toptop
Olivier
Giroud gave Frank Lampard a reminder of his qualities with four goals -
including a perfect hat-trick - that helped Chelsea confirm top spot in Group E
with a 4-0 win at Sevilla.
Sevilla, who had only lost once to an English side at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan
Stadium, fell behind inside eight minutes to a much-changed Chelsea as Kai
Havertz was allowed to run 40 yards from his own half before teeing up Giroud,
who beat debutant goalkeeper Alfonso Pastor with a curling finish into the top
corner.
Giroud made it two nine minutes into the second half, feinting to shoot with his
first touch and expertly dispatching his second goal with his next.
The hosts had made eight changes and rarely threatened Edouard Mendy's goal,
instead falling further behind with 16 minutes to go when N'Golo Kante's
excellent cross was nodded into the far corner by Giroud for a perfect
hat-trick.
The Frenchman, who became the first Chelsea player to score four in one game
since his manager in 2010, then scored a penalty with his final touch of the
game, as Chelsea secured top spot in their Champions League group in style.
Player ratings
Sevilla: Pastor (6), Navas (5), Gomez (3), Carlos (4), Rekik
(6), Rakitic (6), Gudelj (5), Oscar (6), Vazquez (5), En-Neayri (5), Idrissi
(5).
Subs: Kounde (5), Ocampos (5), Jordan (5), Munir (5), Torres
(5).
Chelsea: Mendy (7), Azpilicueta (7), Rudiger (8), Christensen
(7), Emerson (7), Kovacic (8), Jorginho (7), Havertz (7), Hudson-Odoi (6),
Giroud (10), Pulisic (6).
Subs: Kante (7), Mount (6), Ziyech (7), Werner, Gilmour (n/a).
Man of the match: Olivier Giroud
Giroud show gives Lampard food for
thought
It would have been easy for two sides making 17 changes combined from their
weekend league games to look disjointed but the game served up at an empty Ramon
Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium proved nothing of the sort, with Chelsea racing into an
early lead in a high-tempo start.
Havertz, making his first start in over a month, picked up the ball in his own
half before racing away from the Sevilla midfield and feeding Giroud on the edge
of the box. The Frenchman, who has played only 47 minutes of Premier League
football this season, turned onto his left and beat Pastor.
Sevilla felt they could have levelled 20 minutes in when Karim Rekik got up to
meet Oscar Rodriguez's free-kick before Rudiger made an important block.
Rudiger shone at the other end of the pitch before half-time, too, with his
bullet header from Emerson's corner cleared off the line by Vazquez.
Giroud further staked his claim for a starting spot in Chelsea's league game
with Leeds this weekend on Sky Sports as he doubled his tally nine minutes into
the second period. He ended a flowing move by taking Mateo Kovacic's pass in his
stride, leaving Sergi Gomez on his backside with his first touch and beating
Pastor with his second.
Sevilla threatened a little more after making a triple substitution to
re-introduce some of their big hitters, but still never threatened Mendy, while
Giroud sealed his hat-trick with help from one of Chelsea's additions from the
bench.
Kante, on the right of midfield, looked up before spotting the forward's run to
the near post and picking him out with a perfect cross which was glanced into
the far corner.
Giroud again got the better of Gomez, who would ask for the forward's shirt
after the game, with six minutes to go as he was hauled down in the box from
another cross, before steadying himself to beat Pastor from 12 yards.
That proved his final touch as Lampard brought off his veteran striker with a
near-perfect Champions League night for the Chelsea manager bettered still by
the late introduction of Billy Gilmour from the bench, nearly five months since
his last first-team appearance due to a long-term knee injury.
Man of the match - Olivier Giroud
If Giroud doesn't start against Leeds on Saturday, you'd forgive him knocking
down Frank Lampard's door asking him what more he can possibly do to impress.
Because his performance against Sevilla was about as perfect as it could have
been. A first Chelsea four-goal haul in a decade, and all from only five shots
across the night.
He took part in more aerial duels than anyone on the pitch and while he may have
only won half of them, it was the Frenchman's often underrated feet which did
the talking for the most-part to totally outclass a Sevilla backline who never
got to grips with him.
Opta facts
Chelsea have won four consecutive UEFA Champions League matches for the first
time since the 2011-12 campaign, when they went on to win the competition.
Sevilla were unbeaten in 14 home matches in all European competitions coming
into this game (W12 D2), with this their first such defeat since April 2018 vs
Bayern Munich.
Chelsea have won two UEFA Champions League games by at least four goals under
Frank Lampard - only under Jose Mourinho do they have more such wins (six).
In what was Sevilla's 100th home match in European competition, they lost by a
four-goal margin on home soil for the very first time.
Chelsea's Olivier Giroud (34 years and 63 days) became the oldest player to a
hat-trick in the UEFA Champions League/European Cup since Ferenc Puskás for Real
Madrid vs Feyenoord in September 1965 (38 years and 173 days).
What's next?
Chelsea are live on Sky Sports Premier League from 7.45pm on Saturday night when
they host Leeds at Stamford Bridge; kick-off at 8pm.
Click Here For UEFA Match Press Kit
Teams
Sevilla Pastor, Navas (c) (Kounde 60), Gomez, Carlos, Rekik,
Rakitic (Torres 75), Gudelj, Rodriguez (Jordan 60), Vazquez, En-Nesryi, Idrissi
(Ocampos 60)
Subs Not Used Vaclik, Gonzalez, De Jong, Munir, Fernando,
Zarxana, Vazquez, Romero
Booked Gudelj, Idrissi, Gomez, Jordan
Goals
Chelsea Mendy, Azpilicueta (c), Christensen, Rudiger, Emerson,
Kovacic (Ziyech 67), Jorginho (Gilmour 85), Havertz (Kante 68), Hudson-Odoi,
Giroud (Werner 84), Pulisic (Mount 68)
Subs Not Used Kepa, Caballero, Tomori, James, Chilwell, Alonso,
Abraham
Booked Kovacic, Pulisic, Mount, Ziyech
Goals Giroud 8, 54, 74, 83 (pen)
Attendance 0
Referee Artur Dias (POR)
VAR Tiago Martins (POR)