AC PAOK 0-1 Chelsea, Europa League 2018/19: Three reasons why Sarri's men defeated the Greek side
Maurizio Sarri and Chelsea started their Europa League campaign with an assertive victory over Greek powerhouse AC PAOK. An early goal from Willian in the 7th minute ensured the Londoners' perfect start to the season as the game finished 1-0.
For the rest of the half, Sarri's men continued to pile pressure on the opposition by creating clear-cut opportunities in front of goal. Alvaro Morata himself had six chances, while Pedro and Barkley came close to scoring as well. With truckloads of the ball and steady build-up play, the Pensioners established complete control over the game.
Apart from a late, late surge in the dying stages of the game from PAOK, there was nothing that denied Chelsea a comfortable win in their European season's opener. There could have been three-four more goals in the score sheet, but it was job done for Chelsea, nonetheless.
Here are three reasons why they beat PAOK:
#3 Early pressure from the visitors
As envisaged by many, the Blues dominated the tempo of the game by seeing almost three-fourths of the possession in the first half. The likes of Christensen and Rudiger played a high line, with Zappacosta and Alonso exploiting the width on either flank.
Jorginho and N'Golo Kante sprayed short passes and made sure the ball was under their team's control. Both of them fed the wingers and tried to gain possession with energy and intent. While Jorginho protected the base of midfield, Kante overlapped Zappacosta and Pedro at times, providing a high press and creating a couple of chances.
Pedro and Willian proved to be too quick and direct for the opposition. Both of the skipped past opponents and challenges with aplomb and added spark to the attack. They won a number of corners in the early stages of the game and completed over 330 passes in the opening 45 minutes.
To say the least, Chelsea kept hold of the ball and constantly knocked at their opponent's back line.