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Maribor (Loic Remy)
Chelsea have the lead, and it is Remy who gets it just a minute after seeing another shot saved. It is Terry who proves to be the unlikely playmaker, threading a lovely ball through the defence for Remy to race onto. The striker cuts back onto his left foot and curls a nice finish into the bottom corner. The celebrations are a little muted, however, as it looks as if he has injured himself in the process of scoring.
SAVE! The visitors look for an immediate response as Ibraimi picks the ball up, gets it out of his feet a fires an awkward effort towards goal. It bounces up right in front of Cech, who contents himself with parrying it behind for a corner.
CHELSEA SUB: Mourinho is taking no chances with Remy here, and the goalscorer's night is over after just 17 minutes. He makes way to be replaced by Didier Drogba, who receives a huge reception as he trots onto the field.
UPDATE: Perhaps the pick of the ties tonight sees Roma host Bayern Munich, and it is the visitors who have taken the lead in that one courtesy of an Arjen Robben strike. Shakhtar have also taken the lead in their match away to BATE Borisov, with Alex Teixeira opening the scoring there. Elsewhere in Group G, Sporting have broken the deadlock against Schalke in Germany thanks to a Nani strike. That would leave this group wide open in terms of second place.
Chelsea keep the ball well for a while, patiently probing for a way through. Again it nearly comes from the right flank as Ivanovic swings a dangerous cross towards the near post, which Hazard is just unable to turn goalwards.
PENALTY TO CHELSEA!
GOAL! Chelsea 2-0 Maribor (Didier Drogba, penalty)
Chelsea double their advantage, and it is Drogba's first goal for the club since scoring in the Champions League final two years ago. This one also comes from the spot after the referee awarded a penalty for a handball against Mertelj. It certainly struck his hand, but he was so close to Willian that it is a harsh decision. Still, Drogba steps up and dispatches it with aplomb, sending the keeper the wrong way and finding the bottom corner.
Is there any way back for Maribor now? I must say, it is hard to see one. Chelsea have been in control of this match since the opening whistle, and it would take a monumental effort for the visitors to recover from two goals down. It could well be game over already.
Ibraimi certainly isn't shy of shooting from range. Again he lets fly from a long way out, and once more he hits it pretty well, but this time it is straight at Cech and easy for the Chelsea keeper to hold.
UPDATE: Speaking of game over, Bayern Munich have raced into a 3-0 lead against Roma thanks to quickfire goals from Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski at the Stadio Olimpico. Elsewhere, Barcelona have doubled their lead over Ajax thanks to a Lionel Messi strike. Shakhtar are also 2-0 ahead now courtesy of a Luiz Adriano penalty.
GOAL! Chelsea 3-0 Maribor (John Terry)
Chelsea have a third, and it is the unlikely figure of John Terry who pops up to get it! It is a swift counter-attack from the Blues as Hazard leads the charge before sliding a pass to Fabregas. The Spaniard plays a low pass across goal, where Terry is waiting to knock it in. It was a lung-bursting run forward from the skipper, who had no business being up there. He was, in fact offside, when he put it in, but the goal stands.
Chelsea are playing with flair and confidence right now. Hazard cuts inside and out on the right before attempting a rabona cross that hits the defender. It has been a fine display from the hosts so far, and you wouldn't bet against them extending their lead even further before the break.
UPDATE: Bayern have extended their own lead and are incredibly now 4-0 up against Roma at the Stadio Olimpico, Robben getting his second of the night. In Chelsea's group, Schalke have levelled things up against Sporting, who have also been reduced to 10 men.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are in complete control of this one right now, with Maribor moving into damage limitation mode following that third goal. They were committing a decent amount of men forward in the opening exchanges, but right now they will be happy to get to the break just 3-0 down.
UPDATE: The goals are flying in around Europe tonight! Bayern are now FIVE goals to the good against a very strong Roma outfit at the Stadio Olimpico, while Shakhtar are 4-0 up against Bate courtesy of quickfire goals from Douglas Costa and Luiz Adriano's second of the night.
SAVE! Matic almost gets his name on the scoresheet for the second Champions League match in a row as his cross almost loops over the keeper, who just about recovers in time. Moments later, Hazard picks the ball up on the edge of the box and draws a good low stop from the keeper.
Terry goes down off the ball following a collision with Ibraimi, and he initially looks to be in some pain. He is quickly back on his feet, however, and looks ready to gain retribution on the Maribor man at some point tonight. Watch this space.
Maribor are struggling to come up with anything to stop the blue tide attacking them relentlessly right now. It is one-way traffic, and this one looks to be completely over as a contest.
CHANCE! Huge chance for Chelsea to grab a fourth before the break as once again Hazard scuttles down the right flank. His low cross is met by the keeper with Drogba in close attendance, but he only succeeds to poking it to Ivanovic. However, the defender puts too much on the rebound and blazes it over with the goal gaping.
