A high-tempo beginning to the match saw Chelsea quickly establish control and begin to threaten the Ajax goal at every opportunity. Despite the well rotated lineup, the Blues were producing effective patterns of play and exciting endeavor down both wings.
And then Ajax decided to press the self-destruct button. Their captain was sent off on the quarter hour for a horrendous tackle on Enzo Fernandez, then, just when it looked like they might find an unlikely way back into the game, they conceded two penalties in quick succession just before the end of the first half.
By then, Chelsea were up 2-1, with Guiu and Caicedo scoring (the latter via a deflection) and Weghorst getting one back from the spot for the visitors after a harsh foul was called on Tosin. But at least the referee was consistent, and awarded a penalty for a similar foul on Estevao as well. Estevao himself converted that, with Enzo also successful from the spot.
Enzo was among the three to depart at the half, as Enzo Maresca took advantage of the state of the game to have a bit of a training exercise. Tyrique George would add a fifth early on in the second, and the only question then was how many more we would get, and whether 16-year-old Ryan Kavuma-McQueen would get to make his debut.
The answers were: zero and no, perhaps the only disappointing things on a fun night of football.
* If I had imagined how a team managed by Johnny Heitinga would play, this is precisely what I would have imagined
* Guiu became our youngest Champions League goalscorer … for 30 minutes; then Estevao took the record from him!
* No debut for RKM, but Walsh did get to make his Champions League debut
* Next up: high-flying Sunderland on Saturday
* KTBFFH
See More:
* [Chelsea FC: Champions League](/european-tournaments)