Loftus-Cheek hat-trick helps Chelsea batter BATE

Chelsea looked in control of the tie from the very first moment, and it didn't take them long to translate their dominance into a goal.

Diego Zappacosta crossed the ball low into the area in the second minute, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek was on hand to slot the ball powerfully past Scherbitski in goal.

 

25 October 2018

The 22-year-old continued to make the most of his rare start for the Blues seven minutes later, when he doubled his teams lead.

Willian whipped in an inviting corner in the ninth minute, and Loftus-Cheek just beat Olivier Giroud to the ball to stab the ball home.

 

25 October 2018

The Blues, finding themselves two goals to the good inside ten minutes, proceeded to dominate the remainder of the first half.

Willian was excellent, involved at the heart of several Chelsea attacks, breaking with speed and beating BATE defenders with ease. Had Giroud been a yard quicker, the Brazilian would have added another assist to his tally in the 36th minute.

Loftus-Cheek completed his hat-trick early in the second half, with a fine goal that proved to be the pick of the bunch.

When Pedro's attempt to drive into the area was stopped, the ball rolled invitingly out to the England international on the edge of the box.

Without even a touch to bring the ball under control, Loftus-Cheek opened his body and placed a sumptuous finish into the far corner of the goal, completing his hat-trick and effectively ending the game.

 

25 October 2018

Olivier Giroud was unlucky not to justify his inclusion ahead of Alvaro Morata with a goal, after his snapshot in the 73rd minute brought a superb reaction save from Scherbitski in goal for BATE.

BATE were largely passive as Chelsea saw the game out, save for one moment of resistance in the 79th minute when Alexei Rios scored a consolation goal.

From a curling Ihar Stasevich free-kick on the left wing, Rios stole in unmarked at the back post and calmly slotted the ball in to add an air of respectability to the scoreline. 

 

25 October 2018

If Chelsea are to advance to the later stages of the Europa League, they will have to beat much stiffer opposition than this side, but they made easy work of the Belarusians.