UCL: Qarabag 0-4 Chelsea

Hazard celebrates with Willian

Chelsea secured a place in the knockout stages of the Champions League with a comfortable 4-0 victory away to ten-man Qarabag.

Blues head coach Antonio Conte made four changes to the side who thrashed West Brom 4-0 at the weekend, with David Luiz, Antonio Rudiger, Willian and Pedro handed starts.

The early stages in Baku saw both sides content to knock the ball around, before four minutes in Cesc Fabregas drove a 20-yard shot straight at goalkeeper Ibrahim Sehic.

However, at the other end a quickfire counter-attack from the hosts saw Michel denied by the woodwork as he flashed in a shot from 12 yards out, with Richard unable to get his follow-up effort on target.

With 19 minutes on the clock, Qarabag were reduced to ten men as Rashad Sadygov was dismissed for pulling back Willian and Eden Hazard coolly converted the resulting penalty to give the Blues the lead.

Hazard aimed a header straight at Sehic with half an hour gone and then played a major part in the second Chelsea goal nine minutes before the interval, back-heeling to Willian, who applied the finishing touch with a low shot.

The second half began slowly, with the ten-man hosts unable to make much of an impact.

Pedro was denied a goal by a fine block from Sehic as the visitors attempted to extend their advantage, while just past the hour mark the home keeper did well to beat out a Hazard drive.

Substitute Alvaro Morata sidefooted wide of target after being played clean through by Rudiger, before 18 minutes from time Willian was adjudged to have been fouled in the area again.

At the second time of asking, Fabregas placed his spot-kick into the bottom corner of the net, giving Sehic no chance.

Morata forced another fine save from the overworked Sehic as the Blues threatened to run riot, with Willian adding a fourth goal five minutes from time as he drilled a 20-yard shot into the corner of the net.