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Time for some Chelsea soundbites, after they made it three wins in a row for the first time since November. “I’m happy for the goal, of course, but I’m more happy with the result,” Willian says. “Of course we need to be more clinical. We missed some chances in the first half but now we go to Kyiv and we must finish the job there. The game is not finished yet. It will be very difficult. I liked to play against Kyiv since I played for Shakhtar.” Fellow goalscorer Pedro adds: “I’m happy for the goal but sad for the two misses. But the most important thing for us is the result and we know 90 minutes in Kyiv is very difficult for us.”
Fancy a Callum Hudson-Odoi stat? Well, how about this, via Opta. The 18-year-old has been directly involved in seven goals in his last seven games in all competitions for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge (four goals, three assists).
Full-time: Chelsea 3-0 Dynamo Kyiv
A trio of fine finishes by Pedro, Willian and Callum Hudson-Odoi earn a first-leg victory over the Ukrainian side, who plugged away until the last. That is three wins on the spin for Maurizio Sarri’s side, who are now very much in command of this tie. Chelsea hardly gave Dynamo a sniff until late on. David Luiz was a monster in defence, while Pedro was lively aside from scoring the opener. Giroud faded but showed a touch of class. And, they may have not been on the pitch too long, but the youngsters Hudson-Odoi and Loftus-Cheek both impressed.
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90 min: There will be three added minutes. Maurizio Sarri is probably feeling a bit relieved. Even though Chelsea have dominated, they were beginning to live a little dangerously defensively, with Shaparenko within inches of pulling one back.
GOAL! Chelsea 3-0 Dynamo Kyiv (Hudson-Odoi, 90)
Game over! Pedro whips a wonderful ball back across goal from right-to-left, with Loftus-Cheek taking a touch before dinking it into the path of the teenager. From that moment, Hudson-Odoi calmly does the rest, powering beyond Boyko. The Chelsea faithful enjoyed that one. And suddenly the scoreline looks a lot, lot better.
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89 min: Big Dynamo chance! Chelsea lose concentration again in midfield, with Kovacic caught in possession. Shaparenko is almost slid in centrally, with the playmaker stretching to reach an overcooked pass. He cannot get there but if he had made clean contact, Dynamo would surely have pulled one back.
88 min: Dynamo look lively and Chelsea just want to get this game wrapped up now without doing anything silly. Hudson-Odoi and Loftus-Cheek remain on the lookout for a third goal, but Sarri would surely take 2-0 now.
85 min: Chelsea get a bit reckless defensively and Dynamo sense an opportunity. But the midfielder Sydorchuk ends up blazing over. It’s momentarily panic stations at the back for Chelsea until Garmash is flagged offside.
84 min: Chelsea fail to properly clear a deep Dynamo free-kick but, eventually, the ball runs out of play after Burda’s header back across goal is wayward. It was a routine ball in but everybody left it, allowing Dynamo to try and hook it back in.
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82 min: A lovely Chelsea move, started and so very nearly finished by Loftus-Cheek! Hudson-Odoi played in Loftus-Cheek on halfway, who poured forward before spraying the ball wide to Pedro, lurking on the edge of the box. But Loftus-Cheek did not stop there, piling into the box. Pedro picked him out with a cute pass and the powerful midfielder latched on to it but ended up scooping his effort over the bar. A sleek move, and a wonderful reminder of Loftus-Cheek’s talents too.
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81 min: Garmash surges down the right flank but Loftus-Cheek ushers the forward out. Burda wants a foul, but the Slovenian referee is having none of it.
80 min: Dynamo may have improved in this second half but they are yet to register a shot on target. Chelsea could have had anyone in goal: Kepa, Caballero. Cudicini, Hilario – whoever.
78 min: A Chelsea change: Hudson-Odoi replaces goalscorer Willian. The teenager has the best part of 15 minutes to make another impression on Sarri.
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77 min: Callum Hudson-Odoi is being readied by Chelsea.
76 min: Garmash tries to carve an opening, and almost does, but Kepa ends up claiming a cross after the ball was recycled by Dynamo. As at ease as Chelsea have been throughout, they have struggled to truly put this one to bed.
