Chelsea’s reward for beating Dynamo Kiev in the UEFA Europa League is a quarter-final clash against Slavia Prague.
The Blues cruised into the final eight of the competition on Thursday after they hammered Kiev 5-0 in the Ukrainian capital.
Striker Olivier Giroud scored a perfect hat-trick while Marcos Alonso and Callum Hudson-Odoi also scored to cap off a fine night.
The draw will be welcomed by Blues boss Maurizio Sarri, who admitted he wanted to avoid former club Napoli, who were paired with Arsenal.
Related: UEL: Iwobi’s Arsenal Draw Napoli; Chelsea Face Olayinka’s Slavia Prague
Chelsea’s semi-final opponents will be either Eintracht Frankfurt or Benfica should they get past Slavia Prague.
Giroud’s efforts could mean he is line for a start in the Premier League and Sarri admitted after the full-time whistle that the French striker is a key part of his plans.
“In the last period, every time he has been on the pitch, he was able to play really very well,” Sarri said. “He has scored nine goals in this competition. “Olivier is, for us, a very important player. I am really very happy for him and for the hat-trick, and I am really very happy with him.”
Copyright © 2024 Completesports.com All rights reserved. The information contained in Completesports.com may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the prior written authority of Completesports.com.
COMMENTS