Champions League holders hit FOUR past Juventus with academy products Trevoh Chalobah, Reece James and Callum Hudson-Odoi all on target before Timo Werner rounds off scoring to ease into last 16
- Chelsea beat Juventus 4-0 in their Champions League clash on Tuesday night to reach knockout stage
- Trevoh Chalobah opened the scoring and Reece James added their second goal with youngsters thriving
- Callum Hudson-Odoi found the net for their third and Timo Werner provided the fourth for icing on the cake
- As a result, Chelsea topped their group and secured a place in the next round after an impressive display
- Latest Champions League news, including live action and results
Timo Werner knocked in the fourth, Thomas Tuchel leapt high in delight and Chelsea's resident DJ was reaching once again for the ska anthem 'One Step Beyond.'
They like to celebrate a resounding win at Stamford Bridge by stomping along to a few minutes of Madness and this time it came with added relevance as the European champions booked a place in the last 16.
Last time the Blues of west London were defending this title, they did not make it out of a group featuring Juventus. They lost heavily in Turin and sacked manager Roberto di Matteo on the way home.
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This time, they have breezed into the knock-out stages with a game to spare, having inflicted Juve's heaviest ever Champions League defeat, demolished their goal difference and taken a grip on Group H. Confidence is soaring.
There were goals to enjoy from three academy graduates Trevoh Chalobah, Reece James and Callum Hudson-Odoi before Werner came on to find the net on his return from injury, a sweeping move featuring a sumptuous cross-field pass from James and low cross from Hakim Ziyech.
The Italians, long acclaimed as Europe's master defenders were in tatters, and there was no need to risk Romelu Lukaku, who watched from the bench with his feet up. All in all, an ideal way to prepare for the visit of Manchester United on Sunday.
The night was only marred slightly by knee injuries to Ben Chilwell and N'Golo Kante, but Tuchel's versatile Chelsea team keep finding new ways to impress. No Lukaku, no Werner, no problem. No Kai Havertz, out with tight hamstrings, no problem.
Who needs strikers when the defenders are scoring at will and not letting goals in either? This was Tuchel's 50th game in charge and his 31st clean sheet, and, at the moment, his every move pays dividends.
After a pedestrian performance against Juventus in Turin in September, the German hoped the pace and mobility of Christian Pulisic, starting for the first time since the opening game of the Premier League season against Crystal Palace, might link up with the craft of Ziyech and trickery of Hudson-Odoi.
There was energy and urgency about Chelsea from the opening moments when Kante cut through the black-and-white shirts and into the penalty box, where both Hudson-Odoi and Chilwell swung at shots without connecting.
His wing-backs were high and the ball zipped through the midfield and piled pressure on Wojciech Szczesny, the former Arsenal goalkeeper once on the end of a 6-0 hammering at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea found the breakthrough, from a set piece. A corner delivered by Ziyech, clipped Adrien Rabiot, clattered into Antonio Rudiger and fell to Chalobah, who swept it confidently into the net on the half-volley.
Bonucci led the protests, claiming he was fouled by Jorginho. The Juventus captain seemed to have a case. The ball also struck Rudiger on a hand but the Serbian officials and the Spanish VARs checked the replays and let it stand. Chelsea led and Chalobah had his fourth goal of the season, drawing him level with Lukaku.
Juventus offered little threat in the first half. They have made a spluttering start to the season in Italy but have impressed in Europe, taking maximum points from their first four game, beating Chelsea in Italy, and were sure to qualifying before they arrived in London.
Perhaps there was a trace of comfort in their performance. They offered no threat until Alvaro Morata went close to an equaliser late in the first half. Morata was jeered and taunted as a 'Chelsea reject' by home fans who recalled his disappointed £60million move from Real Madrid but he latched onto a chipped pass by Manuel Locatelli and lobbed the ball over goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
It bounced towards the open goal but Thiago Silva refused to give up, sliding back to clear before the Brazilian became entangled in the net.
Kante was forced off eight minutes before half time and replaced by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and, still, Chelsea pushed on, quick on the turnover and dangerous from set-pieces. Rudiger, twice, and Thiago Silva went close with headers.
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James, who forced Szczesny into two fine saves in the first half, found the goal his performance deserved, taking the ball on his chest and slamming a fierce drive inside the far post from an angle.
Hudson-Odoi converted the third from a pass by Ziyech and Werner made it four with the last kick of the game. Each goal tightened Chelsea's hold on the top place in the group.
They will finish at Zenit St Petersburg in a fortnight but they are already planning for the last 16, soothing the scars of that disastrous campaign nine years ago and savouring the thrill of going One Step Beyond.