73 min: Serhiy Sydorchuk blasts over from distance. Always rising.
72 min: Mykolenko bombs forward from left-back and ends up swivelling in the box to try and steer the ball goalwards! Dynamo seized possession after Pedro overplayed on the edge of the area. The ball was played in from the left and the Dynamo full-back tried to hook it goalwards but just ran out of room.
71 min: Another Brazilian, Sidcley, enters. He replaces Buyalskiy, who will miss the second leg in Ukraine after picking up a booking here. On the touchline, Maurizio Sarri is reminded to stay within his technical area, after straying outside to berate his players for getting a little sloppy.
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68 min: Chelsea are comfortable – but there’s still no time for showboating. Willian’s flick doesn’t come off wide on the left, leaving Marcos Alonso to leg it back into defence. David Luiz soon puts a foot on things to reassume control; the Chelsea captain has been magnificent at the back, a real leader’s performance.
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67 min: That second goal has given Chelsea some much-needed breathing space, just as Dynamo were growing in confidence. Willian’s goal already appears to have shifted the dynamic, with Chelsea suddenly enjoying themselves again in pole position. It was some strike by Willian, a postage-stamp free-kick.
66 min: Denys Garmash replaces Rusyn, who put a shift in.
GOAL! Chelsea 2-0 Dynamo Kyiv (Willian, 65)
Just like that, Chelsea double their lead. A sublime free-kick by Willian, who curls a wonderful strike over the Dynamo wall and into the apex of Boyko’s goal.
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64 min: Another Dynamo foul in quick succession, on another substitute. This time Loftus-Cheek is upended by Sydorchuk. Willian and David Luiz are stood over the ball a good 20 yards from goal. It’s just off centre ...
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63 min: Kante is straight into the thick of things, with Buyalskiy guilty of hauling down the Frenchman. That earns Chelsea the chance to re-build.
62 min: Barkley and Jorginho are replaced by Kante and Loftus-Cheek. Kovacic will drop deeper now, behind the substitutes.
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61 min: Buyalskiy tries to find Rusyn, but Christensen is equal to it. And, now Sarri is ready to make a couple of changes.
58 min: Rusyn throws himself to the floor under pressure from Christensen to win a free-kick 25 yards from goal. Dynamo waste it, as the linesman raises his flag.
57 min: Alyaksandr Khatshevich, the Dynamo manager, is deep in conversation with Oleg Luzhny, the former Arsenal defender who is his assistant. The Ukrainians will be far happier with this second-half display, as Chelsea grow in anxiety. The visitors, meanwhile, have certainly grown in confidence and stature.
55 min: Willian’s corner is flicked on by Barkley at the front post but David Luiz cannot hook it goalwards at the back post. Dynamo fly forward on the counter but Kepa easily gathers a hopeful daisy-cutter from 25 yards by Sydorchuk.
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54 min: Chelsea are guilty of overplaying on the edge of the box as the lesser-spotted Willian fails to pick up a one-two with Pedro. Nice idea, as Chelsea continue to press towards the Matthew Harding stand that is decorated with odes to Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard. And then Barkley wins a corner.
53 min: Pedro peels off his marker to the right flank, before cutting in on to his left foot. But his effort is a little tame an – again – he probably should do better. His movement was brilliant but the finish was lacking, striking straight at Boyko.
51 min: Buyalskiy does well and spreads the ball wide to the overlapping Mykolenko but the Dynamo midfielder just overcooks his pass. As Chelsea attempt to wrestle back the ball, Sarri summons Loftus-Cheek to warm-up. A Chelsea change is seemingly on the horizon.
50 min: Dynamo play the ball around on the right, with some intricate play getting them a foot-up, but David Luiz does superbly to reach a pass into the area first. Sarri is unhappy with the slightly laboured start to this second half, though there is no doubting they are the team in control. Kante is among those warming-up.
