Champions League - Group E
FK KrasnodarFK Krasnodar0ChelseaChelsea4

FK Krasnodar 0-4 Chelsea: Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic strikes put seal on emphatic win

By Tom RostanceBBC Sport
Hakim Ziyech
Hakim Ziyech had not scored in an injury-hit 2020 before swivelling to fire in the third in Krasnodar

Hakim Ziyech scored his first Chelsea goal as Frank Lampard's side picked up three points in an emphatic Champions League win in Russia.

Ziyech, 27, swept in on his first start for the club to add to goals from Callum Hudson-Odoi, Timo Werner and Christian Pulisic as Chelsea returned to goalscoring ways in style.

Back-to-back goalless draws had signalled that Lampard had made strides in sorting out his side's defence, and while they will face tougher opposition than Russian new boys Krasnodar, the manager will be delighted that his attacking riches also kicked into gear after midfielder Jorginho had missed an early penalty.

Four points from two games is a solid start to their Champions League campaign and despite their run of draws Chelsea have now lost just once in 10 games this term.

Blues back on target

Lampard has undertaken a rebuild of his side and could field around £160m of new attacking talent as Ziyech joined Werner and Kai Havertz in the starting XI.

But, initially at least, the visitors were still guilty of moving the ball too slowly against some spirited and organised opponents.

Werner was lively if underused, and won the early penalty when he was tripped by Kaio. Jorginho stuck with his usual skipping technique, sent goalkeeper Matvey Safonov the wrong way, but hit the base of the post.

Chelsea needed a helping hand to end their 248-minute goal drought and duly got one from Safonov when the 21-year-old goalkeeper made a total hash of dealing with Hudson-Odoi's scuffed shot, the ball bobbling in.

Lampard's side were always comfortable but had to endure a sticky spell when Yuri Gazinsky hit the crossbar from a corner. A second penalty, harshly given for handball, was then thrashed home by Werner to shut down any signs of a fightback.

Ziyech, who showed encouraging signs throughout and who should have scored earlier after a great turn, found the bottom corner after good approach play from substitute Pulisic, and the American made it four in the last minute when he drove past Safonov.

Tammy Abraham's assist for the fourth, and the fact Olivier Giroud remained on the bench, only served to underline the fact that goals should not be an issue for this Chelsea team.

New pin in the CL map

Chelsea fans have had to endure derogatory, baseless chants down the years from rival fans claiming that they have "no history".

If any away fans had been allowed into the UFO-like Krasnodar Stadium, which was raucous throughout as a crowd of around 11,000 made themselves heard, they could have legitimately returned fire.

Krasnodar were only formed in 2008, just a few months before Chelsea lost the Champions League final on Russian soil. Lampard himself had already played 400 games before Chelsea's 55th Champions League opponents were forged by a supermarket magnate.

Krasnodar may lack in household names but had Chelsea worried for a spell in the second half, particularly when the excellent Edouard Mendy was beaten by Gazinsky, the midfielder's shot hitting the crossbar.

The second penalty killed off their challenge though as Chelsea romped to their biggest Champions League victory since a 4-0 win over FK Qarabag in November 2017.

Follow reaction and the latest from Wednesday's late games

The stats

  • Chelsea are unbeaten in their last eight group stage away games in European competition (W6 D2), keeping a clean sheet in five of those matches in this run.
  • Chelsea have kept successive clean sheets in the Champions League for the first time since December 2015, and in their opening two group stage games of a CL campaign for the first time since 2008-09.
  • Chelsea have kept three clean sheets in a row in all competitions for the very first time under Frank Lampard, also recording shutouts for the first time in successive away games under the former Chelsea midfielder.
  • Chelsea's Kai Havertz has been involved in seven goals in his last seven games in European competition (4 goals, 3 assists), with his assist against FK Krasnodar his first goal involvement in the Champions League (10th appearance).
  • Callum Hudson-Odoi is just the second teenager to score for Chelsea in the Champions League, alongside Reece James, who did so against Ajax last season.
  • Chelsea's Hakim Ziyech has been directly involved in 13 goals in his last 15 starts in the Champions League, scoring six goals and assisting a further seven.
  • All eight of Chelsea forward Timo Werner's Champions League goals have come away from home - he's the top scorer in the competition to have scored 100% of their goals on the road.

