BRISTLE DO

No close shaves for Chelsea as bearded Antonio takes the razor-sharp Blues to within a whisker of winning their group

THEY’VE had their hairy moments but Chelsea made it into the last 16 with ease here.

Four goals, a stunning return to form for Brazilian winger Willian, and a pattern of results that could see Diego Costa playing in the Europa League next spring.

No wonder Antonio Conte was happy. As a warm-up for Saturday’s showdown with Liverpool, the Italian (left) – still sporting his designer stubble – will take this all day long. Yes, that 5,000-mile round trip will still rankle. Yes, Conte is still annoyed with the Premier League and TV companies, attacking them again here for scheduling the game at Anfield for Saturday evening. The Chelsea boss was able to get a rest into the likes of Alvaro Morata, Gary Cahill and Tiemoue Bakayoko, while Eden Hazard continued his impressive run of form.

Liverpool will be under no illusions. They are facing a Chelsea team primed and ready to rumble.

Conte and his men did ride their luck here, though, breathing a sigh of relief after Qarabag midfielder Michel hit the bar just 12 minutes in.

The champions of Azerbaijan had given a tough game to Roma last month, before holding Atletico Madrid to two draws.

It suggested their 6-0 hammering at Chelsea in September had flattered the Premier League champions. Qarabag back then were still finding their feet in the group stages of the elite club competition.

It’s a shame we will never know whether they’d have given Chelsea more of a game here, with defender Rashad Sadygov sent off after just 19 minutes. The centre-back was the third player Qarabag have had dismissed in as many games. Sadygov pulled on the arm of Willian as the speedster raced onto a pass from Hazard.

The Belgian sent keeper

Ibrahim Sehic the wrong way from the spot. And from then on in Baku, the Azerbaijan capital known as the City of Winds, Chelsea breezed through.

Their second was so good it should have been preceded by a drum roll. Cesc Fabregas, on the right of midfield, crossed for Pedro, who flicked the ball first time on to Hazard. The playmaker held off defender Maksim Medvedev, back-heeled to Willian, and the Brazilian swept it into the bottom corner.

Qarabag, previously well-drilled and tough to break down, were all at sea.

Pedro would have added a third, three minutes before the break, had he not been cynically taken down by centre-back Jakub Rzezniczak, as he stormed into the box. Pedro forced