Blues get confidence boost for Sunday’s final
WELL-TAKEN second-half goals from Ross Barkley and Callum Hudson-Odoi helped Chelsea cruise into the Europa League last 16. The Blues, who led 2-1 over Malmo from the first leg, started slowly but improved markedly after the break. Olivier Giroud gave them the lead on the night by tapping home, before Barkley floated a free-kick expertly into the top corner moments after Rasmus Bengtsson was sent off. Hudson-Odoi, 18, then drove in from the right before firing in a late third into the bottom corner. Giroud said that the win would give Chelsea “some confidence back”.
“Defensively, it’s a clean sheet – we were strong defensively – and ambitious up front,” the French World Cup winner added. “It’s a good night. We finished the job well and now we can focus on the next game.” But whether this result will ease the pressure on Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri remains to be seen. Their next two matches – against Manchester City in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final, and Tottenham in the Premier League next week – will certainly be bigger tests. Giroud said of their cup final test: “We have taken confidence [from beating Malmo] but now we need momentum. It’s a final so we need to play it as a final.” Chelsea were humiliated 6-0 by Manchester City in the Premier League recently and Giroud admitted they would have to “learn” from the “mistakes” made at the Etihad. He added: “I’m sure we will do well against them.”