Chelsea made to work before seeing off Maccabi
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Article summary
Maccabi Tel-Aviv 0-4 Chelsea
A goal and a man up at half-time, Chelsea endured a few nervy moments before Willian, Oscar and Kurt Zouma put the contest beyond the hosts.
Article top media content
Article body
- Gary Cahill puts Chelsea ahead, following up after his initial header is saved
- Maccabi's former Blues defender Tal Ben Haim is sent off after 41 minutes
- Willian curls in his sixth free-kick this season, Oscar heads the third
- Substitute Kurt Zouma makes it 4-0 in added time
- Final Group G games: Dynamo Kyiv v Maccabi, Chelsea v Porto (9 December)
Chelsea moved level on points with Porto at the top of UEFA Champions League Group G by condemning ten-man Maccabi Tel-Aviv to another 4-0 defeat.
Gary Cahill's strike, Willian's sixth free-kick of the season and headers from Oscar and Kurt Zouma mean José Mourinho's men will win the section if they beat Porto at home on matchday six. The English side will qualify regardless if Dynamo Kyiv fail to overcome a Maccabi team who have lost all five of their games.
Maccabi's wait for a goal in open play in this season's group stage ought to have been over inside two minutes, though, Dor Peretz directing a free header over from Tal Ben Chaim's inviting cross.
Some of Chelsea's approach play was neat, but it was via more rudimentary means – a centre-back connecting with a corner – that they took the lead.
Cahill attacked Willian's delivery with relish, getting above Nosa Igiebor and forcing a sharp save out of Predrag Rajković, who tipped the defender's header against his right-hand post. The England international slammed in the loose ball.
A goal up, the west Londoners were soon a man to the good too, their former defender Tal Ben Haim being shown a straight red card four minutes before the break for taking a swipe at Diego Costa.
That the hosts were playing with ten was not immediately apparent after the restart. Indeed, Chelsea were grateful to Asmir Begović for preserving their advantage with a block to deny right-back Eli Dasa, found by a raking crossfield pass inside Eden Hazard.
As the contest opened up, Rajković showcased his reflexes by thwarting César Azpilicueta, before Begović tipped away Eran Zahavi's effort on the counterattack. Moments after John Terry had been carrried off, Willian rubberstamped victory. Oscar's header, from Abdul Baba Rahman's centre, and Zouma's late goal ensured Chelsea repeated the scoreline from the reverse fixture.
