chelsea set new club record with maribor win published: tuesday 21 october 2014, 23.00cet chelsea fc 6-0 nk maribor didier drogba was on target as the blues tightened their grip on group g after recording their biggest ever uefa champions league victory.
by trevor haylett from stamford bridge
• chelsea claim claim club record uefa champions league victory • didier drogba scores first goal for chelsea since the 2012 final winner • loïc rémy picks up groin injury in the process of scoring the opener • agim ibraimi misses second-half penalty for the visitors • next game: maribor v chelsea (5 november)
didier drogba's first goal for chelsea fc since stroking in the winning penalty in the 2012 uefa champions league final was the highlight of a demolition job at stamford bridge.
drogba had been introduced in the 16th minute after loïc rémy appeared to injure himself striking the first goal and was on the scoresheet with another spot kick soon after. john terry made it 3-0 on the half-hour and an own goal and two late eden hazard efforts completed the rout against previously unbeaten nk maribor in group g.
josé mourinho gave a senior bow to defender kurt zouma and recalled petr Čech between the posts: they were not destined to be the busiest players on the pitch. as expected, the slovenian champions were on the back foot for most of the game. they were soon behind as the lively rémy demonstrated his awareness with a fine finish in the 13th minute after terry had played him into space.
the frenchman's second goal in chelsea blue nevertheless left him grimacing and he soon made way for drogba, who took to the field to rousing acclaim. aleš mertelj's handball provided him with a quick opportunity to open his account second time around, the penalty dispatched just as it was on that historic night in munich two years ago, low to the goalkeeper's right.
drogba was next seen clearing a maribor corner. the ball went to hazard who led the visitors' defence a merry dance from first to last. cesc fàbregas provided the overlap and when the ball was squared to the far post, who should pop up but terry? the game had long been over as a contest.
branislav ivanović should have made it four near the break while jasmin handanovič pulled off a couple of smart stops. early in the second half the luckless mitja viler saw a hazard shot rebound off his heel and over the line and it became five when ivanović was fouled and hazard tucked away the penalty – showing agim ibraimi, who had moments earlier hit his spot kick against the upright, how it is done.
still chelsea were not finished, hazard firing in after expertly controlling a long ball from nathan aké, a 19-year-old who ended the game playing alongside debutant dominic solanke, himself only 17. it was a night for all of chelsea to celebrate, the young and the old.
