Match ends, Dynamo Kyiv 0, Chelsea 5.
Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri wants to avoid former club Napoli in Friday's Europa League quarter-final draw after the Blues thrashed Dynamo Kiev in their last-16 tie.
Olivier Giroud scored a hat-trick as the Premier League side struck five times in Ukraine to complete an 8-0 aggregate win.
Sarri has yet to win a trophy in his managerial career but Chelsea are among the favourites for the Europa League, and victory would bring with it a place in next season's Champions League.
The Italian's former club Napoli are among the favourites and they also made it through on Thursday, progressing 4-3 on aggregate despite a 3-1 second-leg loss to RB Salzburg.
"I prefer to face Napoli in the final," said Sarri. "First of all, because it means we are in the final and I am happy with that. And second, it means that Napoli are in the final, and I am happy.
"You know very well my relationship with the city, with the people. So, for me, it will be very difficult to play against them in Naples."
France forward Giroud's early effort from Willian's corner set the tone for the Blues, who arrived in Kiev with a commanding 3-0 lead from the first leg.
Giroud swept in his second of the night from Marcos Alonso's sublime cross to register his eighth goal in the competition this season.
With the visitors in total control, Alonso tapped in a third goal from Callum Hudson-Odoi's cross before the break.
Kiev captain Serhiy Sydorchuk went close to a consolation for the hosts in the second period, hitting the post from close range.
But Giroud completed his hat-trick with a header from another Willian corner, before Hudson-Odoi's placed effort put the gloss on a dominant display.
Chelsea will discover their quarter-final and potential semi-final opponents on Friday at 12:00 GMT.
Giroud's perfect night
While Giroud has started just two Premier League matches for Chelsea in the past four months, he has relished his outings in the Europa League.
Since his last domestic goal against Tottenham on 24 November 2018, the 32-year-old has scored eight goals in seven appearances in Europe.
And another clinical performance ensured he left the Olympic Stadium in Kiev as the Europa League's top scorer with nine goals.
One-touch finishes for his first two goals of the evening demonstrated his prowess from close range, giving home goalkeeper Denys Boyko no chance.
Alertness and anticipation allowed him to steer Willian's corner past the Kiev keeper for his first goal from around six yards out.
And his movement created the space for him to connect powerfully with Alonso's cross to thump in a second from the centre of the hosts' penalty area.
His final effort, a header from another Willian corner, also highlighted his aerial threat as he capitalised on shoddy marking to seal a "perfect" hat-trick, comprising of right-foot, left-foot and headed goals.
Europa League favourites?
Sarri won plaudits for his style of play at Napoli but, while he boasts an impressive reputation, he has yet to add a trophy to his CV.
However, this was a performance to suggest this could be the season to end that wait.
Despite naming a team that contained seven changes from their 1-1 draw against Wolves, there was a fluidity about Sarri's side as they quickly stamped their authority on the contest.
Giroud's early goal undoubtedly helped but their list of absentees, which included Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain and Eden Hazard, made this all the more impressive.
And the emphatic nature of the result will also serve as a warning to the other clubs in the quarter-finals.
Still unbeaten in the competition, Sarri's side had started the evening as the bookmakers' favourites and by full-time the odds on them repeating their 2012-13 success had shortened further.
Man of the match - Olivier Giroud (Chelsea)
'We played a wonderful first half' - what they said
Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri speaking to BT Sport: "We started very well. We wanted to start in this way.
"We scored after five minutes which was a very difficult situation for the opponents. We played a wonderful first half and managed the game in the second half."
On Ruben Loftus-Cheek he said: "He did very well. He is improving in the last month. He has been able to train after the problem with the back. He had a wonderful match and I'm really happy he could play for 90 minutes.
"His potential as a player is very, very high. Physically, technically and tactically he is improving, he can become one of the best midfielders not only in England but in Europe."
Chelsea's second-biggest European victory - the key stats
- Chelsea's 8-0 aggregate win over Dynamo Kiev is their second-biggest European victory over two legs, the other being a 21-0 aggregate win over Jeunesse Hautcharage in the first round of the Cup Winners' Cup in 1971-72.
- It took Dynamo Kiev 140 minutes to direct a shot on target against Chelsea.
- Olivier Giroud has scored nine goals in European competition for Chelsea this season, the most for the club in a single season since Fernando Torres in 2012-13 (nine).
