Giroud fires Chelsea into Champions League last 16

CHELSEA reached the last 1 of the Champions League on Tuesday with two matches to spare after a late Olivier Giroud strike gave the Blues a 2-1 win over Rennes.

The France forward’s powerful header in stoppage time snatched the points for Frank

Lampard’s side after Serhou Guirassy had levelled Callum Hudson-Odoi’s opener.

Chelsea were joined in the next round by Group E rivals Sevilla after the Spanish side won 2-1 at Krasnodar.

Both sides are on 10 points, nine ahead of thirdplaced Krasnodar and will do battle for first place come the end of the group stage.

Chelsea can concentrate on domestic duties, with Premier League leaders Tottenham Hotspur visiting Stamford Bridge at the weekend, thanks to out-of-favour Giroud, who has been tipped to leave in January as he seeks more regular football ahead of next summer’s European Championships.

Chelsea started strongly and should have been ahead as early as the seventh minute, when Timo Werner flashed HudsonOdoi’s low cross over the bar with the goal at his mercy.

Their early dominance was rewarded in the 22nd minute following superb play from Mason Mount, who won the ball near his own area before spotting the marauding Hudson-Odoi on the right.

Mount picked out his fellow Chelsea academy graduate with a long pass. The winger took two touches before slotting past Alfred Gomis.

England international Mount was unlucky not to double the away side’s lead eight minutes later when Gomis pulled off a superb save to keep out his close range effort following a Ben Chilwell pull-back.