CHELSEA 4-0 PAOK | GIROUD (27, 36), HUDSON-ODOI (60), MORATA (76)

Chelsea XI: Kepa, Zappacosta, Christensen, Cahill, Emerson, Fabregas, Loftus-Cheek, Barkley, Pedro, Hudson-Odoi, Giroud

PAOK XI: Paschalakis, Leo Matos, Khacheridi, Crespo, Vieirinha, Mauricio, Wernbloom, Leo Jaba, Shakhov, El Kaddouri, Prijovic

• Callum Hudson-Odoi makes first start of the season
• PAOK defender Khacheridi sent off
• Olivier Giroud opens the scoring with first-time finish
• Giroud adds second with incredible volley
• Callum Hudson-Odoi scores first Chelsea goal
• Alvaro Morata adds fourth

CHELSEA 4-0 PAOK

FT: Chelsea cruise through to the knockout stages with an emphatic victory over PAOK. Goals from Olivier Giroud, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Alvaro Morata saw Maurizio Sarri’s side return to winning ways.

90: Chelsea win themselves a free-kick in a handy position as we tick over into stoppage time. Ross Barkley standing over it… over! Not great, more suited to a left-footer from that angle.

89: Cesc Fabregas goes for the David Beckham/Wayne Rooney/Charlie Adam (delete for preference) from just over the halfway line but floats it back to the goalkeeper.

86: Save! Loftus-Cheek holds off his maker like a parent with a child and slips it over to Willian, who drives forward and forces the stop from Paschalakis.

83: He’s got the taste for goals no has Callum Hudson-Odoi. The teenager collects the ball at the far post but ignores his options and fires over.

80: Final ten minutes. Anyone else fancy a goal tonight?

79: Wait a minute. I have a theory. Marouane Fellaini scores on Tuesday having shaved his head, Alvaro Morata scores tonight having shaved his head. Get the clippers, lads!

CHELSEA 4-0 PAOK | MORATA

76: Has Alvaro Morata scored? I only ask because It’s the most subdued celebration I’ve ever seen.

Not the slightest hint of a smile from the Spaniard who jumps highest to head home Callum Hudson-Odoi’s pin-point cross.

72: No hat-trick for Olivier Giroud this evening as Alvaro Morata replaces him for the final 20 minutes.

69: Slight worry for Chelsea as Christensen goes down injured when landing awkwardly on his spine. Maurizio Sarri won’t really want to introduce Marcos Alonso but the Italian might have no choice.

66: No qualms from Pedro as Maurizio Sarri brings Willian on. It’s tipping it down at Stamford Bridge and I imagine he’ll be pleased to get his warm coat on.

63: Davide Zappacosta is off injured and is replaced by Ethan Ampadu, who makes his first appearance for Chelsea this season.

CHELSEA 3-0 PAOK | HUDSON-ODOI

60: Cometh the hour, cometh Callum Hudson-Odoi.

The Chelsea youngster scores his first goal for Chelsea at senior level. He takes from just inside the box, and finds the bottom corner perfectly!

The PAOK goalkeeper could probably have done better, but who cares eh?

57: When Davide Zappacosta hits it, it stays hit. The Italian right-back collects a clearance before powering it wide and into the stands. RIP whoever took that to the chin!

54: Penalty appeal! Substitute Warda, who plays alongside Mohamed Salah for the Egyptian international side, wants a spot-kick when Emerson challenges him. No chance I’m afraid.

51: Two bookings in quick succession as Wernbloom fouls Hudson-Odoi, while Cahill follows shortly after when sliding in on El Kaddouri.

48:  “I met the PAOK fans at Piccadilly Circus tube station this afternoon. If you think their singing is loud now, you should have heard them at the top of the down escalator,” says Stephan on Twitter. I believe you, Stephan.

CHELSEA 2-0 PAOK

45: Back underway at Stamford Bridge. Fair play to these PAOK fans, who were jumping up and down singing during the break. All about the social, right?

Warda replaces Prijovic.

CHELSEA 2-0 PAOK

HT: It was always going to be tough at 11 vs 11 for the visitors, but Khacheridi’s early red card has made this a walk in the park for Chelsea tonight.

45: Gary Cahill with a goal-saving interception from Leo Jaba. Maurizio Sarri won’t really be too impressed that 10-man PAOK have had three or four chances over the last 10 minutes. Tough bloke to please by all accounts.

Olivier Giroud has netted as many goals in the opening 37 minutes of this game as he had in his previous 13 appearances for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge (two in all competitions).

44: Pedro can’t believe he’s not score! I can’t either with Emerson serving it on a plater for the Spaniard, who actually manages to hit the ball onto his standing leg with only the goalkeeper to beat. Nightmare that.

41: PAOK have their best opening of the evening with El Kaddouri and Prijovic exchanging a few passes before the former wildly strikes over.

CHELSEA 2-0 PAOK | GIROUD

38: Wow. Fair play Olivier Giroud, who has added another incredible strike to his ever-growing list of worldies.

Cesc Fabregas is given far too much time and space that allows him to pick out the Frenchman, who volleys home powerfully from an acute angle.

Damage limitations for PAOK now, who would happily call it 2-0 and head off home now.

35: Olivier Giroud has scored 10 goals in his last 15 starts in European competition (two for Chelsea, eight for Arsenal).