49 min: Rusyn is freed with a smart ball by Shaparenko, but the Dynamo forward ends up running the ball just out play. Rusyn has worked hard, feeding off scraps but has failed to make a dent in the Chelsea back line when it matters.
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48 min: Jorginho pelts a high ball up into the atmosphere which thuds back down to earth at Giroud’s feet – but the Chelsea striker is flagged offside. Dynamo have barely seen the ball – let alone touch it – in the early stages of this second period.
47 min: Jorginho fizzes a ball into Barkley but the Chelsea midfielder is unable to flick it on under pressure. And then Shaparenko fouls the Italian, to allow Chelsea to restart. Maurizio Sarri’s side are playing with a mojo that has eluded them for long spells. They’ve started the second half as they did the first.
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46 min: No changes at the interval, though surely there are some minutes for Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the pipeline given the way that Chelsea dominated the first half. Dynamo cannot fare much worse.
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A couple of other Europa League half-times:
Napoli 2-0 Salzburg
Valencia 2-0 Krasnodar
Essential half-time reading:
Half-time: Chelsea 1-0 Dynamo Kiev
Maurizio Sarri’s side have utterly dominated Dynamo, who have not even had a sight of Kepa’s goal. Pedro’s goal is the difference but Chelsea could and should have a hatful to their name. David Luiz has impressed, Zappacosta has been lively and Giroud has shown plenty of clever, sleek touches.
44 min: Pedro skips inside and shoots – but Boyko is equal to it! Shaparenko surrendered possession attempting to take the ball out of midfield. Barkley did well, driving through midfield before laying the ball off to his team-mate. He nipped inside to bend an effort at goal but, in the end, his effort is too close to the Dynamo goalkeeper who gathers fairly comfortably. Kovacic and Christensen are on their feet and seemingly fine to continue.
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43 min: With Chelsea cruising, the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge seems to have fallen a bit flat. A few gasps from the home crowd as Christensen and Kovacic end up clashing heads after going for the same ball. It was a nasty one. The latter looks to have come off worse, with Chelsea medical staff quick to suss out the damage.
41 min: Dynamo are yet to muster a shot on goal.
39 min: Dynamo break down the left, but Tsygankov cannot reach it. David Luiz snuffs it out and gets Chelsea back on the front foot.
38 min: Chelsea continue to probe, with Pedro making any number of angled runs in behind with David Luiz constantly trying to play in the forward. It feels like only a matter of time until Chelsea extend their lead. They could have had three or four.
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35 min: And now Marcos Alonso flashes just wide, with Chelsea earning another corner. David Luiz sends a crashing header over the crossbar. That was the first time Alonso had truly made inroads down the left. Dynamo have struggled to stem the flow down the right with Zappacosta finding plenty of joy.
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34 min: Boyko with a brilliant save to deny Pedro! David Luiz frees the Portuguese with a gorgeous raking pass that cuts out the entire Dynamo defence. Pedro latches on to it, taking a touch before volleying with his next. His right-footed effort is powerful but seen all the way by Boyko, who makes a smart stop.
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32 min: Shaparenko, the Dynamo playmaker, breaks free from Chelsea, driving through the spine of their midfield before spraying the ball out wide. It was a tidy run and Dynamo earn a corner, with the ball cannoning off the arm of Marcos Alonso. Deliberate handball it was not, but it was not dissimilar to the way in which Presnel Kimbembe handled for PSG against Manchester United.
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29 min: Pedro wants a penalty – but the referee’s having none of it. It was a little nudge by the Dynamo defender, though nothing more. The claims are pretty half-hearted; it would have been very soft. Pedro has been really lively and jinked his way into the box, twisting and turning before another one-two with Giroud, who has had an impressive half an hour. Chelsea go again.
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28 min: Kovacic scoops the ball into the box for Zappacosta, who is played onside by Dynamo, but the Chelsea full-back cannot bring it down.
26 min: Rusyn chases another lost cause with David Luiz for company. The Dynamo front man has been isolated throughout.