The celebratory mood was was marred by what appeared to be a nasty injury to Ben Chilwell and an early exit for N'Golo Kante but this versatile Chelsea continue side keep finding new ways to impress under Tuchel and a full house at Stamford Bridge were enthralled.
Young centre-half Trevoh Chalobah fired the Premier League leaders into a first-half lead and wing-back Reece James scored a fabulous second, taking down the ball on his chest and fizzing a ferocious drive into the net from an angle.
Two more for Chelsea's defenders, who are proving every bit as potent this season as those who operate up front. Callum Hudson-Odoi added the third from close range, three goals for academy graduates went down well with the home crowd and there was no need to risk Romelu Lukaku, who watched from the bench with his feet up.
Timo Werner came on to score the fourth, an outstanding goal featuring a cross-field pass from James and low cross from Hakim Ziyech. All in all, the perfect was to prepare for the visit of Manchester United on Sunday.
Juventus made a spluttering start to the season in Italy but have impressed in Europe. With four wins from their first four fixtures in Group H, beating Chelsea 1-0 in Turin in September, they were safely into the last 16 of the Champions League before flying to London and performed with more than a trace of comfort. With Lukaku and Werner starting among the substitutes and Kai Havertz out with a hamstring problem.
Tuchel resisted the temptation to rush Romelu Lukaku back into the team two days after his return to training. Lukaku started on the bench along with Timo Werner. Neither have played since they were injured within minutes of each other against Malmo, a month ago.
With Kai Havertz also out with tight hamstrings, the Chelsea boss opted to lead the line with Christian Pulisic, fresh from a goal at Leicester on Saturday and making his first start since the opening day of the Premier League season against Crystal Palace.
Tuchel hoped the pace and mobility of Pulisic might link up with the craft of Hakim Ziyech and cause problems for Juve's cental defenders Leonardo Bonucci and Matthijs de Ligt, and there was early alarm for the visitors.
Kante cut through the black-and-white shirts and into the penalty box, where both Hudson-Odoi and Ben Chilwell swung at shots without connecting. Chelsea's urgent opening tempo would have satisfied Tuchel far more than anything they produced on a pedestrian night in Turin when they lost control of their own destiny in the group.
The wing-backs were high and the ball fizzed through the midfield although there was little to test Wojciech Szczesny, the former Arsenal goalkeeper once on the end of a 6-0 hammering at Stamford Bridge, until he beat away a swerving James free-kick, midway through the first half.
Szczesny made an even better save from James before the interval, low to turn an angled drive wide.
By then, Chelsea had found the breakthrough, from a set piece. A corner delivered by Ziyech, clipped Adrien Rabiot, clattered into Antonio Rudiger and fell to Chalobah, who swept it confidently into the net on the half-volley.
Bonucci led the protests, claiming he was fouled by Jorginho. The Juventus captain seemed to have a case. The ball also struck Rudiger on a hand but the Serbian officials and the Spanish VARs checked the replays and let it stand. Chelsea led and Chalobah had his fourth goal of the season, drawing him level with Lukaku.
Juventus offered little threat in the first half but Alvaro Morata went close to an equaliser. Morata was jeered and taunted as a 'Chelsea reject' by home fans who recalled his disappointed £60million move from Real Madrid but he latched onto a chipped pass by Manuel Locatelli and lobbed the ball over goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
It bounced towards the open goal but Thiago Silva refused to give up, sliding back to clear before the Brazilian became entangled in the net.
Kante was forced off eight minutes before half time and replaced by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and, still, Chelsea pushed on, quick on the turnover and dangerous from set-pieces. Rudiger, twice, and Thiago Silva went close with headers.
James got the goal his performance deserved and two minutes later, Hudson-Odoi beat Szcezsny from close range. Each goal increased Chelsea's hold on the top place in the group. They finish at Zenit St Petersburg in a fortnight.
But they can already start to plan for the last 16 and soothe the scars of that disastrous campaign nine years ago. Cue, Chelsea's celebration anthem 'One Step Beyond'.
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Charlotte Daly Host commentator
Juve will be delighted to hear the sound of that final whistle...
GOAL! Chelsea make it 4-0
If Juve weren't ready for it to be over before, they will be now! Chelsea managed to find the back of the net again thanks to a class finish from Timo Werner
90+3mins: After 90+3 minutes of football, Chelsea are looking as fresh as when they first started. They are charging up the pitch and hunting for another goal
90+1mins: Chelsea fans are loving their team's dominance. They are giving an ole to every pass now as the Blues continue to embarrass Juve.
