Europa League - Group L
ChelseaChelsea4PAOK SalonikaPAOK Salonika0

Chelsea 4-0 PAOK Salonika: Olivier Giroud double seals Europa League group top spot

By Mike HensonBBC Sport
Olivier Giroud
Giroud has made four Premier League starts this season, with another six appearances off the bench

Olivier Giroud scored twice as Chelsea saw off PAOK Salonika to secure top spot in Europa League Group L.

The Frenchman curled home from Pedro's pass before burying a volley from Cesc Fabregas' lofted through ball to give the hosts a two-goal lead at the break.

The Greek visitors had been down to 10 men since the seventh minute with Yevhen Khacheridi dismissed for diving in and denying Giroud a clear goal-scoring opportunity.

A depleted PAOK tired further in the second half and 18-year-old Callum Hudson-Odoi found the net before substitute Alvaro Morata headed in the youngster's cross with his first touch off the bench.

Chelsea play Hungarians MOL Vidi on 13 December in a final dead-rubber group game.

Chelsea fringe players come to fore

Callum Hudson-Odoi
At 18 years and 22 days old, Hudson-Odoi became the youngest scorer in the Europa League since 2009

After Maurizio Sarri's 18-match unbeaten run as new Chelsea manager came to an abrupt halt with a 3-1 defeat by Tottenham on Saturday, the Italian changed all 10 outfield players for this encounter.

It gave several fringe players a chance to stake a claim for more first-team game-time.

With Morata still not fully convincing up front, Giroud now has four goals in his last three Blues games.

The France international lacks Morata's pace, but followed his precise first with a clever dart in behind the PAOK defence and a powerful first-time effort.

Elsewhere, Hudson-Odoi, who won the under-17 World Cup with England in 2017 and has been linked with a move to Bayern Munichexternal-link, had some bright moments, the best of which was a crisp snap-shot that fizzed inside the near post for Chelsea's third and his first for the club.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek was perhaps of more interest to the watching England manager Gareth Southgate and impressed with his quick feet and incisive passing.

He was unfortunate not to add his name to the scoresheet bringing a superb save out of Alexandros Paschalakis with a fierce 20-yard effort.

Fans of the match

PAOK Salonika fans
The away support was large and loud

The travelling support barely stopped singing from the first whistle to the last, but the Greek league leaders were doomed from the moment that Khacheridi clumsily attempted to retrieve a loose pass and illegally blocked Giroud's route to goal.

A man down, PAOK, who lost 1-0 in the reverse fixture in September, failed to register a shot on target.

Former England age-grade international Chuba Akpom, who joined them in the summer from Arsenal, was an unused substitute on his return to London.

Chelsea can start turning their attention to the prospect of more serious opposition with the likes of AC Milan, Lazio and Sporting Lisbon among potential draws in the knockout stages.

Man of the match - Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea)

Ruben Loftus-Cheek
Loftus-Cheek was energetic and inventive in Chelsea's midfield, but can he force his way into Sarri's first team on a more regular basis?

'Cesc played very, very well' - manager quotes

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri on BT Sport: "We have to play every three days so in the future we will have to change very often. I am every happy with the performance of the young players especially.

"Cesc Fabregas played very, very well, especially in the first half. I said that in the central position of the three midfielders I prefer a very technical player like Jorginho or Cesc but N'Golo Kante has never played with me in this position, he has always played on the right of centre, he can do very well in that position."

Blues match Spurs Europa League streak - the stats

  • Chelsea are just the second English side to win their opening five games of a Europa League group stage campaign, following Spurs in 2013-14.
  • Chelsea have won five consecutive games in European competition for the first time since November 2010.
  • Olivier Giroud netted as many goals in this game as he had in his previous 13 appearances for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge (two in all competitions).
  • Olivier Giroud has scored 11 goals in his last 15 starts in European competition (three for Chelsea, eight for Arsenal).
  • Callum Hudson-Odoi (18y 22d) became the youngest player to score for an English team in the Europa League since the competitions rebranding in 2009-10.

What's next?

Chelsea meet west London neighbours Fulham on Sunday at midday in the Premier League.

