FK Qarabag 4-0

Telegraph:

FK Qarabag 0 Chelsea 4: Willian bags a brace in Baku as Antonio Conte's men breeze into knockout stages

Sam Dean

Antonio Conte said the preparations for Chelsea’s trip to Liverpool would continue on a sleepless flight home from Baku after his side breezed into the Champions League knockout stages with a 4-0 win over 10-man Qarabag.

Conte has spent much of the past week complaining about Chelsea’s fixture scheduling, saying more “respect” must be shown to his side after they were given a Saturday meeting with Liverpool barely two days after their 2,500-mile trip back from the easternmost corner of Azerbaijan.

The Chelsea manager was further enraged by the fact that Liverpool have had an extra day to prepare following their 3-3 draw with Sevilla on Tuesday night.

“We have to work during the flight to prepare the game against Liverpool,” Conte said. “But I must be honest, with my staff, we started also before to prepare the game against Liverpool, not to arrive at the last moment.

“For sure, to have only one day to rest and prepare this big game is not simple, not easy. I think also it’s not right.”

Conte has been particularly upset that it is the second time this season they have been forced to play on the Saturday after a European game on the Wednesday. On the first occasion, they lost 1-0 at home to Manchester City.

“I don’t want to complain about this situation, but this is the reality,” Conte said. “Now we have to travel for five-and-a-half hours. And then try to rest for one day and prepare the game against Liverpool, another big game like the City game.”

Conte was at least pleased that his side were able to dismiss the challenge of Qarabag so comfortably in Baku, even if they were given a helping hand by two generous refereeing decisions.

The penalties were converted by first Eden Hazard and then Cesc Fabregas, while two excellent goals from Willian on his 200th Chelsea appearance caused further misery for Qarabag, who lost their captain Rashad Sadygov to a red card after just 20 minutes.

The victory means that there is now no pressure on Chelsea’s final game in the Champions League group stage, against Atletico Madrid, which will allow Conte to rotate his squad during a hectic run of fixtures.

“After tonight (Wednesday), we must be pleased that we reached our first target: to go through into the next round of the Champions League,” Conte said.


“To avoid the Atletico game becoming decisive, for us, is very important. It will be a good chance also to have another rotation with my players. It is very positive for us in a game that I knew very well would not be easy.”

Both Atletico and Roma have faced difficult evenings at the Baku Olympic Stadium this season, but there were no such concerns for Chelsea, despite a nervy start in which Qarabag midfielder Michel struck the bar.

Shortly afterwards, Willian collapsed to the ground in the penalty box under the close attention of Sadygov. Portuguese referee Manuel De Sousa not only saw enough to award the penalty, but also to show Sadygov the red card.

With him went Qarabag’s gameplan, despite their bizarre attempt to call a sort of time-out and hold a team meeting on the side of the pitch while Hazard waited to take the penalty. The situation was made more comical by the enthusiastic efforts of Qarabag goalkeeper Ibrahim Sehic to join the huddle before he was frantically waved back.


It was no distraction to Hazard, at least, who calmly rolled in his sixth goal in seven games. Willian, for his part, said there was a “little bit” of contact. “For me it was a penalty,” he said to reporters afterwards. “I don’t think for you guys it is, but for me it was a penalty.”

Qarabag manager Gurban Gurbanov was furious. “The red card did not allow us to show our best game,” he said. “Our fans didn’t deserve it. The players were shocked by the decision. Maybe if we were not a small country and a small team, the decision might have been different.”

From there, Chelsea never needed to leave second gear. But if there was controversy and anger over the first goal, even the Qarabag fans would have been able to appreciate the quality of Chelsea’s second.


Fabregas picked out Pedro, who flicked the ball artfully into the path of Willian. From there it went to Hazard and, before Qarabag knew what was happening, back to Willian. The Brazilian could hardly miss.

It could have been three long before the second contentious penalty decision was awarded, with Pedro and Hazard both missing openings after the break. When it did arrive, it was thanks to Willian again, who was awarded a penalty for a seemingly innocuous shirt pull by defender Gara Garayev. Fabregas did the rest from the spot, even though he was made to retake the penalty.

At this point Chelsea were in cruise control. They looked to be happy with their lot until the last five minutes, when Willian fired home his second with a thunderous strike from outside the box.



