Chelsea, Barca in CL last 16, Man United lose

Chelsea, Barca in CL last 16, Man United lose

Chelsea's Cesc Fabregas scores the team's third goal on a retaken penalty past a diving Qarabag goalkeeper Ibrahim Sehic en route to a 4-0 win over Qarabag FK at the Baku Olympic stadium in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP photo)
Chelsea's Cesc Fabregas scores the team's third goal on a retaken penalty past a diving Qarabag goalkeeper Ibrahim Sehic en route to a 4-0 win over Qarabag FK at the Baku Olympic stadium in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP photo)

Chelsea powered into the Champions League last 16 as Eden Hazard and Willian inspired a 4-0 thrashing of 10-man Qarabag on Wednesday.

Antonio Conte's side reached the knockout stages with a game to spare thanks to influential displays from Hazard and Willian at the Olympic Stadium that knocked Azerbaijanis Qarabag out of the competition.

Chelsea will go into their last Group C fixture against Atletico Madrid, who take on Roma at the Wanda Metropolitano later on Wednesday, on 10 points and still in with a chance of finishing top.


WEDNESDAY'S RESULTS
GROUP A
  CSKA Moscow 2-0 Benfica
  FC Basel 1-0 Manchester United
GROUP B
  Paris Saint Germain 7-1 Celtic
  RSC Anderlecht 1-2 Bayern Munich
GROUP C
  FK Qarabag 0-4 Chelsea
  Atletico Madrid 2-0 Roma
GROUP D
  Juventus 0-0 Barcelona
  Sporting Lisbon 3-1 Olympiakos

TUESDAY'S RESULTS
GROUP E
  Spartak Moscow 1-1 NK Maribor
  Sevilla 3-3 Liverpool
GROUP F
  Manchester City 1-0 Feyenoord
  Napoli 3-0 Shakhtar Donetsk
GROUP G
  Besiktas 1-1 FC Porto
  Monaco 1-4 RB Leipzig
GROUP H
  Apoel Nicosia 0-6 Real Madrid
  Borussia Dortmund 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur


Hazard scored Chelsea's first-half opener from the penalty spot after his pass to Willian provoked a foul on the Brazilian from Rashad Sadygov, who was sent off as a result.

Willian doubled Chelsea's lead nine minutes before the interval, collecting Hazard's deft back-heeled pass before rolling home.

Cesc Fabregas netted Chelsea's third from the spot in the 73rd minute after another foul on Willian, and the Brazil international crashed home his second in the closing moments.

The English champions were heavily criticised after a woeful loss at Roma in their previous Champions League match, but have now won three in a row in all competitions.

"We did everything well. We should have scored more. It is easy to play with these good players," Hazard said.

"We have a big game at Liverpool on Saturday so it was good to have a small rest. We are ready for Saturday."

At Turin, Barcelona secured top spot in Group D of the Champions League on Wednesday with a drab 0-0 draw at Juventus, who will have to wait until the final round to try to qualify for the knockout stages.

Barcelona rested Lionel Messi for the first half, and went closest to breaking the deadlock when Ivan Rakitic hit the post with a free kick.

Juventus remained second in the group but are only a point above Sporting Lisbon, who beat Olympiakos 3-1.

The Italian side - who reached the final in two of the last three seasons — now visit Olympiakos in the final round, while Sporting travel to Barcelona.

The match was short on quality, despite featuring two such prestigious sides.

There were plenty of mistakes, notably from Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain, who slipped in the middle of the area on one occasion and also lost the ball in a good position.

The Argentine also fired an opportunity over the bar, while both sides were guilty of some sloppy passing.

At Basel, Manchester United were deservedly beaten 1-0 by a spirited Swiss side, leaving all the Group A qualification places open, with one game remaining.

Basel defender Michael Lang struck in the 89th minute to cap an impressive second half for the Swiss champions, who had struggled in the first half.

Lang arrived at the far post to slot in a low shot from fellow wing-back Raoul Petretta's pass across the goalmouth.

Still, United lead the group standings with 12 points, three clear of both Basel and CSKA Moscow, who earlier won 2-0 at home to last-place Benfica.

In the final round on Dec 5, Basel play at last-place Benfica, which has lost five straight, and Man United host CSKA.

The English giants were made to pay for a wasteful first half when they were in control without ever hitting top form.

Needing only one point to ensure victory in the group, United twice struck the frame of Basel's goal late in the first half through a Marouane Fellaini header and Marcos Rojo's deflected shot from 35 metres.

But a passive start to the second period let Basel seize control. Lang struck the bar with a 65th-minute header and United goalkeeper Sergio Romero made a series of diving saves.

In Group B action, Neymar scored a double as Paris St Germain extended their perfect Champions League record with a 7-1 home demolition of Celtic.

The Brazilian forward, Edinson Cavani, who also scored twice, Kylian Mbappe, Marco Verratti and Dani Alves all found the back of the net after Moussa Dembele's early opener for the visitors as PSG powered on to 15 points from five games.

They lead second-placed Bayern Munich, who won 2-1 at Anderlecht, by three points before they play in Germany with Group B's first place at stake.

Celtic got off to a dream start when Dembele opened the scoring in the first mninute from a corner, but PSG reacted swiftly.

Neymar levelled with a low shot after being set up by Adrien Rabiot and doubled the tally in the 22nd after a one-two with Verratti.

Cavani made it 3-1 six minutes later from close range with Mbappe adding another in the 35th from Marquinhos's cross.

The Uruguayan striker, Verratti and Alves scored again after the break as PSG became the most prolific team in the Champions League group phase with 24 goals.

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