Chelsea 4-0 Juventus: 5 hits and flops as Blues crush the Bianconeri to go top of the group | UEFA Champions League 2021-22

Chelsea inflicted Juventus with their heaviest European defeat in 17 years!
Chelsea inflicted Juventus with their heaviest European defeat in 17 years!

Chelsea routed Juventus 4-0 at Stamford Bridge on matchday five in the Champions League.

Goals from Trevoh Chalobah, Reece James, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Timo Werner condemned the Bianconeri to their first European defeat of the season.

The holders were in cruise control right from the off, pushing the Serie A giants on the backfoot with their frightening attacking potential.

With more possession (55% - 45%), more passes (509 - 438), and more shots (21 - 8), the Blues made mincemeat of their mighty visitors.

Massimiliano Allegri will be particularly irked by his side's defense, which was all over the place again tonight, compounded by some individual errors too.

Courtesy of such a huge victory, Chelsea are now in control of Group H, sitting ahead of Juventus on goal-difference with just one game remaining.

Here are the hits and flops from the match:


Hit: Reece James (Chelsea)

James scored his fifth goal of the season - and he's a right-back!
James scored his fifth goal of the season - and he's a right-back!

Sky's the limit for Reece James, who had another stormer for Chelsea tonight. He capped it off with a fine strike from a tight angle, his fifth goal of the season in all competitions!

Adventurous, pacy, and direct, the 21-year-old was a live wire down the right flank. He took the game to Juventus with a high press while making excellent recoveries too.

However, this match was all about his finish. The Blues full-back smashed a ferocious strike into the bottom corner from a tight angle on the right to double Chelsea's advantage.


Flop: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)

What has happened to Bentancur?
What has happened to Bentancur?

Juventus were all over the place in defense tonight, while their midfield didn't cover itself in much glory either, with Rodrigo Bentancur particularly sloppy and in no man's land.

Once an impenetrable fortress guarding the back-four with immense solidity, the Uruguayan has become more of an internet meme these days for his poor showings.

Against Chelsea, too, he struggled to get on the ball and was also caught out in the second half. It nearly led to a second Chelsea goal, prompting Allegri to take him off soon after.

Hit: Thiago Silva (Chelsea)

Thiago Silva produced a moment of magic tonight.
Thiago Silva produced a moment of magic tonight.

How about that for a goal-line clearance? Thiago Silva took everyone's breath away with a stunning clearance to deny Alvaro Morata a certain goal in the second half.

The moment perfectly encapsulated the veteran Brazilian - pacy, vigilant, and talismanic - making a crucial intervention in a heroic moment that will be talked about for days.

Silva, 37, was rock solid in defense for the Blues, showing excellent positional awareness and covering his markers closely to make sure Juventus had no luck in goal tonight.


Flop: Federico Chiesa (Juventus)

No heroics from Federico Chiesa tonight
No heroics from Federico Chiesa tonight

Scorer of the winning goal against Chelsea in the reverse fixture, Federico Chiesa didn't have a happy reunion with the Premier League side tonight, enduring a tough game at Stamford Bridge.

Starting alongside Morata in a two-pronged attack, the Italian was in no man's land for much of the game, cutting an isolated figure upfront as Juventus failed to service him properly.

Not that Chiesa worked hard off the ball, and his work rate was poor too. He finished the game without mustering a shot at Chelsea's goal and completing only 12 passes in 80 minutes of action.


Hit: Jorginho (Chelsea)

Jorginho Hitting all the right notes again
Jorginho Hitting all the right notes again

Last but never least, Jorginho delivered another masterclass in midfield for the reigning European champions.

A battering ram of a player, he was key to impeding Juventus, making five interceptions and four tackles.

He read the game brilliantly to always turn up at the right place at the right time and intervene while hounding Juventus players off the ball with Terrier-like pressing.

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Edited by Prem Deshpande