HE’S SARRI HOUDINI
Giroud 55, Barkley 74, Hudson-odoi 84 FOR a brief moment, Maurizio Sarri brokered a truce with the fans, who had barracked him so mercilessly earlier this week.
Thank heavens then for Callum Hudson-odoi. Maybe Sarri handed the teenager only his sixth start of the season as a way of keeping the crowd off his back last night.
If that was the case, it was a ploy that worked, as the 18-year-old, who fans have been calling for from day one, produced a sparkling display, capped off with the third goal, after Olivier Giroud and Ross Barkley had struck earlier, to send Chelsea through to the last 16.
So the Italian lives to fight another day – another three days probably, with a daunting League Cup final against Manchester City looming on Sunday.
The beleaguered Italian was again without his trusted sidekick Gianfranco Zola, the assistant manager having to go back into hospital after complications arose from a gallstones op this week.
Whether the 52-year-old is fit enough to return to the bench against City remains to be seen.
Chelsea won 2-1 in
Sweden but started badly here, as
Rasmus Bengtsson headed over – and then Hudson-odoi almost gifted the
Swedes a goal as his awful touch let in Markus Rosenberg, who shot just wide.
Chelsea – for whom Eden Hazard was on the bench (circle) – were playing without any cohesion or confidence, passes going astray all over the place. But they almost broke through when Cesar Azpilicueta got on the end of Willian’s cross, keeper Johan Dahlin saving with an outstretched leg.
It was mostly grim stuff – with Hudson-odoi’s occasional bursts the only spark of light, though Barkley did find space for a low drive that Dahlin did well to save.
Malmo were organised and aggressive and were giving Chelsea little space. Sarri’s men were booed off at half time.
But, after the break, the breakthrough came, as Lasse Nielsen gave the ball away in midfield. N’golo Kante galloped through the middle and set up Willian, whose low cross was fired in from close range by Giroud.
Suddenly, Chelsea were playing with a tad more confidence. Barkley had an effort ruled out for offside after another fine burst from Kante, who was the only player, apart from Hudson-odoi, who really showed his quality.
Malmo defender Bengtsson was then sent off for a crude foul on Emerson on the edge of the area – and that opened the way for Chelsea to notch their second – as Barkley stepped up to curl the free-kick over the wall and past Dahlin.
With seven minutes left, Hudson-odoi cut in from the right and drilled a low shot past Dahlin and into the corner. The teenager deserved his moment.