Penalties from Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas and Willian’s brace earned Chelsea a 4-0 victory over 10-man Qarabag in Wednesday’s early kick-off.
The result sends Antonio Conte’s charges through to the knockout stage of the competition having moved onto 10 points in Group C.
Below are four talking points from the Baku Olympic Stadium.
1. Chelsea make most of numerical advantage
There was only ever going to be one outcome when Rasad Sadiqov was given his marching orders in the first half here. Chelsea had created a couple of half-chances prior to the defender’s dismissal, but the extra time and space they were afforded against 10 men swung the balance even further in their favour.
After going into the interval with a 2-0 lead, the visitors created a host of opportunities in the second half and could easily have won by more than a three-goal margin. Pedro Rodriguez, Hazard and Alvaro Morata all went close, while Chelsea also had a goal chalked off when Cesar Azpilicueta was deemed to be offside before squaring for Morata.
2. Qarabag show spirit but task too big
Perhaps buoyed by their recent draws against Atletico Madrid, Qarabag started the game full of confidence; Gurban Gurbanov’s men moved the ball around neatly and looked to push forward whenever there was an opening, with midfielder Michel crashing an effort off the crossbar.
Their task was made significantly more difficult when referee Jorge Sousa pointed to the penalty spot in the 19th minute, before showing a red card to Sadiqov. Hazard converted the spot-kick after a short delay, but the bigger problem for the hosts was their numerical disadvantage.
Indeed, Qarabag battled hard for the remaining 71 minutes of the match, but they were always going to struggle against such strong opponents with one man fewer. They tried to make life difficult for the Premier League champions, defending deep and packing men behind the ball, but it was strictly a case of damage limitation for the Azerbaijanis.
Job done in Baku, with goals from @hazardeden10, @willianborges88 (2) and @cesc4official! 🙌 #QARCHE
3. Fluid frontline shines as Conte returns to 3-4-3
Conte sensibly opted to leave Morata out of his starting XI, with the Italian having at least half an eye on his side’s trip to Liverpool this weekend. With Michy Batshuayi currently sidelined with injury, Conte deployed Hazard through the middle and tasked Pedro and Willian with providing support as two-thirds of a fluid frontline.
The lack of a conventional focal point up top proved problematic for Qarabag, while the trio’s speed and direct running meant Chelsea were extremely dangerous in transition. There was plenty of neat interplay on display, too; the first goal came after a brilliantly weighted pass from Hazard to Willian, while all three men were involved in the build-up to the second.
4. Despite Roma debacle, Chelsea have negotiated tough group adeptly
Last month’s 3-0 defeat by Roma was arguably Chelsea’s worst display of the Conte era, particularly in the second half. The Blues were also far from their best when they hosted the Italians at Stamford Bridge on matchday three, but the Premier League outfit have nevertheless secured their place in the knockout rounds with a game to spare.
A big part of the reason for that, of course, is Atletico Madrid’s implosion, but Chelsea still deserve credit for successfully negotiating a tough group. They can now look forward to the round of 16 – a stage of the competition Conte has only reached once before in his managerial career.
