Chelsea 6 NK Maribor 0
Chelsea were as comfortable winners at Stamford Bridge against Slovenian side NK Maribor as the six nil score suggested, achieving their biggest Champions League win in the process. They were already three goals to nil ahead by half-time, although there were some moments of fortune involved in two of the three. There was little let up in the second-half, as they rattled in another three strikes in a confident display.
Loic Remy started up front for them, as their top scorer this season Diego Costa had to miss the game with his troublesome hamstring problem.
Remy seemed to have taken his opportunity well when he scored Chelsea's first on 13 minutes with a left-foot shot but then had to be replaced straight after by Didier Drogba, as he seemed to injure himself in the act of scoring.
Jose Mourinho's men were slightly fortunate to be awarded a penalty ten minutes later when Maribor defender Ales Mejac was deemed to have deliberately handled the ball in the box. Didier Drogba took control of the penalty and coolly slotted it home. There was further good fortune for the Londoners when a rapid counter attack was finished off by their centre half and captain John Terry just after the half hour, as he looked marginally offside in applying the finishing touch.
It was just reward for his lung bursting efforts in charging the length of the pitch though to provide support for the attack.
Chelsea made it four on 54 minutes as Eden Hazard's cross was turned in to his own net by Matja Viler, then Maribor's bad night continued as they missed a penalty as Ibraimi hit the post. Chelsea won a penalty of their own on 77 minutes which Hazard converted and Hazard completed the rout in the final minute, turning the Maribor defence this way and that after latching on to a long through ball, before finishing with a crisp right foot shot to make it 6-0 on the night.
With Costa and now Remy out for a while the Blues' striking options look to be a little limited, especially with a big league game against Manchester United this weekend looming. Drogba would be a willing option to fill the gap in the meantime, but Mourinho may have to be a bit more creative to assist his ageing talisman, perhaps deploying midfielder Andre Schurrle (if over his recent illness in time) in an advanced position as he has done previously for them.