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Mail:


Qarabag 0-4 Chelsea: Willian, Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas secure progression to knockout stages as Antonio Conte's side breeze past 10-man minnows

By Sami Mokbel for the Daily Mail


Antonio Conte is writing his own script. When Chelsea lost to Burnley on the opening day of the Premier League season you got the impression it was the beginning of the end.

Four months later, Conte - thanks to a routine win over Qarabag on Wednesday night - has guided his team to the last 16 of the Champions League.

Back among Europe's elite - exactly where Roman Abramovich expects his expensively-assembled squad to be.


Chelsea's second goal was a well-crafted team effort, started by Thibaut Courtois and finished by Willian down the other end just 19 seconds later. Click HERE for more from Sportsmail's excellent Match Zone service.

Nine points behind domestic leaders Manchester City is a far from ideal position to be in going into December.

But Chelsea's title defence has been far from a disaster. All in all, this is very unlike Chelsea. What happened to the second-season managerial curse?

A season of success followed by one of failure, eventually leading to the manager's sacking? We've seen the movie enough times to know the ending.

Questions continue to linger over Conte's job security and his relationship with the real decision makers at Stamford Bridge. But maybe, just maybe, Conte can become the one that sticks.

He is consistently delivering; those above him in the Chelsea food chain will do well to remember that.


Here in Baku, the Blues were indebted to two hugely debatable penalties and the controversial sending off of Qarabag skipper Rashad Sadygov.

But, make no mistake, Chelsea would have won this game no matter what. In the end it was four - Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas' penalties supplementing Willian's brace.

But it should have been double that goal tally, Chelsea squandering a host of chances against the Azerbaijani champions.

The big news before kick-off saw the recall of David Luiz to the Chelsea starting XI following a training ground flare-up with his manager which saw him miss the last two game.

Only time will tell if Luiz can work his way back into Conte's domestic plans, but, for now, the Brazilian is off the naughty step.


Luiz was one of four changes from the side that brushed West Brom aside so emphatically on Saturday, Conte clearly keeping an one eye on Saturday's showdown against Liverpool.

Not that the changes would have filled Qarabag with any more optimism: seasoned internationals Willian, Antonio Rudiger and Pedro the other three alterations.

However, from the opening 15 minutes, it was hard to tell which team were overwhelming favourites.

Buoyed by the exuberant home support, Qarabag started brightly showing no sign of an inferiority complex.

They were unlucky not to take a 14th-minute lead as Michel rattled the bar from close range after Chelsea's back-four parted like the Red Sea.


The decibel levels soared; Qarabag - on the biggest night of their history - sensed one of the most profound Champions League shocks of all time.

Five minutes later the cheers turned to jeers.

The boos were aimed at Portuguese referee Manuel De Sousa, who had just awarded Chelsea a 20th-minute penalty after Willian fell in the box under pressure from Sadygov.

The home side were incensed. Television replays suggest they have a case.

But if they were livid at the penalty, then you only imagine their fury at De Sousa when he brandished a red card.

The Qarabag skipper couldn't believe it, stood staring into thin air with his hands on his head. His team-mates were taking a more proactive approach, angrily remonstrating with the Portuguese official.

The injustice was all too much for manager Gurban Gurbanov, who called all his players to the touchline for an impromptu team talk. Perhaps they were praying for a miracle as they huddled in together.

Not that Hazard was bothered, sending Ibrahim Sehic the wrong way to put Chelsea ahead.

The Olympic Stadium fell quiet; the home crowd knew this was over as contest. The sense of injustice made it even more difficult to swallow for the Azerbaijanis.

Hazard and Luiz both went close with headers to double Chelsea's advantage before the Blues eventually scored a second nine minutes before the break.

Willian took the glory, cooly slotting past Sehic but Hazard's audacious flick to set up the Brazil international was exquisite.

Pedro and Hazard were thwarted by Sehic soon after the restart; though the misses didn't matter. This game was over after De Sousa's 20th-minute intervention.

Conte soon turned his attentions to Anfield, bringing off Marcos Alonso, N'Golo Kante and Hazard for Gary Cahill, Danny Drinkwater and Alvaro Morata, respectively.

The second half was dying a death, that was until De Sousa's third controversial ruling of the night.

Willian, jockeyed by Gara Garayev, looked to be going down a blind alley - only for De Sousa to spot the slightest of shirt pulls.

The protests weren't as vociferous this time; Qarabag players more bewildered than angry on this occasion.

Cesc Fabregas, after being asked to retake his first successful effort, fired past Sehic to extend Chelsea's lead before Willian completed the cakewalk in the 85th minute.