Player of the match

ZiyechHakim Ziyech

with an average of 7.75

FK Krasnodar

  1. Squad number6Player nameRamírez
    Average rating

    5.53

  2. Squad number33Player nameBerg
    Average rating

    5.52

  3. Squad number18Player nameChernov
    Average rating

    5.47

  4. Squad number14Player nameOlsson
    Average rating

    5.45

  5. Squad number52Player nameVilhena
    Average rating

    5.45

  6. Squad number81Player nameSabua
    Average rating

    5.42

  7. Squad number47Player nameUtkin
    Average rating

    5.42

  8. Squad number8Player nameGazinskiy
    Average rating

    5.39

  9. Squad number4Player nameMartynovich
    Average rating

    5.38

  10. Squad number31Player nameKaio
    Average rating

    5.35

  11. Squad number28Player nameSmolnikov
    Average rating

    5.27

  12. Squad number93Player nameShapi Suleymanov
    Average rating

    5.26

  13. Squad number74Player nameSpertsyan
    Average rating

    5.17

  14. Squad number39Player nameSafonov
    Average rating

    4.80

Chelsea

  1. Squad number22Player nameZiyech
    Average rating

    7.75

  2. Squad number10Player namePulisic
    Average rating

    7.73

  3. Squad number16Player nameMendy
    Average rating

    7.67

  4. Squad number11Player nameWerner
    Average rating

    7.49

  5. Squad number21Player nameChilwell
    Average rating

    6.97

  6. Squad number28Player nameAzpilicueta
    Average rating

    6.96

  7. Squad number7Player nameKanté
    Average rating

    6.91

  8. Squad number29Player nameHavertz
    Average rating

    6.87

  9. Squad number20Player nameHudson-Odoi
    Average rating

    6.81

  10. Squad number9Player nameAbraham
    Average rating

    6.76

  11. Squad number15Player nameZouma
    Average rating

    6.75

  12. Squad number2Player nameRüdiger
    Average rating

    6.70

  13. Squad number19Player nameMount
    Average rating

    6.59

  14. Squad number17Player nameKovacic
    Average rating

    6.44

  15. Squad number33Player nameEmerson
    Average rating

    6.13

  16. Squad number5Player nameJorginho
    Average rating

    5.68

Line-ups

FK Krasnodar

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 39Safonov
  • 28Smolnikov
  • 4MartynovichBooked at 75mins
  • 31da Silva Pantaleão
  • 18Chernov
  • 8Gazinskiy
  • 52Vilhena
  • 14OlssonBooked at 22minsSubstituted forSpertsyanat 82'minutes
  • 47UtkinSubstituted forSuleymanovat 74'minutes
  • 6Ramírez
  • 33BergSubstituted forSabuaat 87'minutes

Substitutes

  • 1Gorodov
  • 67Kutovoi
  • 74Spertsyan
  • 81Sabua
  • 84Litvinov
  • 88Sinitsyn
  • 93Suleymanov

Chelsea

Formation 4-3-3

  • 16Mendy
  • 28Azpilicueta
  • 15Zouma
  • 2Rüdiger
  • 21ChilwellSubstituted forEmersonat 81'minutes
  • 17KovacicSubstituted forKantéat 71'minutes
  • 5JorginhoSubstituted forMountat 71'minutes
  • 29Havertz
  • 22ZiyechSubstituted forAbrahamat 80'minutes
  • 11Werner
  • 20Hudson-OdoiSubstituted forPulisicat 71'minutes

Substitutes

  • 4Christensen
  • 7Kanté
  • 9Abraham
  • 10Pulisic
  • 13Caballero
  • 14Tomori
  • 18Giroud
  • 19Mount
  • 24James
  • 33Emerson
  • 40Ziger
Referee:
Ali Palabiyik
Attendance:
10,544

Match Stats

Home TeamFK KrasnodarAway TeamChelsea
Possession
Home29%
Away71%
Shots
Home13
Away16
Shots on Target
Home4
Away7
Corners
Home6
Away4
Fouls
Home12
Away12

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, FK Krasnodar 0, Chelsea 4.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, FK Krasnodar 0, Chelsea 4.

  3. Post update

    Attempt missed. Shapi Suleymanov (FK Krasnodar) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right from a direct free kick.

  4. Post update

    Foul by Mason Mount (Chelsea).

  5. Post update

    Shapi Suleymanov (FK Krasnodar) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  6. Post update

    Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Igor Smolnikov.

  7. Goal!

    Goal! FK Krasnodar 0, Chelsea 4. Christian Pulisic (Chelsea) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Tammy Abraham.

  8. Substitution

    Substitution, FK Krasnodar. Leon Sabua replaces Marcus Berg.

  9. Post update

    Foul by Emerson (Chelsea).

  10. Post update

    Shapi Suleymanov (FK Krasnodar) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  11. Post update

    Attempt saved. Cristian Ramírez (FK Krasnodar) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Yuri Gazinskiy.

  12. Post update

    Foul by Mason Mount (Chelsea).

  13. Post update

    Shapi Suleymanov (FK Krasnodar) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  14. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Christian Pulisic (Chelsea) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Kai Havertz.

  15. Post update

    Foul by Kai Havertz (Chelsea).

  16. Post update

    Tonny Vilhena (FK Krasnodar) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  17. Substitution

    Substitution, FK Krasnodar. Eduard Spertsyan replaces Kristoffer Olsson.

  18. Substitution

    Substitution, Chelsea. Emerson replaces Ben Chilwell.

  19. Substitution

    Substitution, Chelsea. Tammy Abraham replaces Hakim Ziyech.

  20. Goal!

    Goal! FK Krasnodar 0, Chelsea 3. Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Timo Werner.

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