90mins: Five minutes of stoppage time has been added
89mins: I think both Chelsea and Juventus are ready for this game to end. The Blues are simply playing the ball around, counting down the minutes. While Juve are showing little inspiration on the pitch
86mins: Brilliant save from Szczesny to deny Chelsea of a fourth goal.
The former Arsenal goalkeeper has pulled off some spectacular saves and his latest one saw him block Ziyech's close range strike.
Without him in goal...things could be a lot worse for the Italian giants!
83mins: Juve's first big chance of the game...it only took 83 minutes!
Mendy was forced to pull out an impressive save to deny Weston McEnnie and force the ball over the bar.
However, their corner provided little threat to Chelsea - who cleared it with ease
Barcelona are still looking to score the goal that will send them through with one game to spare. As it stands, the score remains 0-0
79mins: More substitutions... Koni de Winter on, Juan Cuadrado off. Let's be realistic though...it's not going to do much now
78mins: Dybala goes for goal from the corner of the box but skies it well over the bar - sums up Juve's night to be honest
77mins: Juve as showing little sign of scoring...they are going to have to change something if they want to get a result at Stamford Bridge tonight
75mins: Hudson-Odoi received a standing ovation after being subbed in the 75th minute of the game for Mason Mount. Saul Niguez also replaced Jorginho
71mins: Chelsea make their changes. Cesar Azpilicueta and Timo Werner comes on for Chilwell and Christian Pulisic.
70mins: Arthur and former Everton striker Moise Kean replace Alvaro Morata and Manuel Locatelli for Juventus.
67mins: Bad news for Chelsea and worse news for Ben Chilwell as he is carried off the pitch after injuring his knee during Juve's counter attack.
Reece James fired in a corner but Juve easily cleared the ball - launching the Italian counter attack which result in Chilwell's injury.
66mins: Ziyech went down looking for a penalty but the referee waved for play to continue. However, the Chelsea man stayed down and looked in serious pain. As a result, the Chelsea medical staff were forced to head onto the pitch and attend to their player.
Thankfully Ziyech managed to return to his feet and test his ankle before telling those around him he was able to continue.
64mins: Juve are scrambling for answers... they've turned to Paulo Dybala to replace Rodrigo Bentancur try and rescue something from the game!
57mins: CHELSEA SCORE AGAIN!
Chelsea are firing and they are showing no signs of slowing down! Rudiger and James combined beautifully before finding Hudson-Odoi at the far post.
The striker won his battle against the Juve defense to slot it home.
56mins: GOAL FOR CHELSEA!
Absolutely magnificent from Reece James. The Blues defender has been outstanding all game and that goal shows exactly why he has been Tuchel's star man this season.
The ball came to the defender at the back of the box. He chested it down wonderfully before hammering a volley home to make it 2-0.
Although the finish was spectacular. it was the control of the cross that did it for me
52mins: Oft, I felt that (and heard it).
Adrien Rabiot took the ball flush in the face after Reece James' effort.
Oh and to make matter worse...it deflected off his face to go out for a Chelsea corner too.
48mins: Hudson-Odoi was gifted another opportunity down the left-hand-side of the pitch after Ziyech played a perfectly-weighted pass over the Juve defence to allow him to charge into the box.
However, the striker took one to many touches before getting his shot off. As a result, the ball went out for a corner - which was successfully cleared by Juve.
46mins: Juve need more possession of the ball if they want any hope of getting back into this game. They will also need to commit numbers forwards when they get the opportunity to counter as they pose little threat to the Chelsea backline as it stands.
46mins: Chelsea are starting as they mean to go on - threatening down the left-hand-side and holding their own against the Juve defensive line
The second half is underway at Stamford Bridge! The scores stands at 1-0 to Chelsea thanks to Chalobah's goal
HT:
Barcelona 0-0 Benfica
Lille 1-0 Salzburg
Malmo 1-0 Zenit
Sevilla 1-0 Wolfsburg
Young Boys 1-1 Atalanta
Speaking on BBC 5Live at half-time, Karen Carney (former England and GB international)said: 'I was convinced the Chelsea goal would get ruled out and I still think it hit his hands. But take nothing away from the finish and Chelsea have looked a threat on set plays.
'Chelsea have looked in control, Juventus haven't really had any chances and I wouldn't be surprised if we see a couple of substitutions come on to try and push them on even further.'
45+2mins: Half-time.
It won't go down in the history books given Juve aren't really posing a threat right now but Tuchel will be happy with his side's first-half performance.
Other than Alvaro Morata's chance that was cleared off the line, Chelsea have controlled the game and denied Juve the chance to threaten Mendy.
