Maurizio Sarri will have no complaints about his Chelsea side’s desire after they followed up on their first-leg success with a 5-0 drubbing of Dynamo Kiev – their biggest win in Europa League history.
The pitch was patchy and lacking life, but Chelsea’s performance was anything but, and they quickly raced into the lead.
Olivier Giroud notched up his seventh Europa League goal of the season as he side-footed the ball in from a Ruben Loftus-Cheek knockdown.
Kiev thought they’d got a goal back when Denys Harmash clipped the ball over Kepa Arrizabalaga, but replays showed he was clearly offside.
Chelsea doubled their lead through Giroud again, as he met Marcos Alonso’s curling through ball sumptuously.
The match, let alone the tie, was over by the end of the half, when Alonso, who had been exceptional throughout, got on the end of Callum Hudson-Odoi’s pull-back to send Chelsea into the break three goals to the good.
A combination of renewed impetus from Kiev and relaxation in the intensity of Chelsea’s play ensured a more even-handed start to the second half, but having lured the Ukrainian side in, Willian and Giroud pounced to add another goal to their tally; the Brazilian sent in a free-kick which World Cup-winner Giroud nodded in.
Alonso’s wicked free-kick just moments later almost compounded Kiev’s misery as the Spaniard saw his effort come back off the bar. Giroud went from scorer to provider in the 78th minute, cutting through the defence with an incisive ball that found Hudson-Odoi, who placed his finish into the corner to round off an excellent attacking display from Chelsea.
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