PARIS (AFP) - Olivier Giroud scored a hat-trick as Chelsea cruised into the Europa League quarter-finals with an 8-0 aggregate thrashing of Dynamo Kiev on Thursday (March 14), while Napoli also booked a last-eight spot.
After a 3-0 victory in last week's last 16, first leg at Stamford Bridge, 2013 winners Chelsea were even more dominant in Kiev despite manager Maurizio Sarri ringing the changes, thumping the Ukrainians 5-0.
The Premier League giants are bidding for a first trophy under the Italian after losing last month's English League Cup final to Manchester City, and hoping to secure qualification for next season's Champions League.
"We started very well. We wanted to start in this way," Sarri told BT Sport. "We played a wonderful first half and managed the game in the second half."
Giroud, who is yet to start in the Premier League in 2019 after the signing of Gonzalo Higuain, netted a first-half double, before Marcos Alonso slid home a third on the stroke of half-time.
Frenchman Giroud completed his first Chelsea hat-trick by heading home Willian's free-kick just before the hour mark and is now the leading scorer in this year's competition with nine goals.
Teenage winger Callum Hudson-Odoi continued his own fine Europa League form, slotting in his fourth goal of the tournament after racing clear with 12 minutes remaining.
But Sarri reserved special praise for England midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who also impressed after being given a rare start.
"His potential as a player is very, very, high," he said.
"Physically, technically and tactically he is improving. He can become one of the best midfielders not only in England but in Europe."
NAPOLI THROUGH DESPITE DEFEAT
Elsewhere, Napoli wrapped up a 4-3 aggregate victory over last season's semi-finalists Salzburg despite a 3-1 second-leg loss in Austria.
Arkadiusz Milik scored a crucial away goal in the 14th minute to all but end the tie, leaving Salzburg needing five unanswered goals to progress.
Munas Dabbur and Fredrik Gulbrandsen struck to give the hosts a glimmer of hope, but Christoph Leitgeb's injury-time third goal was only enough to secure a consolation win on the night.
Russian outfit Krasnodar suffered heartbreak in the other early game, as Goncalo Guedes scored a dramatic injury-time equaliser to send Valencia through 3-2 on aggregate after a 1-1 second-leg draw.
The 19-year-old Magomed-Shapi Suleymanov's 85th-minute effort looked set to dump out the Spaniards on away goals, but Portugal international Guedes came off the bench to send Valencia through.
Marcelino's men have recovered well from a slow start to the season, having also reached the Copa del Rey final and stepped up their bid for a top-four place in La Liga.
An early goal from Mohamed Salah and a late one from Divock Origi gave Liverpool a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in Saturday's all-English Champions League final as coach Juergen Klopp finally got his hands on Europe's biggest prize.
Salah, Origi strike to give Liverpool Champions League triumph
Lionel Messi has joined calls from across football to continue the search for missing Cardiff City striker Emiliano Sala and pilot David Ibbotson. The plane carrying Argentine Sala, 28
Latest Singapore News. Singapore: Crypto Exchange DragonEx Reports Hack of Both Platform, User Assets - Cointelegraph; Football: Singapore fall short in bid to qualify for AFC Under-23 Championship finals despite beating Mongolia 3-1 - The Straits Times
Pakistan national football team - Wikipedia
Chelsea boost top-four hopes, Cardiff relegated and Man City and Liverpool keep winning: Premier League predictions. Reliving Manchester United's 1999 Champions League win - 20 years on. Football.
Premier League: Liverpool Back On Top With Win Over Tottenham
PSG have failed so far to develop a winning mentality in Europe. Home; News. Ligue 1 dominance cannot mask PSG's European failure. cannot soothe the pain felt by fans at seeing their
Marijuana and Pain | Marijuana As Medicine?: The Science
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on March 24, 2019, with the headline ''Electric' Sterling has boss purring'. Print Edition | Subscribe.
'Electrical' Sterling has boss purring - Latest News
That enabled Wolves to pour forward, and in the 77th minute they got the winner thanks to a Smalling own goal after a scramble near the line. The result left Manchester United fifth in table on 61 points, level with fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur who have played a game fewer. Wolves are seventh on 47.
Hungry Wolves beat 10-man Manchester United 2-1 - ARYSports.tv
Japan began their quest to reach a third straight final with a poor goalless draw as Argentina earned their first ever point at a World Cup. The Japanese won the tournament in 2011 by beating the
Emotional Argentina claim first-ever World Cup point as they
Newcastle United beat Blackburn Rovers 4-2 after extra time while Championship side Stoke City threw away a two-goal lead as they suffered a shock 3-2 home defeat by third-tier Shrewsbury Town in FA Cup third-round replays on Tuesday.
Newcastle get extra-time win, Stoke fall to Shrews in Cup
Egyptian football star Mohamed "Mo" Salah has called for change in the way women are treated in the Muslim world, in an interview with Time magazine published Wednesday. The 26-year-old
Football: FAS employee sacked over breach of financial protocols While there was no material loss suffered by the Football Association of Singapore, it terminated the employee's contract after
Financial Advisor IQ - After Huge Data Breaches, Republicans
Memphis Depay dazzled for the Netherlands with a brace and two assists as they cruised past Belarus 4-0 in their opening Euro 2020 qualifier on Thursday despite having to play the final 20 minutes with 10 men.
Depay fires Dutch past Belarus in Euro 2020 qualifying opener
Cristiano Ronaldo will spearhead Juventus' old guard as they look to finish the job on Tuesday against Ajax's impressive young guns in a quarter-final clash between two sides desperate to end years of Champions League heartbreak.
Juve's old guard bidding to finish job against Ajax kids
worldsoccertalk.com/2019/04/15/juves-old-guard-bidding-to-finish-job-against-ajax-kids/
Turin (Italy) (AFP) - Cristiano Ronaldo will spearhead Juventus' old guard as they look to finish the job on Tuesday against Ajax's impressive young guns in a quarter-final clash between two sides desperate to end years of Champions League heartbreak.
0 comments:
Post a Comment