CHELSEA WARMED UP for the EFL Cup final with a comfortable 3-0 home victory over Malmo to secure a place in the Europa League’s last 16, winning 5-1 on aggregate.
Olivier Giroud and Ross Barkley, who were both on target in establishing a a 2-1 first-leg advantage in Sweden seven days ago, grabbed second-half goals before Callum Hudson-Odoi marked his recall with the third.
Maurizio Sarri will still head into this weekend’s daunting match against Manchester City with doubts hanging over his long-term future, a situation that was helped little by a sluggish first half.
But a sharper showing after the restart – and Rasmus Bengtsson’s sending off for two yellow cards - led to three goals in 29 minutes and averted further pressure from building on the under-fire Italian.
Sarri’s seven changes failed to stave off the early sloppiness, with Markus Rosenberg scuffing a left-footed effort past the right-hand post in the 13th minute.
Cesar Azpilicueta turned a low cross from Willian into goalkeeper Johan Dahlin at close range but an otherwise subdued first half invited a smattering of boos at the break.
The home side clicked into gear 10 minutes after the interval. N’Golo Kante led a counter-attack and slipped a pass to Willian, who squared for Giroud to tap home.
Any hope Malmo had of mounting an unlikely comeback quickly disappeared when the dismissal of Bengtsson was followed 60 seconds later by Barkley’s brilliant free-kick, the midfielder classily bending the ball up and over the wall.
That paved the way for teenager Hudson-Odoi – a Bayern Munich transfer target throughout January - to further enhance his claims for a regular starting spot with an unerring low finish into the bottom-left corner in the 84th minute that wrapped up the serene 5-1 aggregate success.
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Surely he shouldn’t be admitting this?
@Declan Snow: 100% should receive a one match ban. For doing it and even more for being so open and proud of it.
Why would you come out and admit doing this…!!
1 1 in Germany with 5 mins to go and every Liverpool player should go down holding their leg.
@Dan: no point doing that when it’s 3-1 to Bayern you gimp
Did he also reveal that water is wet? Cue the outrage. Even though every team does it
Iv said it before if a players goes down and match has to be stopped, they should have to go off for a minimum period of time say 3 minutes. See how quickly all this would stop.
@Cormac Flanagan: and what about genuine cases? Want the oppositions star striker off for 3 minutes? “Accidentally stand on his toes at a corner….
@Ted Logan: if it’s genuine then he will require time for treatment anyway. Or be substituted. And if the star striker gets targeted it’s up to the ref/VAR to sort it out.
Football players fake injury , shocker
That game was like playing fifa being a goal up at the end and just passing about killing time at the same time pissing off the other player
Ramos is still a (unt though right?
Good thing Bielsa didn’t say this. 200k find incoming
Well , there’s a surprise . He won’t have any bad feelings so if Liverpool are ahead and develop a lot of cramp ! How does these guys become managers ? A silly admittance . Half time ….. hope next game is better than the anfield one .
Kick em out of the competition
@Hardly Normal: Harsh.
@James Clancy: I know ya but still
This is worse than Beckham gettin the yellow card