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24 min: Boyko denies Barkley! Giroud is involved again, with the striker linking neatly with Kovacic on the edge of the box. The midfielder then passed the ball on to Barkley, who made a smart run off his shoulder. It runs to an angle, Barkley has to hit it early but his first-time effort is met by Boyko at his near post, with the Dynamo goalkeeper intervening well with his legs.
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23 min: Dynamo are enjoying their best spell, but it is still not a lot to write home about. Buyalskiy engineers a looping cross into the box from out wide but Rusyn is nowhere to be seen. Chelsea usher the ball upfield, with Kovacic taking over.
20 min: Pedro should double Chelsea’s lead – but he hits his effort straight at Boyko from a couple of yards out. Zappacosta’s low ball in was diverted towards the Chelsea forward via Burda and Pedro was a little startled, thrashing his shot at goal, but straight at the Dynamo goalkeeper. The visitors get off the hook.
19 min: A young Dynamo side have really struggled to settle. Up in the stands, Andriy Shevchenko, the Ukraine coach, is among those watching on; he scored nine goals in 48 games for Chelsea.
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17 min: Barkley spreads it wide to Pedro, who drives inside off the left flank before a lovely give-and-go with Olivier Giroud, who nutmegs Shabanov as he rolls the ball back into the path of his team-mate. Pedro then does the rest, slotting home beyond Boyko. An incisive attack, as Chelsea turn it on inside the box.
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GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Dynamo Kyiv (Pedro, 17)
It had been coming.
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15 min: Christensen makes a rash challenge on Buyalskiy on halfway, but Dynamo fail to build an attack. Instead, the hosts win it back and it’s more of the same. This is hardly Sarri-ball but rather sterile domination.
14 min: But it’s another dreadful delivery by Willian, whose corner is blocked before it even reaches the 18-yard box. Willian’s been decidedly off-colour so far. Chelsea have had it way too easy so far.
13 min: Chelsea go up the other end and win a corner ...
12 min: Chelsea pass their first test, as Rusyn wins a free-kick 25 yards from goal. It was a good, pacy ball in, but Chelsea get to it first and clear their lines.
10 min: Burda gets caught out trying to play out of the back, with Willian nicking the ball away. And then he slides in Ross Barkley, who tricks his way to the byline to gasps from the home crowd before winning another corner that is wasted. Chelsea play it short but Willian overcooks his ball in from the left.
9 min: Willian’s free-kick from the right is poor as Chelsea get bodies into the box. The Brazilian has been superb of late for Maurizio Sarri’s side, though he has been fairly quiet early on here, with Chelsea finding more joy down the right.
7 min: Jorginho attempts a cheeky chipped pass over the top of the Dynamo defender but Pedro cannot quite get there. It was a lovely idea, a first-time ball out of midfield in search of the Chelsea forward. It is one-way traffic.
6 min: And then Jorginho nibbles at Shaparenko in midfield. Dynamo waste the chance to make a dent on the Chelsea backline, though, with Rusyn offside.
5 min: Barkley is fouled on halfway and that’s music to the ears of Chelsea, who have another opportunity to storm forward.
3 min: Willian, the former Shakhtar Donetsk winger, seizes possession down the left flank before Shabanov runs into trouble under pressure from Giroud. A very promising start from Chelsea. They look anything but leggy. Dynamo have been penned in.
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2 min: Chelsea have flown out of the blocks, with Mateo Kovacic being fed through after a cute touch by Pedro. But Zappacosta strays offside and the move breaks down.
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1 min: Plenty of early possession for Chelsea and a raking David Luiz pass ends up at the feet of Pedro wide on the right. A wonderful first touch tees him up to play in the overlapping Zappacosta. Chelsea earn a corner but Dynamo clear.
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Peeeeeeeeeep!
Chelsea get us under way. A quick reminder that there is no VAR.
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The teams are trudging out on to the Stamford Bridge turf ...