There will be just the one minute of added time at the end of this first half.
HALF TIME: Chelsea 3-0 Maribor
Well, that could not have gone much better for Chelsea! They are in complete control of this match, which already seems to be over as a contest. Maribor started the game fairly confidently, but Chelsea took the lead relatively early and, since then, it has been one-way traffic for the hosts. Mourinho must be delighted with what he has seen from his side so far.
The opening goal came after just 13 minutes as John Terry slid a fine through-ball to Loic Remy, who raced onto it down the right channel before cutting back inside onto his stronger left foot. He then curled an accurate effort into the bottom corner, although the goal came at a price as the Frenchman went off injured shortly afterwards. That is perhaps the only negative for Chelsea from that first half, with Costa's absence leaving Chelsea with Drogba as their only remaining fit striker.
It was Drogba that came on in Remy's place, and he scored his first goal since returning to the club less than 10 minutes after his introduction. His last goal for Chelsea came from the penalty spot to force extra time in the ultimately victorious 2012 Champions League final, and this one also came from 12 yards. The penalty was given for a handball against Mertelj, although in truth it was a harsh decision. There was no doubt about the way Drogba finished it, however, firing it into the bottom corner.
There was also an element of luck for Chelsea about the third goal, with Terry tucking it home at the back post from an offside position. It was a close one as the skipper converted, but the linesman did get it wrong and that goal killed the game off. Terry deserves credit for sprinting the length of the pitch to join a counter-attack, getting on the end of Fabregas's pass across goal.
Aside from the goals, Chelsea could have had more as Ivanovic missed a golden chance just before the break. Again it was a low ball across the face that caused the problems, with the Maribor keeper only able to palm the ball straight to the Chelsea right-back. However, the Serb put too much on his finish with the goal gaping, blazing it over the crossbar.
Maribor will have been fairly happy with how they started the match, knocking the ball around confidently in the opening exchanges and even creating a couple of decent openings. However, the first goal was a huge blow for them, while the harsh penalty decision left them with a mountain to climb. They went into damage limitation mode after the third, and it is unlikely that we will see them stray too far from that in the second half.
It will be interesting to see how Mourinho approaches this second half, With Manchester United on the horizon, he can afford to rest a few players now, while his usual tactic in such a circumstance is to simply consolidate the lead without trying too hard to add to it. This one is really there for the taking, however, and Chelsea could really make a statement if they went for it in the second 45 minutes. Shakhtar are 6-0 up at half time against BATE, while Bayern are thrashing Roma 5-0, and Chelsea could end this game with a similar scoreline if they wanted.
KICKOFF: Chelsea get us back underway for the second half here, and a repeat of that first-half display would suit them just fine. Maribor, meanwhile, will be looking for an improvement in the coming 45 minutes.
SAVE! Zouma hasn't had much to worry about defensively on his Champions League debut, and he almost makes an impact at the other end here. He rises really well to nod Fabregas's corner towards goal, but his effort is straight at the keeper, who makes the save.
Steady start to the half from Maribor, who have held firm against Chelsea's continued pressure so far. They break forward here for the first time in a while, but the attack comes to nothing.
CHANCE! Huge chance for Chelsea to make it four, but Hazard tries to be a little too clever and the opening goes begging. It was lovely interchange play between the Belgian and Drogba, who exchanged a one-two to send the former into the box. He could hit it first time, but chooses to cut back, only to lose control as the ball rolls through to the keeper.
GOAL! Chelsea 4-0 Maribor (Mitja Viler, og)
The hosts do have their fourth of the evening, and it is more bad luck for Maribor as Viler turns the ball into his own net. It was superb play by Luis to create the chance as he danced into the area before sliding a pass across the face. Hazard somehow doesn't turn it in himself at the back post, but his pass back inside strikes Viler and deflects into the net.
Maribor have been outplayed tonight, there is no doubt about that, but they certainly haven't had luck on their side either. The penalty was a harsh decision, while John Terry was offside for his goal. The own goal has just capped off a really unfortunate night for the visitors.
MARIBOR SUB: Minutes after scoring an own goal, Viler is hauled off the field to be replaced by Dare Vrsic.
CHELSEA SUB: The hosts make their second change of the night as Nathan Ake replaces Fabregas for the final half an hour. No doubt Mourinho has one eye on the weekend there.
UPDATE: It looks to be all over in the other match in this group now, with Schalke extending their lead to 3-1 over 10-man Sporting in Gelsenkirchen. Elsewhere, Porto and Athletic Bilbao are currently drawing 1-1 in Portugal.
PENALTY TO MARIBOR!
MISSED!
Maribor squander a glorious chance to get themselves on the scoresheet here! Matic concedes the penalty with a clumsy challenge on Ibraimi, getting the wrong side of the Maribor man and bundling into him from behind. It is certainly a penalty, but Ibraimi can't make the most of it as he takes it himself. His effort strikes the woodwork, although Cech had also guessed the right way.
