Willian eases Chelsea into last 16 after early red card ends Qarabag chances

There was no mass celebration from Antonio Conte and his players at the final whistle, polite handshakes replacing joyous punches of the air, but all in the visitors’ ranks could take pride in a job professionally done. Comfortable victory in Baku has prolonged Chelsea’s Champions League campaign into the new year and, in the process, lessened the significance of next month’s final group fixture against Atlético Madrid.

They may not feel it at Anfield on Saturday, when aching limbs must deal with Liverpool, but the 5,000-mile round trip to Azerbaijan has been distinctly worthwhile. When the section was drawn that last meeting with the Spanish had felt potentially awkward, even daunting. Now it will merely determine whether the Premier League side progress as group winners or runners-up and, in a crammed schedule in which margin for error is at such a premium, a relatively relaxed evening in early December is to be cherished.

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