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Chelsea dumps Qarabag to book knockout spot

KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP / Getty

Chelsea punched its last-16 ticket for a fourth time in five years courtesy of Wednesday's straightforward 4-0 victory over 10-man Qarabag in Baku.

The Blues have now made the knockout stage 14 times in 15 tries, missing out just once when they finished third in Group E during the 2012-13 campaign. Chelsea would go on to win the Europa League that season.

The Azerbaijan side made a great account of itself in the opening half with probing attacks and a shot that rattled Thibaut Courtois' bar, though Qarabag's narrow continental hopes swiftly transformed to troublesome 20 minutes in.

Captain Rashad Sadygov was shown red for a foul on Willian in the area before Eden Hazard buried his third Champions League goal in three matches from the spot to hand the 2011-12 winner a one-goal advantage. Qarabag is now just the third side to receive red cards in three consecutive Champions League tilts.

From there, the Blues put their stamp on proceedings with the club's second tally - a deft bit of interplay between Hazard and Willian - before notching a third seconds before the three-quarter mark when Cesc Fabregas calmly slotted home a second penalty on the evening.

Willian would make it 4-nil five minutes from time when the generously coiffed Brazilian fired a right-footed rocket from the edge of the area beyond the outstretched arms of Qarabag 'keeper Ibrahim Sehic.

With the three points, Chelsea vaults Roma for top spot in Group C.

After missing out on the tournament a year ago, Chelsea becomes the third English side to book its spot in the knockout stage, joining Manchester City and Tottenham in the last-16. The Blues hopes of replicating their one and only Champions League crown from 2011-12 will be boosted by the continental form of Hazard, whose eighth goal in the competition Wednesday is now tops among Belgians.

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