Chelsea got off to a flying start to their UEFA Europe League 2018-19 campaign as the English giants defeated PAOK FC 1-0 in their own backyard on Thursday night.

Chelsea won 1-0 on a goal that should have been a routine save for PAOK’s goalkeeper. The atmosphere was raucous and intimidating inside the hostile Toumba Stadium.

There were doubts over Chelsea's start to their Europe League season, as they were returning to the competition for the first time since 2013. PAOK, on the other hand, looked pale as a unit on a chilly evening in Northern Greece.

The crowd, according to the Guardian, was supporting the home team was all the zeal and vigor but it just felt like it was Chelsea's night to conquer.

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Willian's goal makes the day for Chelsea

The scoreline might suggest that the game was close, but if one goes through the match stats, they will realize how Chelsea was dominating PAOK at their home ground.

Chelsea scored the first and only goal of the match through their Brazilian forward Willian in the 7th minute of the game to draw first blood and silence a strong crowd of over 25,000.

The Premier League giants maintained a 69 percent possession of the ball throughout the match, while their pass accuracy was top-notch at 90 percent.

The biggest thing that Chelsea will take away from this game is the fact that the side was able to show their class and performance even without the star forward, Eden Hazard.

Under the new manager, Maurizio Sarri, the London-based club has had a successful start to the season, winning all their first five games in the Premier League 2018-19.

And now with this win against PAOK, Chelsea recorded their sixth consecutive win from the beginning of this season.

A late injury to Pedro leaves Chelsea with a slight concern

With a perfect win under his belt, the manager Sarri won't be completely satisfied after their key forward, Pedro was forced out of the ground during the final stages of the game, due to a shoulder injury.

At first, it didn't seem like a serious one, but soon the support staff decided to pull the Spanish international out of the game.

According to the Metro, Sarri in a post-match interview said that he is hoping that the injury isn't a serious one, and Pedro should be fit and available soon.

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Also read: English Premier League live score: Watford vs Crystal Palace, Newcastle v Chelsea
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