Europa League

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Europa League | Group Stage

Nov 29, 2018 at 8pm UK

Chelsea
4-0
PAOK PAOK

Giroud (27', 37'), Hudson-Odoi (60'), Morata (78')

FT(HT: 2-0)

Olivier Giroud bags brace as Chelsea cruise past 10-man PAOK

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 29 November 2018

Olivier Giroud, Alvaro Morata and Callum Hudson-Odoi all register for Chelsea as they brush aside PAOK with a 4-0 win at Stamford Bridge.

Olivier Giroud scored two first-half goals as Chelsea beat 10-man PAOK 4-0 in Thursday evening's Europa League tie at Stamford Bridge.

The Frenchman netted twice in the space of 10 minutes following Yevhen Khacheridi's early sending-off for the visitors.

Giroud was joined on the scoresheet by youngster Callum Hudson-Odoi, who got off the mark with his first goal for the club on the hour, before setting up substitute Alvaro Morata for his side's fourth of the night.

Chelsea, already assured of top spot in Group L prior to the match due to BATE Borisov's 2-0 win over Videoton, have now won five from five in Europe under Maurizio Sarri.

Olivier Giroud celebrates after opening the scoring for Chelsea in their Europa League meeting with PAOK on November 29, 2018 © Reuters

Brought back into the side as one of 10 changes from the 3-1 loss to Chelsea last weekend, Giroud made an immediate impact as he pounced on a stray pass and charged through on goal.

Khacheridi was forced to hack down the former Arsenal striker and was shown a red card by Kristo Tohver inside the opening seven minutes, making a tough task for PAOK all the more difficult.

Chelsea were having no problems turning possession into chances, as Giroud and Pedro both came close to netting with their efforts, while Hudson-Odoi also tested Alexandros Paschalakis on his first start since August.

The visiting keeper would also be needed to push aside a powerful drive from Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who netted a hat-trick against BATE in Chelsea's most recent European outing here, but the breakthrough arrived before the half-hour mark.

Pedro slotted a pass through for Giroud, who tucked the ball out of Paschalakis's reach with a smart finish to make it three goals in three games.

That record was extended soon after as Giroud this time volleyed Cesc Fabregas's chipped pass past Paschalakis at the Greek keeper's near post.

Hudson-Odoi curled a shot against the crossbar between those two goals and Pedro had a couple of shots kept out in a dominant first-half showing from the hosts.

Another good stop from Paschalakis to thwart Loftus-Cheek kept the scoring down until the hour, at which point Hudson-Odoi got the goal he craved by working the ball onto his right boot and passing it into the bottom corner from 12 yards.

Chelsea's next big chance led to the fourth goal of the contest, as Morata got between two opposition men to guide Hudson-Odoi's right-sided cross into the back of the net just three minutes after being brought off the bench.

Another second-half sub in Willian should have added to Chelsea's tally late on, only to meet his match in Paschalakis, and Barkley clipped the roof of the net from his free kick in the final minute of play as Sarri's men returned to winning ways with ease.

CHELSEA (4-3-3): Kepa; Zappacosta (Ampadu 63'), Christensen, Cahill, Emerson; Barkley, Fabregas, Loftus-Cheek; Pedro (Willian 66'), Giroud (Morata 75'), Hudson-Odoi

PAOK (4-2-3-1): Paschalakis; Matos, Khacheridi, Crespo, Vieirinha; Mauricio (Pelkas 79'), Wernbloom; Jaba, Shakhov, El Kaddouri (Varela 75'); Prijovic (Warda 46')