Match ends, Chelsea 4, Maccabi Tel Aviv 0.
ChelseaChelsea4Maccabi Tel-AvivMaccabi Tel-Aviv0
Chelsea responded to their worst league start for nearly 30 years with a comfortable win in their Champions League opener against Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Jose Mourinho's tough start to the season was not helped when Eden Hazard missed an early penalty.
But Willian scored a free-kick and Oscar netted a penalty after a foul on Diego Costa, who volleyed the third.
Cesc Fabregas tapped in to complete a successful night for Chelsea ahead of Saturday's match against Arsenal.
Willian's opener from 35 yards may have been fortuitous, as it evaded a crowd of players before bouncing in, but from the moment the Blues took the lead, there only ever looked like being one winner.
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Mourinho still reigns in Europe
Chelsea went into the match under real pressure after making their worst league start to a season since 1986, with only one win.
In 2007, a slow start to the season followed by 1-1 draw at home to Norwegian side Rosenborg in the Champions League led to Jose Mourinho's exit, and the Blues were desperate to avoid a similar European upset.
The pressure only increased when Hazard missed from the spot but, with the fans audibly behind manager Mourinho, the Blues never looked in danger of being upset by Israel's champions.
While Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal lost their openers, Mourinho - who has won the competition twice - made light of all the pre-match crisis talk as Chelsea cruised to victory, despite fielding an experimental side.
Has 'the special one' run out of patience?
Seeing John Terry, Nemanja Matic, Diego Costa and Branislav Ivanovic on the bench suggested Mourinho has had enough with his side's dismal start to the season.
Some may point to having Saturday's visit of Arsenal to think about, but leaving out his tried and trusted was a big call and a big message to his squad.
Willian was one player who took his opportunity with a very lively first quarter of the match on the right flank, before limping off with a hamstring injury, while 19-year-old midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek looked assured.
Ghana's Baba Rahman made his debut at left-back but it was difficult to judge anyone defensively against a poor Maccabi Tel Aviv.
How did Costa and Hazard play?
Costa emerged from the bench to earn Chelsea a penalty for their second goal. He then scored his first in the Champions League for the Blues with a volley from Fabregas's cross.
The Spain international has endured a tough start to the campaign, with one goal compared to seven at this stage last time round, but looked more like his old self on Wednesday.
Hazard, on the other hand, again struggled to repeat the form that saw him named the PFA player of the year last season, although Chelsea did not need any of his magic against their very weak visitors.
Man of the match: Ruben Loftus-Cheek
'I'm not in heaven or hell'
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho told BT Sport: "I am happy with the result and the performance. The same way I was not in hell with bad results, I am not in heaven we won a game.
"It was a good victory. You could see from minute one we were going to win the game.
"Missing the penalty was a good thing to test the team. We must be really strong to believe and the players have played very well. They showed a good attitude and were good with the ball. It was a good victory."
The stats you need to know
- The Blues have only lost once in their last 36 home Champions League matches in the group stage.
- Jose Mourinho is one of five managers to have won the European Cup/Champions League with two different clubs, alongside Ernst Happel, Ottmar Hitzfeld, Jupp Heynckes and Carlo Ancelotti.
- Diego Costa did not score a single goal in seven Champions League appearances last season with Chelsea after netting eight goals in nine games with Atletico Madrid in the previous campaign.
- No Israeli club have ever made it to the knockout stages of the Champions League.
- Eden Hazard has failed to score with three of his six Champions League penalties.
What next?
Chelsea will look for only their second Premier League win of the season when they entertain Arsenal. The Gunners lost 2-1 to Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday.
In the Champions League, Chelsea next visit Porto in Group G, who drew 2-2 in Dynamo Kiev.
Line-ups
Chelsea
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Begovic
- 28Azpilicueta
- 5Zouma
- 24Cahill
- 6Baba
- 4Fàbregas
- 36Loftus-CheekBooked at 1minsSubstituted forTraoreat 77'minutes
- 22WillianSubstituted forDiego Costaat 23'minutes
- 8OscarSubstituted forSantos do Nascimentoat 65'minutes
- 10E Hazard
- 18Remy
Substitutes
- 2Ivanovic
- 7Santos do Nascimento
- 14Traore
- 19Diego Costa
- 21Matic
- 26Terry
- 27Blackman
Maccabi Tel-Aviv
Formation 4-1-4-1
- 95RajkovicBooked at 5mins
- 3ShpunginSubstituted forPeretzat 71'minutes
- 26Ben HaimBooked at 45mins
- 18Tibi
- 20Ben Harush
- 6Alberman
- 11Ben HaimSubstituted forMichaat 64'minutes
- 24Mitrovic
- 40IgieborBooked at 33mins
- 22RikanSubstituted forRadonjicat 64'minutes
- 7Zahavi
Substitutes
- 1Lifshitz
- 10Itzhaki
- 15Micha
- 28Vermouth
- 31Garcia Badias
- 42Peretz
- 99Radonjic
- Referee:
- Felix Zwayer
- Attendance:
- 40,684
Match Stats
Home TeamChelseaAway TeamMaccabi Tel-Aviv
- Possession
- Home62%
- Away38%
- Shots
- Home15
- Away7
- Shots on Target
- Home5
- Away1
- Corners
- Home8
- Away2
- Fouls
- Home15
- Away16
Live Text
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Full Time
Second Half ends, Chelsea 4, Maccabi Tel Aviv 0.
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Corner, Maccabi Tel Aviv. Conceded by Gary Cahill.
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Attempt missed. Nosa (Maccabi Tel Aviv) left footed shot from very close range is just a bit too high. Assisted by Dor Peretz with a cross.
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Foul by César Azpilicueta (Chelsea).
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Dejan Radonjic (Maccabi Tel Aviv) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Dangerous play by Ramires (Chelsea).
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Nikola Mitrovic (Maccabi Tel Aviv) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Offside, Maccabi Tel Aviv. Nikola Mitrovic tries a through ball, but Dejan Radonjic is caught offside.
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Attempt missed. Bertrand Traore (Chelsea) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Ramires.
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Foul by Loïc Remy (Chelsea).
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Gal Alberman (Maccabi Tel Aviv) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Goal!
Goal! Chelsea 4, Maccabi Tel Aviv 0. Cesc Fàbregas (Chelsea) right footed shot from the left side of the six yard box to the bottom left corner following a fast break.
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Attempt saved. Loïc Remy (Chelsea) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Eden Hazard.
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Attempt blocked. Eitan Tibi (Maccabi Tel Aviv) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
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Foul by Gary Cahill (Chelsea).
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Dejan Radonjic (Maccabi Tel Aviv) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Substitution
Substitution, Chelsea. Bertrand Traore replaces Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
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Foul by Diego Costa (Chelsea).
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Gal Alberman (Maccabi Tel Aviv) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
