Chelsea cruise through in Europa League

Chelsea 3 Malmo 0 (Agg: 5-1)

Olivier Giroud scored his sixth Europa League goal of the season and Callum Hudson-Odoi also netted as Chelsea cruised into the last 16.

Giroud scored 10 minutes into the second half after great work by fellow Frenchman N’Golo Kante.[phone]

[/phone]

After Malmo’s Rasmus Bengtsson had been sent off, Ross Barkley’s brilliant free-kick made it 2-0 on the night.

And with six minutes remaining, Hudson-Odoi, finally given a starting place by under-pressure boss Maurizio Sarri, collected Willian’s diagonal pass and fired into the far corner.

After a dreary first half, Chelsea broke the deadlock at Stamford Bridge when Kante burst forward and played the ball left to Willian, whose first-time cross presented Giroud with a simple tap in.

That meant Chelsea were as good as through well before Bengtsson was dismissed for a second yellow card after fouling Emerson and Barkley stepped up to score superbly.

But the loudest cheer of the night came when the popular Hudson-Odoi sealed a resounding Blues win.

[related-posts]