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Europa League first leg results:
Zenit 1-3 Villarreal
Dinamo Zagreb 1-0 Benfica
Eintracht Frankfurt 0-0 Inter
Rennes 3-1 Arsenal
Sevilla 2-2 Slavia Prague
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Claudio Ranieri was not out of work long:
Maurizio Sarri speaks. “Of course the performance in the final against Manchester City was really very important for us, for the confidence,” he says, asked about Chelsea getting into gear of late. “Results can change the atmosphere in the dressing room.” Of the personnel changes, the Italian adds: “We had to change because the last week was very harmful for us. In the last match, in the last 20 minutes we were really very tired mentally and physically so I decided to change six players.” Of Dynamo, Sarri says: “They played a very good group stage and they are a very young, and very dangerous team with very fast wingers.”
Some good news: Glenn Hoddle is back working for BT Sport this evening, with the former England manager making a return to punditry for the first time since suffering a cardiac arrest in October. The ex-Chelsea midfielder underwent heart surgery at Bartholomew’s Hospital before recuperating at home. Hoddle, 61, who looks really well, says he’s a “very lucky man”.
Some essential pre-match listening:
Meanwhile, Rennes have just gone 2-1 up in France:
After digesting team news, sink your teeth into a big story:
Manchester City are being formally investigated by Uefa for alleged breaches of Financial Fair Play regulations.
European football’s governing body announced that its investigatory chamber of the independent Uefa Club Financial Control Body has today opened an investigation into City.
A Uefa statement read: “The investigation will focus on several alleged violations of FFP that were recently made public in various media outlets.”
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Team news news: there is no Ruben Loftus-Cheek or Callum Hudson-Odoi for Chelsea, who do give N’Golo Kanté, Eden Hazard and Gonzalo Higuaín some downtime as Maurizio Sarri makes six changes from the win at Fulham. Instead, Davide Zappacosta makes his first start since 5 January, while David Luiz is the skipper for the night. In midfield Jorginho gets the nod, despite Sarri suggesting the Italian is knackered. No rest for the wicked, eh? Ethan Ampadu is absent altogether. As for Kyiv, there is a familiar name on the bench for any eagle-eyed Newcastle or, indeed, Huddersfield followers: the defender Tamas Kadar.
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The teams!
Chelsea (4-3-3): Kepa; Zappacosta, Christensen, Luiz, Alonso; Kovacic, Jorginho, Barkley; Pedro, Giroud, Willian
Subs: Caballero, Rüdiger, Kanté, Loftus-Cheek, Hudson-Odoi, Hazard, Higuaín
Dynamo Kyiv (4-2-3-1): Boyko; Kedziora, Burda, Shabanov, Mykolenko; Shepeliev, Sydorchuk; Tsygankov, Shaparenko, Buyalskiy; Rusyn
Subs: Bushchan, Sidcley, Kadar, Garmash, Andriyevskiy, Smyrnyi, Tsitaishvili
Referee: Slavko Vincic (Slovenia)
Preamble
Maurizio Sarri has got his Chelsea squad revved-up for some red-hot Europa League action by describing them as drained, with this match the seventh his players will have contested in 18 days. “We have played six, seven, eight matches more than other European teams [this season], which means two months without training,” the Italian said. “For an English team it’s very difficult to be competitive in Europe in March, April.” Sarri was unhappy with the globetrotting pre-season schedule that left his players on their haunches before a ball had been kicked in the league, though Chelsea will still serve up two friendlies 6,000 miles away in Japan this summer. As a result of fatigue within the camp, Sarri will rest several names, with N’Golo Kanté, Eden Hazard and Gonzalo Higuaín the most likely to get a breather. Dynamo Kyiv, who are second in the Ukraine’s premier competition and seven points adrift of rivals Shakhtar Donetsk, will prove awkward opposition at Stamford Bridge. “You have to be intelligent and clever to find the solutions,” said the defender David Luiz. The Dynamo manager, Alyaksandr Khatshevich, was slightly more philosophical ahead of the third meeting between the teams. History may not be on their side – Dynamo have never won a European match in England in 14 attempts – but their manager is nonplussed. “Before the game, the odds are only ever 50-50,” Khatshevich said. “All I am prepared to say about Chelsea is that they wear blue. It is a bit too early to talk about their form. Favourites only exist on paper.”
Kick-off: 8pm (GMT)
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