Line-ups

Chelsea

Formation 4-3-3

  • 1Arrizabalaga
  • 21ZappacostaSubstituted forAmpaduat 63'minutes
  • 24CahillBooked at 53mins
  • 27Christensen
  • 33Emerson
  • 8Barkley
  • 4Fàbregas
  • 12Loftus-Cheek
  • 11PedroSubstituted forWillianat 66'minutes
  • 18GiroudSubstituted forMorataat 75'minutes
  • 20Hudson-Odoi

Substitutes

  • 3Alonso
  • 5Jorginho
  • 13Caballero
  • 17Kovacic
  • 22Willian
  • 29Morata
  • 44Ampadu

PAOK Salonika

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 31Paschalakis
  • 3de Matos Cruz
  • 34KhacheridiBooked at 7mins
  • 15Crespo
  • 20Vieira de Freitas
  • 8da Silveira JúniorSubstituted forPelkasat 78'minutesBooked at 79mins
  • 19WernbloomBooked at 50mins
  • 98Rodrigues Lima
  • 28Shakhov
  • 7El KaddouriSubstituted fordos Santos Varelaat 76'minutes
  • 9PrijovicSubstituted forWardaat 45'minutes

Substitutes

  • 1Rey
  • 5dos Santos Varela
  • 10Pelkas
  • 21Biseswar
  • 47Akpom
  • 74Warda
  • 87Cañas Ruiz-Herrera
Referee:
Kristo Tohver
Attendance:
33,933

Match Stats

Home TeamChelseaAway TeamPAOK Salonika
Possession
Home63%
Away37%
Shots
Home28
Away8
Shots on Target
Home10
Away0
Corners
Home12
Away2
Fouls
Home9
Away10

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Chelsea 4, PAOK Salonika 0.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Chelsea 4, PAOK Salonika 0.

  3. Post update

    Attempt missed. Ross Barkley (Chelsea) right footed shot from outside the box is too high from a direct free kick.

  4. Post update

    Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  5. Post update

    Foul by Vieirinha (PAOK Salonika).

  6. Post update

    Attempt saved. Cesc Fàbregas (Chelsea) right footed shot from more than 35 yards is saved in the bottom right corner.

  7. Post update

    Attempt saved. Willian (Chelsea) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Callum Hudson-Odoi.

  8. Post update

    Attempt missed. Pontus Wernbloom (PAOK Salonika) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.

  9. Post update

    Attempt missed. Callum Hudson-Odoi (Chelsea) right footed shot from the right side of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Willian.

  10. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Willian (Chelsea) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

  11. Booking

    Dimitrios Pelkas (PAOK Salonika) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  12. Post update

    Willian (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  13. Post update

    Foul by Dimitrios Pelkas (PAOK Salonika).

  14. Substitution

    Substitution, PAOK Salonika. Dimitrios Pelkas replaces Maurício.

  15. Goal!

    Goal! Chelsea 4, PAOK Salonika 0. Álvaro Morata (Chelsea) header from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Callum Hudson-Odoi with a cross.

  16. Substitution

    Substitution, PAOK Salonika. Fernando Varela replaces Omar El Kaddouri.

  17. Substitution

    Substitution, Chelsea. Álvaro Morata replaces Olivier Giroud.

  18. Post update

    Foul by Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea).

  19. Post update

    Leo Jabá (PAOK Salonika) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  20. Post update

    Delay over. They are ready to continue.

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Scores, Results & Fixtures

Thursday 29th November 2018

As It Stood

A

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1B Leverkusen5311118310
2Zürich53026519
3AEK Larnaca512257-25
4Ludogorets503246-23

B

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1RB Salzburg55001551015
2Celtic530256-19
3RB Leipzig52038716
4Rosenborg5005313-100

C

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Zenit St Petersburg532063311
2Slavia Prague521223-17
3FC Copenhagen512234-15
4Bordeaux511356-14

D

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Dinamo Zagreb5410113813
2Fenerbahçe52217618
3Spartak Trnava511337-44
4Anderlecht502327-52

E

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Arsenal5410112913
2Sporting5311103710
3Vorskla Poltava5104410-63
4FK Qarabag5104212-103

F

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Real Betis532072511
2AC Milan5311116510
3Olympiakos52128537
4F91 Dudelange5005316-130

G

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Villarreal514010557
2Rapid Vienna521259-47
3Rangers51318716
4Spartak Moscow5122810-25

H

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Frankfurt55001541115
2Lazio530289-19
3Apollon Limassol511379-24
4Marseille5014513-81

I

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1KRC Genk522110828
2Besiktas5212910-17
3Malmö FF51316606
4Sarpsborg 08512289-15

J

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1FK Krasnodar540185312
2Sevilla530215699
3Standard Liege530279-29
4Akhisarspor5005414-100

K

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Dynamo Kyiv5320106411
2FC Astana52217528
3Rennes520358-36
4FK Jablonec502358-32

L

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Chelsea5500101915
2BATE Borisov520368-26
3MOL Vidi520335-26
4PAOK Salonika510449-53
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