33: Impressive from Giroud, who is clearly using tonight as a chance to reclaim his striker role from Alvaro Morata. He runs the length of the field to disposes El Kaddouri.

Commentator on BT Sport has just said that Sarri “doesn’t look like a football manager.” What exactly is a football manager meant to look like?!

CHELSEA 1-0 PAOK

30: Woodwork! Chelsea look for a quick-fire second and Hudson-Odoi nearly provides it when capitalising on a loose ball and firing against the crossbar from distance.

CHELSEA 1-0 PAOK | GIROUD

27: And there’s the breakthrough. Not overly surprising given the circumstances but Olivier Giroud gives Chelsea a deserved lead.

Pedro stretches the PAOK defence with some fine footwork before slipping it over to the unmarked Frenchman, who cooly tucks it away with a first-time finish.

26: Gareth Southgate and his assistant Steve Holland are in attendance tonight. Not an enormous pool to choose from with RLC, Barkley, Judson-Odoi and Cahill the only English players.

25: Now that should be a straight blimin’ red in my book. Olivier Giroud faintly touches Shakhov, who falls to the ground like there’s been an earthquake. Clearly trying to level the numbers with pathetic simulation.

22: Whoosh! Ruben Loftus-Cheek decides he’s had enough of this intricate passing lark and unleashes a thunderbolt from distance. Gary Cahill heads the resulting corner wide.

19: Just the 75 percent possession for Chelsea. I can’t see how PAOK are going to hold out for much long with Pedro, Hudson-Odoi and Giroud all seeing snapshots saved by the busy PAOK stopper Paschalakis.

16: Did Maurizio Sarri really say that N’Golo Kante wasn’t technically good enough to occupy the Jorginho role in the middle of the park?! Taxi for Sarri, lads. That’s crazy.

Pedro drifts behind Vieirinha down the right and fires over from an acute angle.

13: Poor execution from Olivier Giroud. Hudson-Odoi plays a delicate ball over the defence and the Frenchman hooks it miles over.

10: I tell you what – either Giroud has gained serious pace over the last week or Khacheridi is one of the slowest players on the planet.

CHELSEA 0-0 PAOK | RED CARD

8: Game ruined already. Leo Matos plays an awful backpass to Khacheridi, who chops down Giroud as the last man. He’s given his marching orders and Chelsea have a free-kick just outside the penalty area.

Cesc Fabregas steps up… wide. Not the Spaniard’s finest.

5: Oh I didn’t realise Arsenal youngster Chuba Akpom was on the bench. Not a great sign if he’s left out for a big game against Chelsea.

3: Chelsea moving the ball around with a great tempo in the opening stages. A good reaction to their defeat to Tottenham last weekend. Maurizio Sarri actually spoke with players individually after that game to see what exactly went wrong.

CHELSEA 0-0 PAOK

1: OK, we’re underway in one of the most highly-anticipated matches of the season… I’m trying alright!

This game just became a lot more pointless folks. Chelsea have WON their group because Mol Vidi failed to beat BATE. So…

Twitter round-up

Trek: Seems every Chelsea fan is exited Callum Hudson-Odoi is starting tonight, Hope he takes the match ball home.

Tommy: They won’t tell you this, but Europe’s elite competition is on tonight.

Kat: My mentions are to much! So much joy from my fellow Chelsea fans to see Callum starting.

I wonder why they won’t tell you that, Tommy?

Team news – Chelsea

19:50: Callum Hudson-Odoi started for the first time this season as Chelsea met PAOK, seeking a point to top Europa League Group L.

The 18-year-old forward was joined in the starting XI by Olivier Giroud and Pedro, while Ross Barkley, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Cesc Fabregas formed the midfield trio as the Blues looked for an immediate response to the loss to Tottenham.

N’Golo Kante joined Eden Hazard (ankle) in being omitted from the matchday squad ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash with Fulham.

Starting XI…

19:45: And here are the line-ups for tonight’s clash at Stamford Bridge. I can barely contain myself…

Chelsea XI: Arrizabalaga, Zappacosta, Christensen, Cahill, Emerson Palmieri, Barkley, Fabregas, Loftus-Cheek, Pedro, Giroud, Hudson-Odoi.

Subs: Caballero, Alonso, Jorginho, Kovacic, Willian, Morata, Ampadu.

PAOK XI: Paschalakis, Leo Matos, Khacheridi, Crespo, Vieirinha, Mauricio, Wernbloom, Leo Jaba, Shakhov, El Kaddouri, Prijovic.

Subs: Rey, Varela, Pelkas, Biseswar, Akpom, Warda, Canas.

Referee: Kristo Tohver (Estonia)

CHELSEA vs PAOK

Eden Hazard is out of Chelsea’s clash with PAOK as the Blues seek to confirm top spot in Europa League Group L.

Hazard has an ankle injury following last Saturday’s loss to Tottenham, but should be fit to play Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday.

Victor Moses (back) is also out, with head coach Maurizio Sarri likely to make changes ahead of 10 matches in the month of December.

Chelsea provisional squad: Kepa, Caballero, Rudiger, Alonso, Fabregas, Jorginho, Kante, Barkley, Pedro, Kovacic, Giroud, Zappacosta, Willian, Cahill, Christensen, Azpilicueta, Morata, Luiz, Emerson Palmieri, Loftus-Cheek, Hudson-Odoi, Ampadu, Bulka.