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| Gary Cahill celebrates scoring Chelsea's opening goal |
JOSE MOURINHO had a blazing row with striker Diego Costa at half time in Israel. But the rest of his team saved their fire to blow away Maccabi.
Chelsea last night did what they had to do in Israel. But Dynamo Kiev’s unexpected win at Porto means that Group G will go to the final game on December 9 before the two qualifiers are known.
It was not an easy night for Mourinho’s men, on a poor pitch in Haifa. Goals from Gary Cahill, Willian and Oscar made it all look much more comfortable than it actually was.
Mourinho blew his top at Costa just before half-time for bad positional play in front of goal – and the furious striker gave as good as he got, despite Oscar and John Terry trying to calm things down.
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| John Terry was stretchered off the pitch and replaced by Kurt Zouma late on |
Amazingly Costa appeared for the second half – but his team did the job anyway.
Mourinho made four changes from the team that beat Norwich on Saturday, with Kurt Zouma, Branislav Ivanovic, Kenedy and Pedro all dropping out at the Sammy Ofer Stadium.
But he fielded a strong side, with Cesar Azpilicueta, Cahill, Baba Rahman and Oscar all returning to the line-up as Chelsea aimed at their first away European win in a year.
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| Willian curling in his free-kick on 73 minutes |
Chelsea had beaten Maccabi, who had lost all four Group G games before last night, 4-0 at Stamford Bridge in September – but Mourinho warned his team against complacency in the build-up.
The Chelsea manager was unhappy about a soft-looking pitch before kick-off and his side had a lucky escape after only two minutes, when Dor Peretz headed over from six yards.
Maccabi, despite their wretched record, tore eagerly into Chelsea from the off but Mourinho’s team began to regain control, as Azpilicueta shot wide and then Cesc Fabregas chipped just over.
As quality began to tell, they broke through as Gary Cahill met Willian’s corner. Goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic did well to push the ball on to the post but only back to the Chelsea man, who stabbed it home for the goal that his team needed to settle the early nerves.
Immediately, Mourinho was on to the pitch to tread down a divot with his expensively-shod foot.
Willian, by some distance Chelsea’s best player so far this season, was a constant worry to the Maccabi defence with his pace but Costa blazed an overhead kick wide.
But then with four minutes to go to the break, defender Tal Ben Haim, playing against his old team, was sent off for a wild hack at the Chelsea striker.
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| Oscar celebrates scoring Chelsea's third goal |
Costa as usual was right at the centre of things – but he got a rollicking from Mourinho as the half-time whistle blew for not being in the right place as Hazard flicked the ball on in the six-yard box. The Spaniard gave a volley back.
Chelsea were lucky again when Eli Dasa popped up unmarked at the far post and only a fine block by goalkeeper Asmir Begovic prevented an equaliser.
Maccabi’s 10 men were far from giving up. And as Costa missed his kick after Azpilicueta pulled the ball back, it was still all far too uncomfortable for Mourinho’s men, on a night when they should have been in total control.
Hazard almost added a second when he burst through but once again Rajkovic produced a fine save. But then at the other end, as Maccabi broke, it was Begovic who once again brilliantly preserved Chelsea lead as he tipped Eran Zahavi’s shot round the post.
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| Kurt Zouma towering above the rest to powerfully convert Chelsea's fourth |
But, as ever this season, it was Willian who came to the rescue, curling in the vital second goal with a lovely free kick. It was his his sixth goal of the season – all of them from free-kicks.
Maccabi had finally run out of steam and, as Baba Rahman produced a fine cross from the left, Oscar headed home from point-blank range before Zouma rounded matters off in stoppage time.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Begovic; Azpilicueta, Cahill, Terry (Zouma, 72), Rahman; Fabregas, Matic; Willian (Remy, 79), Oscar, Hazard (Pedro, 69); Costa. Booked: Matic, Fabregas. Goals: Cahill 20, Willian 73, Oscar 77. Next Up: Tottenham (a), Sun PL.
Maccabi Tel-Aviv (4-3-3): Rajkovic; Dasa, Ben Haim, Garcia, Ben Harush; Igiebor, Alberman (Azulay 85), Peretz; Ben Haim II (Ben Basat, 80), Zahavi (Itzhaki 89), Rikan. Sent off: Ben Haim 41.
Referee: A Mallenco (Spain).
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