SAVE! Superb play from Hazard on the left wing as he dances past a number of yellow shirts on his way into the box. He eventually gets into a shooting position and tries to squeeze his effort home from a tight angle, but the keeper has his angles right and makes the save.
CLOSE! Chelsea are inches away from a fifth goal! Oscar picks the ball up just outside the area and cuts onto his left foot before bending a lovely effort towards the far corner. The keeper is rooted to the spot and as much a spectator as the 40,000+ fans in the stadium as he watches it skim narrowly wide.
MARIBOR SUB: It was a surprise to see Luka Zahovic start this match on the bench, but he is given his chance here as Ibraimi makes way for the youngster.
Ake drives forward from midfield with the ball at his feet and it opens up for him to have a dig from range. He can't refuse the invitation, but his effort is disappointing as he blazes it well over.
MARIBOR SUB: The visitors make another change as skipper Tavares makes way to be replaced by Jean Philippe Mendy.
CHELSEA SUB: The hosts make their third and final change in response as Dominic Solanke, who only turned 17 recently, comes on in place of Oscar.
UPDATE: Perhaps it is not all over in Gelsenkirchen, where Sporting have pulled a goal back despite their numerical disadvantage. It is now 3-2 to Schalke in that match. Elsewhere, Roma have pulled a goal back against Bayern, although a comeback looks much less likely there as it is now 5-1 to the German visitors.
OFF THE BAR! Willian almost comes up with the pick of the bunch tonight as he hammers a spectacular effort against the woodwork. He was making his way sideways across the pitch before unleashing a superb effort towards the top corner but, with the keeper beaten, it smashes against the bar. So unlucky.
PENALTY TO CHELSEA!
GOAL! Chelsea 5-0 Maribor (Eden Hazard, penalty)
A third penalty of the match yields Chelsea's fifth goal of the night, and it is Hazard who converts from the spot this time around. The spot kick is another contentious one as Ivanovic threw himself to the floor under minimal contact from Suler in the area. In truth, it appeared that the Chelsea man had been fouled shortly before that, but he battled on until he realised it was in his interests to go down. Hazard steps up, though, and sends the keeper the wrong way with a fine penalty.
This has been a very impressive performance from the hosts this evening. They have dominated from start to finish and, while Maribor could have legitimate complaints about three of the goals, Chelsea's victory has not really been in doubt since Remy opened the scoring in the 13th minute.
UPDATE: Sporting have done it! They level things up at 3-3 despite having just 10 men against Schalke in Gelsenkirchen. Bayern, meanwhile, have scored another two in quick succession to make it 7-1 against Roma, while Shakhtar have gone one better and now lead BATE 7-0.
Lovely play again from Chelsea as Maribor, for all their work rate, struggle to deal with the movement and quick passing from the hosts. Hazard has caused them plenty of problems tonight and he again looks to have got in behind here, but this time the defence recovers to put it behind for a corner.
Maribor come forward down the right flank as Stojanovic picks the ball up in a good crossing position. He tries to drill his delivery in, but puts it far too close to Cech, who collects with ease.
Maribor are just starting to put Chelsea under a little pressure in the closing stages here, and Mourinho will be desperate for his side to hold onto a clean sheet now. Maribor, to their credit, are not giving up, but it does appear unlikely that they will find a way through here.
Ivanovic has been up and down that right flank all night tonight. Most of his time has been spent going forward, admittedly, but he has not been found wanting defensively once as well as adding plenty to the attacking thrust.
GOAL! Chelsea 6-0 Maribor (Eden Hazard)
It is a sixth for Chelsea and a second for Hazard as they cap a superb performance off in style. Ake floated a lovely ball over the top for the Belgian to run onto, and his first touch was exquisite. He cut back inside before moving it onto his right foot again, setting himself up to fire the ball into the corner. Chelsea have never won by six clear goals in the Champions League before, but it looks as though that record will be broken now.
We will have two minutes of added time at the end of this match.
FULL TIME: Chelsea 6-0 Maribor
The referee brings an end to an emphatic night for Chelsea as they hammer Maribor 6-0 at Stamford Bridge to pick up their biggest ever victory in the Champions League. The hosts dominated from start to finish as Remy, Drogba, Terry, a Viler own goal and a Hazard brace handed them the win on a night that also saw three penalties, one of which was missed by the visitors.
Right, that is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole on an incredible night of Champions League action that saw a record-breaking number of goals fly in around Europe. No fewer than six of them came here at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea maintain their unbeaten run in style to stay top of Group G. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction, analysis and player ratings, which will be with you shortly. Join us again tomorrow for another set of mouth-watering fixtures, including Real Madrid's trip to Anfield to take on Liverpool. From me, though, it is goodnight!
