Chelsea cruised to a 5-0 victory over Racing Genk at Stamford Bridge with Fernando Torres helping himself to a brace of goals. The Belgian side were completely outclassed and the finally margin could have been a lot more embarrassing for the visitors.
Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas chose to rest captain John Terry, replaced by David Luiz. Torres returned up front, one of six changes, the Spaniard missing Saturday’s win over Everton as part of the three-match domestic ban he is currently serving.
Villas-Boas left Didier Drogba out of the Blues match-day squad ahead of Sunday’s game against QPR, while Belgian champions Genk named reported Chelsea target Kevin De Bruyne in their starting line-up.
The Londoners started on the front foot, with Torres keen to make an impression after his recent spell on the sidelines. After six minutes Nicolas Anelka found Torres with a wonderful lobbed pass and
the Spaniard withstood a shoulder barge from a Genk defender to stab past Laszlo Koteles, but his shot rebounded off a post into the Genk goalkeeper’s arms.
The home fans inside an almost-full Stamford Bridge had to wait around 45 seconds more before the Blues opened the scoring through Raul Meireles’ first for the club.
The Portuguese picked the ball up 30 yards out and closed in on goal unchallenged before unleashing a venomous 25-yard short that sailed past Koteles. Four minutes later and it was 2-0 following poor defending from the visitors.
Frank Lampard slipped Torres into the box and the 27-year-old calmly stroked the ball past Koteles for his first Champions League goal since he scored for the Reds against Chelsea in 2009. Khaleem Hyland was then booked for a late challenge on Florent Malouda before Luiz joined him for a poor tackle on Jelle Vossen.
Torres then held off strong pressure from his marker before firing a fierce effort that flew over the away side’s goal from a tight angle. The striker, playing full of confidence, then added his second of the night with a well-timed header from a superb Meireles cross in the 27th minute.
Daniel Pudil, the Genk left-back, clipped Anelka’s heels to earn a booking that rules him out of the next game against the Blues. The foul become even more costly from the resulting free-kick as Branislav Ivanovic easily beat his marker to head home Malouda’s cross to make it 4-0.
Chelsea grabbed a fifth goal on 72 minutes. Jose Bosingwa puts in a low ball from the left and Torres should have scored his hat-trick but his shot is saved at point-blank range by Laszlo Koteles. It rebounds though towards Salomon Kalou, who has the simple task of volleying home from six yards.
Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Luiz, Cole, Romeu, Lampard, Meireles, Anelka, Torres, Malouda. Subs: Turnbull, Mata, Mikel, Ferreira, Kalou, Sturridge, Alex.
Genk: Koteles, Ngcongca, Masuero, Tozser, Pudil, Buffel, Vanden Borre, Hyland, De Bruyne, Vossen, Barda. Subs: Sandomierski, Camus, Dugary, Durwael, Nwanganga, Ogunjimi, Limbombe.
Referee: Alexei Nikolaev (Moscow)