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Chelsea maintained their unbeaten Champions League start as they strolled to victory over Rennes at Stamford Bridge to continue their smooth progress towards the knockout stage.
Frank Lampard’s side, who had opened their campaign with a draw at home to Sevilla and a win away to Krasnodar, took full advantage of an injury-hit Rennes side who were then reduced to 10 men before half-time.
Timo Werner gave Chelsea a comfortable interval advantage with two penalties, the first after he was fouled by Dalbert and the second when the same defender was penalised for handball – Rennes’ sense of frustration exacerbated when the defender received a second yellow card for the offence.
Chelsea, who were without Kai Havertz after he returned a positive test for Covid-19, were in total control and emphasised their domination five minutes after the break when a superb delivery from Reece James was turned in at the near post by Tammy Abraham.
Chelsea were rarely threatened but new keeper Edouard Mendy thwarted his former club late on with a fine save from Clement Grenier.
It was a comfortable three points that puts Chelsea in comfortable control of Champions League Group E.
Chelsea maintain quiet progress
When Chelsea were forced to come from 3-0 down to earn a point at West Bromwich Albion, and then conceded a last-minute equaliser against Southampton in a 3-3 draw at Stamford Bridge, if there were not exactly murmurings of discontent around Lampard, there were certainly questions being asked.
Lampard had added attacking flourishes to his side in the shape of Werner, Havertz and Hakim Ziyech but it looked like Chelsea were highly vulnerable in defensive areas.
Lampard insisted the problems would be addressed once defenders Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva settled and new keeper Mendy bedded in as replacement for the flawed Kepa Arrizabalaga, who was once more at fault at home to Southampton.
The evidence is mounting that he was right as Chelsea have now gone more than seven hours without conceding a goal and have put together a 10-match unbeaten run.
Chelsea’s victory here was achieved under little pressure but this is still a very good sequence and with a place in the Champions League knockout stage pretty much assured and progress being made in the Premier League, Lampard has every reason for satisfaction.
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Chelsea
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Squad number16Player nameMendy
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Squad number24Player nameJames
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Squad number15Player nameZouma
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Squad number6Player nameThiago Silva
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Squad number21Player nameChilwell
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Squad number7Player nameKanté
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Squad number5Player nameJorginho
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Squad number19Player nameMount
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Squad number22Player nameZiyech
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Squad number9Player nameAbraham
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Squad number11Player nameWerner
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Squad number2Player nameRüdiger
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Squad number17Player nameKovacic
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Squad number18Player nameGiroud
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Squad number20Player nameHudson-Odoi
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Squad number33Player nameEmerson
Rennes
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Squad number16Player nameGomis
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Squad number27Player nameTraoré
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Squad number3Player nameDa Silva
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Squad number6Player nameAguerd
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Squad number5Player nameDalbert
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Squad number15Player nameNzonzi
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Squad number19Player nameGboho
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Squad number12Player nameLea Siliki
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Squad number14Player nameBourigeaud
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Squad number7Player nameTerrier
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Squad number9Player nameGuirassy
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Squad number8Player nameGrenier
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Squad number18Player nameDoku
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Squad number22Player nameDel Castillo
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Squad number23Player nameHunou
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Squad number31Player nameTruffert
Line-ups
Chelsea
- 16Mendy
- 24James
- 15Zouma
- 6Thiago SilvaSubstituted forRüdigerat 68′minutes
- 21ChilwellSubstituted forEmersonat 63′minutes
- 7KantéBooked at 26minsSubstituted forKovacicat 63′minutesBooked at 79mins
- 5JorginhoBooked at 65mins
- 19Mount
- 22ZiyechBooked at 32minsSubstituted forHudson-Odoiat 75′minutes
- 9AbrahamSubstituted forGiroudat 63′minutes
- 11Werner
Substitutes
- 2Rüdiger
- 3Alonso
- 4Christensen
- 13Caballero
- 14Tomori
- 17Kovacic
- 18Giroud
- 20Hudson-Odoi
- 28Azpilicueta
- 33Emerson
- 40Ziger
Rennes
- 16Gomis
- 27Traoré
- 3Da Silva
- 6Aguerd
- 5Chagas EstevaoBooked at 40mins
- 15NzonziSubstituted forGrenierat 62′minutes
- 19GbohoSubstituted forDel Castilloat 62′minutesBooked at 89mins
- 12Lea SilikiSubstituted forTruffertat 45′minutes
- 14Bourigeaud
- 7TerrierSubstituted forDokuat 62′minutes
- 9GuirassySubstituted forHunouat 76′minutes
Substitutes
- 1Salin
- 4Nyamsi
- 8Grenier
- 18Doku
- 22Del Castillo
- 23Hunou
- 30Bonet
- 31Truffert
- 32Assignon
- 35Rutter
- 38Omari
- 39Ugochukwu
Live Text
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Match ends, Chelsea 3, Rennes 0.
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Second Half ends, Chelsea 3, Rennes 0.
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Attempt missed. Olivier Giroud (Chelsea) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Callum Hudson-Odoi with a cross.
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Foul by Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea).
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Jéremy Doku (Rennes) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Romain Del Castillo (Rennes) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Timo Werner (Chelsea) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Romain Del Castillo (Rennes).
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Offside, Rennes. Adrien Hunou tries a through ball, but Jéremy Doku is caught offside.
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Attempt missed. Hamari Traoré (Rennes) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Benjamin Bourigeaud.
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Olivier Giroud (Chelsea) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Jéremy Doku (Rennes).
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Attempt missed. Adrien Hunou (Rennes) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Clément Grenier.
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Offside, Rennes. Adrien Truffert tries a through ball, but Jéremy Doku is caught offside.
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Attempt blocked. Adrien Truffert (Rennes) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.
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Attempt saved. Clément Grenier (Rennes) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Jéremy Doku.
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Foul by Mason Mount (Chelsea).
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Clément Grenier (Rennes) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Hand ball by Romain Del Castillo (Rennes).
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Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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