Chelsea ease to emphatic win over Maccabi Tel Aviv

Goals from Willian, Oscar, Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas saw Chelsea coast home in a largely forgettable game at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues should have taken the lead inside five minutes when 19-year-old Maccabi goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic needlessly rushed out of his goal to upend Willian inside the penalty area. Chelsea’s misery was to be prolonged, however, when Eden Hazard ballooned his spot-kick high over the bar.

The Israeli champions’ respite was not to last long, however, when Rajkovic watched a chipped Willian free-kick from the left-hand touchline evade everyone in the box and nestle in his far corner. Chelsea doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time when substitute Diego Costa, on for the injured Willian, won another penalty for the hosts. This time Oscar stepped up and made no mistake.

Costa added an improvised third just before the hour mark, meeting a dinked through ball from Cesc Fabregas and hooking it over his shoulder into the far corner. Fabregas then added a fourth ten minutes shy of full-time when he tapped into an empty net after Loic Remy's shot was palmed into his path six yards out.

5’: HAZARD MISSED PENALTY! Ridiculous goalkeeping from Predrag Rajkovic as he clatters into Willian on the edge of the penalty box and it's a clear spot kick. Eden Hazard steps up... and he fires it over! A dreadful penalty from the Belgian. His poor run of form continues, and a let off for the visitors.

14’: WILLIAN GOAL! Willian opens the scoring but there's more than a hint of fortune about this. The Maccabi goalkeeper is not covering himself in glory tonight. His in-swinging free-kick from the left-hand touchline has a good amount of whip on it, but it shouldn't be strong enough to beat Rajkovic who's rooted to his line and flaps as he watches the ball fly into his net after missing the crowd of players in the box.

45+2’: OSCAR SCORES PENALTY! Diego Costa uses his strength well and brings a foul from Tal Ben Haim. Clear penalty, the Spanish international was through and the Israeli went straight through the back of him. Oscar steps up this time and sends the goalkeeper the wrong way.

58’: COSTA GOAL! Easy for Chelsea. Too easy. Diego Costa gets his name on the scoresheet with a wonderful flick over his shoulder with his right boot to connect with a Cesc Fabregas cross. The old duo are back and firing again. Can they rack up some more now? They're in cruise control.

78': FABREGAS GOAL! Clinical counter-attacking from Chelsea. Hazard feeds Remy on the right hand side, his left footed strike is well saved but the ball falls for Fabregas, who held his run and has a very easy finish.

Diego Costa scored his first Champions League goal for Chelsea at the eighth time of asking.

Chelsea won their first opening home match of a Champions League campaign under Jose Mourinho since a 2-0 win over Werder Bremen in September 2006.

Will the real Eden Hazard please stand up? After shanking an early penalty into the stands last season’s double player of the year shrank from the game. The Belgian looks a long way short of the player who dazzled last season, who ran games with his twinkling toes and electric movement. He improved in the second half against limited opposition, but there wasn’t enough tonight to suggest that he’s even close to regaining last season’s form. How Chelsea need him.

Oscar (Chelsea): The Brazilian looked lively on his return to the first-team and took his penalty very well. Ran the tempo of the game against limited opposition.

CHELSEA: Begovic 6, Azpilicueta 6, Zouma 6, Cahill 7, Baba Rahman 7, Loftus-Cheek 7, Fabregas 6, Willian 7, Oscar 7, Hazard 6, Remy 6

SUBS: Costa 7, Ramires 6, Traore 7

MACCABI TEL AVIV: Rajkovic 4, Shpungin 5, Tibi 5, Ben Harush 5, Ben-Haim I 4, Alberman 5, Zahavi 6, Rikan 5, Mitrovic 5, Igiebor 5, Ben-Haim II 5

SUBS: Miha 5, Radonjic 5, Peretz 5