Chelsea have had 59 per cent of the possession and have had 13 shots compared to Juve's 4.
45mins: Two minutes of added time
43mins: What a pleasure to watch. Chelsea look like they are enjoying themselves and it's clearly working for them.
The Blues came close to adding another goal to their tally after Jorginho chipped the ball into the box for Hudson-Odoi - who ran off the back of Weston McKennie.
However, he was denied by impeccable defensive work from Bonucci.
41mins: Reece James is unstoppable! He times his runs so well and always appears at the right time to get in behind his opponent. As a result, the wing-back has secured another corner for the Blues...
37mins: However, Chelsea fans will be somewhat worried as N'Golo Kante is subbed off over an injury concern. The midfielder pulled up after running for the ball and was subsequently replaced by Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
The French midfielder was seen heading straight down the tunnel after coming off the pitch
36mins: Another top quality effort for Chelsea! James chested the ball down on the corner of the penalty box and fires a shot to the bottom right corner of the goal. However, it is palmed away for a corner - which was headed wide by Rudiger
As it stands, no player has scored more goals at Stamford Bridge in all competitions this season for Chelsea than Trevoh Chalobah - who has scored three!
27mins: SAVED OFF THE LINE! Unbelievable defence work from Thiago Silva denies Alvaro Morata a goal.
The Chelsea defender did well to slide in and clear the ball off the line after Morata lobbed Edouard Mendy!
25min: VAR were checking for a hand ball but the goal stands!
24mins: GOAL!!!!
Chelsea find the back of the net thanks to Trevor Chalobah. The young defender scored the half-volley from Ziyech's corner.
It's safe to say a Chelsea goal was coming and was thoroughly deserved!
22mins: Cuadrado received the first yellow card of the game for dragging Hudson-Odoi down on the left-haand-side.
20mins: 20 minutes into the game and it's safe to say Chelsea are dominating. They have created the most clear cut opportunities and Juve have struggled to launch any meaningful counters.
18mins: *Should of had a shot*
Rudiger received the ball on the edge of the box and went for goal but miss-hit his effort and sent it spiraling off the backline.
15mins: Hudson-Odoi and Ben Chilwell provide another excellent opportunity for Chelsea after combing down the left-hand-side. However, it wasn't meant to be as de Ligt clears the ball away well.
14mins: Reece James has been in fantastic form as of late and it is no different tonight. He is using strength, speed and skill to out class his opponents at Stamford Bridge. He will play a defining role in tonight's game.
11mins: Cuadrado looked dangerous after a wonderful string off passes released him in behind the Chelsea defence. However, Kante recovered the ball after Cuadrado looked to square the ball in the box.
9mins: Chelsea continue to push on and win back-to-back corners. Hakim Ziyech fired the ball into the box for Chalobah - who headed it wide.
7mins: Pulisic is causing Juve issues after taking on the role of a false nine. He has been running in behind and coming short to give the Italian's a headache in the opening few minutes of the game
6mins: Cuadrado is putting in some strong tackles to deny Chelsea down the left-hand-side. Without him...Juventus would be in some serious trouble.
4mins: It's going to be a long night for Juve if Chelsea continue to threaten like this. They look confident going forwards and dangerous on the counter
3mins: Chelsea's first opportunity of the game. Reece James and N'Golo Kante linked well down the right side before finding Hudson-Odoi in the box. However, the winger couldn't get hold of his shot and the ball went out for the corner.
Chelsea were unable to make anything from their corner
2mins: Chelsea are looking threatening from the outset and it's clear this is going to be a physical game
1min: Juve have set the tone right from the start - racing out the blocks to close Chelsea down and put them under immediate pressure
Just like that we are underway at Stamford Bridge!
The warm-up's are done and the teams are ready to get under way. Here is a reminder of who will be starting tonight's fixture:
- Chelsea: Mendy, Rudiger, Jorginho, Thiago Silva, Kante, Pulisic, Chalobah, Hudson-Odoi, Chilwell, Ziyech, James
- Juventus: Szczesny, De Ligt, Morata, Cuadrado, Alex Sandro, McKennie, Bonucci, Chiesa, Rabiot, Locatelli, Bentancur
Speaking about Lukaku he said: 'It's positive news for Romelu at least, not for Kai. He was a starter for us but unfortunately we had to take him off after 60 minutes against Leicester with a hamstring injury and it was too much of a risk, so he's not with us. Romelu is on the bench and available for the last minutes.'
Speaking about Mount he said: 'We had a feeling that tonight might suit Hakim (Ziyech) a bit more and to have the option of having Mason on the bench.
