Chelsea 4 Qarabag 0
BAKU, Azerbaijan — Willian helped to sweep Chelsea into the knockout stage of the Champions League with a game to spare Wednesday, winning a game-changing penalty and also scoring twice in a 4-0 victory over 10-man Qarabag.
The win assured Chelsea of a top-two finish in Group C and left the 2012 European champion with a two-point lead over Roma, which plays Atletico Madrid later.
The match turned on the 19th-minute sending-off of Qarabag defender Rashad F. Sadygov, who received a straight red card for tugging back Willian just inside the area as the Chelsea forward ran onto Eden Hazard’s pass.
Hazard, who started as the lone striker with Alvaro Morata on the bench, stroked home the penalty for a sixth goal in his last seven games since returning from a broken ankle.
The Belgium international turned provider in Chelsea’s well-worked team goal in the 36th minute, back-heeling the ball into the path of Willian as part of a one-two to allow the Brazilian to side-foot a finish into the bottom corner.
There was little chance of Qarabag, the first Azeri team to reach the group stage of the Champions League, stopping Chelsea from becoming the seventh club into the last 16. And it was a damage-limitation exercise for the hosts thereafter.
That suited Chelsea, which eased off in view of its tough-looking trip to Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday. Chelsea manager Antonio Conte even had the luxury of substituting left wing back Marcos Alonso and Hazard around the hour mark.
That meant Hazard was off the field when Chelsea was awarded a second penalty, for a tug on Willian by Gara Garayev. Cesc Fabregas tucked his spot kick away, only for it to be ruled out for encroachment, but the midfielder converted at the second attempt, too.
Willian made the victory even more emphatic by driving home a low finish from 25 metres in the 85th, taking Chelsea’s tally of goals against Qarabag in the group stage to 10. The English team won 6-0 at Stamford Bridge in September.
Qarabag was used to playing with 10 men, having had players sent off in each of its last two Champions League outings — impressive draws home and away to Atletico.
The home side, which had given Chelsea an early scare by hitting the crossbar through Michel in the 13th minute, has two points from its five games and cannot advance.
Chelsea joined Tottenham, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Besiktas, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich in the knockout stage.
CSKA Moscow 2 Benfica 0
MOSCOW — CSKA Moscow moved closer to a spot in the Champions League last 16 with a 2-0 win over Benfica on Wednesday.
Georgy Shchennikov gave CSKA an early lead, despite an apparent offside. Then an own goal from Jardel ensured Benfica — which is eliminated — slipped to its fifth defeat in five Champions League games.
The result lifts CSKA into second place in Group A, though Basel can take back the place with a win over Manchester United in Wednesday’s later game. For CSKA goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, it marked the end of an 11-year wait for a shutout in the Champions League proper.
"We played well today, really well organized and good on the counter," CSKA midfielder Alan Dzagoev said.
Under pressure to win because Basel has the edge on head-to-head if they finish equal on points, CSKA started with three up front, including midfielder Pontus Wernbloom as a makeshift forward.
CSKA took the lead in the 13th minute when Bibras Natkho picked up a clearance from the Benfica box and fed it through to Shchennikov, who appeared to be offside. The CSKA left-back scored with a calm finish.
Benfica missed a good chance to hit back almost immediately when Jonas fired a shot wide, while at the other end Dzagoev forced an acrobatic save from Benfica goalkeeper Bruno Varela.
CSKA made it 2-0 in the 56th when a cross by Vitinho was deflected into the net off defender Jardel’s thigh.
Vitinho missed good chances to score a second, while Akinfeev saved a free-kick by Jonas to prevent a Benfica comeback.
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