- Courtesy of his left foot, right foot and headed goals, Giroud scored the first "perfect" hat-trick in any competition for Chelsea since Didier Drogba in May 2010 in the Premier League against Wigan.
- Callum Hudson-Odoi has had a hand in five goals in his four starts in the Europa League this season (three goals, two assists).
What's next?
Chelsea resume their Premier League duties when they travel to Everton on Sunday 17 March (16:30 GMT).
Line-ups
Dynamo Kyiv
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 71Boyko
- 94Kedziora
- 26Burda
- 44Kádár
- 16MykolenkoBooked at 61mins
- 8ShepelevSubstituted forAndrievskyat 87'minutes
- 5SydorchukSubstituted fordas Neves Pinheiroat 65'minutes
- 15Tsygankov
- 10Shaparenko
- 17Ferreira PereiraSubstituted forSmyrnyiat 81'minutes
- 19Harmash
Substitutes
- 1Bushchan
- 6das Neves Pinheiro
- 18Andrievsky
- 20Frezarin Bueno
- 30Shabanov
- 45Smyrnyi
- 46Alibekov
Chelsea
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Arrizabalaga
- 21ZappacostaSubstituted forAzpilicuetaat 69'minutesBooked at 73mins
- 2Rüdiger
- 27Christensen
- 3Alonso
- 7KantéSubstituted forJorginhoat 65'minutes
- 17Kovacic
- 12Loftus-Cheek
- 20Hudson-Odoi
- 18Giroud
- 22WillianSubstituted forPedroat 74'minutes
Substitutes
- 5Jorginho
- 8Barkley
- 10E Hazard
- 11Pedro
- 13Caballero
- 28Azpilicueta
- 30David Luiz
- Referee:
- Tobias Stieler
- Attendance:
- 64,830
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home38%
- Away62%
- Shots
- Home6
- Away14
- Shots on Target
- Home2
- Away8
- Corners
- Home3
- Away7
- Fouls
- Home13
- Away8
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Dynamo Kyiv 0, Chelsea 5.
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Callum Hudson-Odoi (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Mykyta Burda (Dynamo Kyiv).
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Attempt missed. Olivier Giroud (Chelsea) left footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Callum Hudson-Odoi.
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Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Mykyta Burda.
Substitution
Substitution, Dynamo Kyiv. Oleksandr Andrievsky replaces Volodymyr Shepelev.
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Offside, Dynamo Kyiv. Viktor Tsygankov tries a through ball, but Denys Harmash is caught offside.
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Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Viktor Tsygankov (Dynamo Kyiv).
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Corner, Dynamo Kyiv. Conceded by Antonio Rüdiger.
Substitution
Substitution, Dynamo Kyiv. Yevhen Smyrnyi replaces Sidcley.
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Foul by Jorginho (Chelsea).
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Tchê Tchê (Dynamo Kyiv) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Jorginho (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Volodymyr Shepelev (Dynamo Kyiv).
Goal!
Goal! Dynamo Kyiv 0, Chelsea 5. Callum Hudson-Odoi (Chelsea) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Olivier Giroud.
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Corner, Dynamo Kyiv. Conceded by Andreas Christensen.
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Callum Hudson-Odoi (Chelsea) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Tomasz Kedziora (Dynamo Kyiv).
Comments
Join the conversation
Joking asides, Giroud is a great striker and as an Arsenal fan he was frustrating at times but always gave everything. I'm disappointed that he hasn't featured regularly in the league under Sarri because he is a proven goalscorer and one of the best target men in the league.
I'd take him back at Arsenal
Hope we avoid each other in the next round...
From an Arsenal fan (who's also very happy tonight!)
Best result of the last couple of days.
Keep this level of performance please.
City fan.
Also hammer the scousers at anfield and do the country a favour.
But as long as our clubs all do well, and they already have, then we can be proud of our achievements as a country. The Chelsea boys are coming through finally now, so good to see them playing more regularly. Come on you Blues!!
Great to see all the English teams still the European comps this year.
Hope we don't draw each other until the final and what a final that would be!
Well done to the mighty London clubs making (it) through to the next round. Thursday nights suit Chelsea and Arsenal. Leave the big boy stuff to us Northerners.
There..so much better ;)
Haha, have a look in your history book ( you northerners seem to have a lot of them) and see who the last team to win the " big boys stuff " were
31 days, Utd legend, class of 92, oracle on all at OT.....shocking.
BBC employees singing loudly with their fingers in their ears, hoping it will all go away.
Giggety Giggs is next....