Chelsea return to the Champions League with a bang as they hit Qarabag for six
Chelsea 6 FK Qarabag 0: Pedro, Davide Zappacosta, Cesar Azpilicueta, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Michy Batshuayi all scored as Chelsea thrashed the champions of Azerbaijan
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Your support makes all the difference.Chelsea match their biggest ever win the Champions League to get on their way, but that was much because Qarabag must be one of the worst ever sides to visit Stamford Bridge in the competition. The gap was that big that this really was academic, and all about the numbers racked up. You could tell it was the Azerbaijani side’s first ever game in the competition proper, and it meant Antonio Conte could make five changes to his starting line-up and still see them rack up six goals to equal the number put past Maribor in 2014-15.
While routs like this are very difficult to read into, Davide Zappacosta enjoyed a particularly productive debut and a first goal for the club, with Tiemoue Bakayoko also getting his when he eventually got on the pitch for it to eventually finish 6-0.
This really was never in any doubt.
Conte’s decision to significantly change his team was almost immediately justified, as Chelsea so quickly went into the lead.
Even though Qarabag had actually started the game quite brightly and like they were going to bring the game to the English champions, their defence clearly couldn’t take too much pressure. They pretty much buckled the moment that Chelsea went forward.
Within three minutes, Ibrahim Sehic had to beat away a Marcos Alonso snapshot, after his backline just seemed to part in front of the goalkeeper. Within another minute more, it was 1-0, as Pedro enjoyed even more space in front of goal.
Standing unmarked at the edge of the box, the forward was free to pick his spot when Willian played the ball out to him from a short corner, and curled the ball just beyond the goalkeeper’s grasp for a supreme opener.
Chelsea were on their way and already in such control that Cesc Fabregas was trying sumptuous little flicks and backheels at 1-0.
You could have said that was a dangerous game to play until they at least had the second, but that wasn’t too long in coming, even if wasn’t quite from such an orchestrated move. There were doubts whether it was even intentional, not that Davide Zappacosta would have cared.
The new wing-back was making his first appearance for the club, and got a debut goal to add to it it, as his suspected cross from deep flew into the net on 30 minutes. Just before Zappacosta swung his leg, he did seem to be looking at - and aiming for - where Michy Batshuayi was standing, his eyes never actually on the goal, but if the delivery was wayward the run was anything but.
That was deserving of the goal itself, and should be hugely exciting for Chelsea. Zappacosta outstripped two Qarabag players on the right flank, one of his touches so exhilaratingly taking the move on and one of his markers out, before putting himself in the position to deliver.
The only frustration up to that point - at least judging by Conte’s reactions on the sideline - was that Batshuayi was putting himself into good positions but not really offering good touches, given the number of times he fumbled a move. Had he been as slick as he was on the night at West Brom last season when he scored the title-winning for Chelsea, this really could have been 5-0 by half-time.
It was all the more frustrating because Conte had seemed to rest Alvaro Morata to boost Batshuayi, and this should have been the sort of game where he added to his tally.
Chelsea did eventually add to their tally on 54 minutes, with even more creativity. Fabregas was of course central to the latter, and to the goal. Receiving the ball at the corner of the Qarabag area, he delightfully flicked forward a cross with the outside of his foot, allowing Cesar Azpilicueta to nod home for 3-0.
Moments later, to add a bit more misery to this wet evening for Qarabag, Eden Hazard was introduced for his second sub appearance since returning from injury.
Chelsea were just enjoying themselves. That Roma and Atletico Madrid drew in the other game will only have added to that, on a night that was all about just adding to the score.
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