'He's come from a tooth surgery and he wants to play all the time but sometimes it's nice to have these sorts of players from the bench and Hakim and Christian are a good mix and we feel that the style of Hakim could suit the game a bit better.'
Joe Cole says Federico Chiesa will cause Thomas Tuchel's side some real issues during tonight's fixture...
'I'm really looking forward to seeing Chiesa tonight because he's one of the most exciting players in Europe and there will be clubs queuing up for him.
'We've already seen Liverpool linked with him. He's going to give Chelsea a lot of problems tonight.
'When you've got a player like that who can make something happen in a game like this, it's someone like a Chiesa who could provide the magic to make something happen.'
He told TalkSPORT: 'I’m a big fan of Pulisic. Unfortunately he’s just had too many injuries.
'I think that his time is going to come at Chelsea because he’s so dangerous. He’s always willing to go in behind and Chelsea fans haven’t seen the best of him yet.'
Barcelona face Benfica this evening in a crucial Champions League clash at the Nou Camp. The Catalan side are currently second in Group E, two points clear of Benfica and six points off leaders Bayern Munich.
Chalobah has been given another chance to shine for Chelsea during their Champions League clash with Juventus. Speaking ahead of the game he said this is only the start for him...
Juventus: Szczesny, De Ligt, Morata, Cuadrado, Alex Sandro, McKennie, Bonucci, Chiesa, Rabiot, Locatelli, Bentancur
Subs: Pinsoglio, Perin, Arthur, Dybala, Keane, Rugani, Kulusevski, De Winter
Chelsea: Mendy, Rudiger, Jorginho, Thiago Silva, Kante, Pulisic, Chalobah, Hudson-Odoi, Chilwell, Ziyech, James
Subs: Kepa, Bettinelli, Alonso, Christensen, Lukaku, Werner, Loftus-Cheek, Saul Niguez, Barkley, Mount, Azpilicueta, Sarr
Alvaro Morata is not the first Chelsea No 9 to flop at Stamford Bridge, but he is definitely the striker who suffered the most during his time in west London. But, he returns to Chelsea tonight with Juventus to prove his worth.
Juventus beat Premier League giants Chelsea 1-0 at home in September to go three points clear at the top of Group H.
Tuchel said: 'Jorgi is absolutely okay. We had to take Kai off due to hamstring problems, he felt a bit of tension. We have some doubts with him, we need to check to see if he can train without any problems.
'This is more or less the question mark. Timo feels good in training yesterday, he is back in the squad again. Mateo Kovacic is out. That’s it.'
Tuchel says Lukaku could return to the squad for tonight's fixture. Speaking at his pre-match press conference he said: 'Not sure yet. We have one more training. Yesterday he (Romelu Lukaku) was in team training and seems okay.
'Let’s see about the reaction. He has right now an appointment with the doctors and physios to see about the reaction, see about the next training. Maybe.
'We have the chance to bring 20 players to the squad. Maybe we have the chance that he is in the squad for the last minutes. That would be the absolute maximum of what we can get out of the situation right now.'
Chelsea are looking to claim their fifth consecutive Champions League win at Stamford Bridge while keeping a clean sheet for the first time in our history.
Juventus have won their past seven European group-stage games. While Chelsea are unbeaten across all competitions in nine games, and have won in each of their past four Champions League matches at the Bridge without conceding.
When asked about Chelsea's need to win against Juve in order to win Group H, Tuchel said: 'First and foremost, we do what we do. When we play football games, we try to win them. This is what we do and this will not change.
'Ok later in the game, if the scoresheet is a draw, we will maybe not allow Edou Mendy to go into the opponents' box when we have a late corner because we will not risk our qualification and go all-in.
'But until this moment we will try everything to win the game and to have a chance to do that, we have to win the game.'
Tonight’s fixture marks Thomas Tuchel’s 50th match in charge of the Blues. He will be hoping to add another victory to his tally – having already registered a 63.3 per cent win rate at the club.
Juventus have already qualified for the Round of 16 but a draw or victory this evening will see them win the group. However, a victory for Thomas Tuchel’s side will see Chelsea leapfrog Juventus to win the group
The game will live on BT Sport 2 and BT Sport Ultimate. You can also stream the fixture live on the broadcaster’s app and website.
Hello and welcome back to Sportsmail’s Champions League coverage. You’re in for a big night of European action as Chelsea and Juventus go head-to-head in the penultimate game of Group H at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea will host the Italian side knowing a win or draw will secure them a place in the Champions League knockout stages.
Stay tuned as Sportsmail will be bringing you all the build-up, team news and live updates.
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