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21:45. That's all from me tonight. I hope you've enjoyed following my live coverage as much as I have enjoyed presenting it to you on a goal-filled night at Stamford Bridge. I've been Cian Woulfe and until next time on VAVEL, thank-you and goodnight.

21:40. My Man of the Match award would have to go to Davide Zappacosta, who not only inadvertently scored a world class goal on his first start, but generally teamed up excellently with Willian down the right flank, and also providing the assist for the final goal.

Victor Moses took some stick from his teammates on the bench and he will be have to work very hard in training to prove to Conte that he deserves to start ahead of Zappacosta against Arsenal on Sunday.

21:35. A vintage Chelsea performance in the end, performing perhaps beyond their expectations - but that has to put down largely, as well, to Qarabag's inefficiencies on the ball and in front of goal. A great run out for the hosts nonetheless, with first club goals for Davide Zappacosta and Tiemoue Bakayoko.

FULL TIME Chelsea 6-0 Qarabag (Pedro, Zappacosta, Azpilicueta, Bakayoko, Batshuayi, Medvedev OG)

90+1'. A late flurry of passes by the visitors give the travelling supporters some cause for noise but Chelsea's defence stays resilient.

THREE MINUTES ADDED TIME

89'. Bad news for Michy Batshuayi as the sixth goal has been awarded as an OWN GOAL, courtesy of Maksim Medvedev. At least he has one.

87'. Ndlovu is kept onside by Rudiger and his inswinging shot is just over the bar. It's Qarabag's biggest chance of the game so far, and they're unlikely to get one any better.

82'. And just like that, he has another, slotting home Zappacosta's low cross at the near post and Chelsea have equalled their highest-ever Champions League win - a 6-0 win over Maribor here in 2014.

GOAL! Chelsea 6-0 Qarabag (Medvedev OG, 82)

76'. He's snatched at most of his chances in what has been a frustrating evening for the Belgian striker. He takes on a Bakayoko pass and hits a nice low shot in at the near post from outside the box. Relief, no doubt, for a man who has found himself as second fiddle over the last few weeks.

GOAL! Chelsea 5-0 Qarabag (Batshuayi, 76)

71'. It's like a training match for Chelsea and the visitors are doing themselves absolutely no favours in trying to change that. Hazard puts in a cross from a short corner and via two deflections, the ball finds itself in Bakayoko's path and the Frenchman duly dispatches it into the bottom corner. First goal for Chelsea. Meanwhile, Conte makes his final substitution of the night, withdrawing goalscorer Azpilicueta for another Antonio, Rudiger this time.

GOAL! Chelsea 4-0 Qarabag (Bakayoko, 71)

67'. CHANCE! Willian almost deservedly on the scoresheet, performing a one-two with Hazard down the left before cutting inside and curling one against the crossbar. That's a move we're far more used to seeing the latter perform but it very nearly worked for the Brazilian anyway.

62'. And it's N'Golo Kante who will make way, after a solid shift in his first ever European club fixture.

60'. Bakayoko is also preparing to make his Champions League debut for the Blues as we enter the final third of the game.

56'. Just too easy for Chelsea. Fabregas takes on a short free-kick before practically walking towards the box where his eventual chipped cross is tucked home by the head of Cesar Azpilicueta, just the Spaniard's sixth goal for Chelsea. Eden Hazard comes on for Pedro.

GOAL! Chelsea 3-0 Qarabag (Azpilicueta, 55)

50'. Gino Ndlovu tries his luck from distance but it's no problem at all for an immobile Courtois.

46'. Chelsea have the formidable trio of Tiemoue Bakayoko, Eden Hazard and Alvaro Morata warming up. Qarabag haven't offered much and unleashing these three on them would be cruel from Antonio Conte.

SECOND HALF

20:41. Across Europe, PSG's £400m front three have all managed a first half goal against Celtic, while Manchester United lead Basel and in Group C, Roma and Atletico have been unable to find a breakthrough. Second half imminent here in London.

20:35. A pretty comfortable half, then. Two excellent goals have seen the Blues coast through their first 45 in the Champions League this season with little interruption. Willian and, towards the end there, Zappacosta have been excellent in the final third, using their collective pace and footwork to cause all sorts of problems for Qarabag.

HALF TIME Chelsea 2-0 Qarabag (Pedro, Zappacosta)

45+1'. A couple of half-chances for Batshuayi and Alonso go begging, but Chelsea no doubt end the half pretty happy.

ONE MINUTE ADDED TIME

42'. The 366 travelling supporters from Azerbaijan are making the most of their trip to London, singing their hearts out in the corner of the Shed End.

37'. A decent shot on goal up at the other end now for Pedro Henrique, who wrong-foots Andreas Christensen but his low strike is smothered by the Thibaut Courtois. Yes, he's really playing.

34'. And he almost has another! The Italian collects the ball in the box, switches onto his left foot and flashes one low across goal, narrowly missing.

31'. Oh my, what a goal! The incredibly athletic Davide Zappacosta, signed on deadline day as cover for Victor Moses, drives forward from his own half, skinning the visiting left-back before blasting what appeared initially to be a cross, straight into the far right corner! Out of absolutely nothing, that was mental. What a way to endear yourself to the Stamford Bridge faithful!

GOAL! Chelsea 2-0 Qarabag (Zappacosta, 30)

24'. Alonso's looping header is quite easily caught by Sehic following Fabregas' set-piece.

23'. Zappacosta wins a free-kick in a good position to the wide-right of the box.

17'. Henrique is back on the pitch after some minor treatment and the game gets back under way. Normal service is resumed for Chelsea as Willian forces the 'keeper to parry after a lovely turn and Michy Batshuayi puts the rebound into a the side-netting.

15'. The fantastically-named Wilde Donald Guerrier's free-kick is blasted over the wall but it keeps rising and comes to nothing. Gary Cahill is then booked for a foul on Pedro Henrique.

13'. Although that Qarabag pressure that I spoke of during the opening exchanges has fizzled out, Gino Ndlovu wins a rare corner up by the Matthew Harding end. It comes to nothing. Yet a dodgy Alonso tackle right on the edge of the area ensures that the Blues aren't safe just yet.

8'. Chelsea are looking so effective on the ball when they get it, particularly Pedro and Marcos Alonso. So quick to get back into position after they lose it, too. This could be a very long evening for the visitors.

6'. Ruthless efficiency from the Blues. Following a string of corners, Cesc Fabregas' short pass finds an unmarked Pedro on the edge of the area and the Spaniard can curl a beauty into the top right corner. What a start.

GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Qarabag (Pedro, 6)

CHANCE! Marcos Alonso nearly bring us the game's first goal inside five minutes, blasting straight at Sehic after Victor Moses' knock-down.

2'. Chelsea not being allowed to rest on the ball, with Qarabag offering a lot in the way of closing down.

KICK-OFF!

19:43. The teams prepare to start the game as the famous Champions League anthem blasts out across West London for the first time in a year and a half. Make no mistake, however, Chelsea are not here to soak up the occasion. Antonio Conte's side are ready to make up for lost time. Kick-off imminent.

19:40. Just minutes to go until kick-off and the teams are on the pitch, arriving into a bustling Stamford Bridge.

19:34. As always, this isn't the only game taking place tonight. Chelsea's other two Group C opponents, Atletico and Roma, are gearing up do battle in Italy tonight. Elsewhere, Manchester United and Celtic, the other British sides featuring tonight, face very different respective obstacles in Basel and Paris Saint Germain. Barcelona taking on Juventus is perhaps the blockbuster tie tonight, though.

19:29. Aaaand, here's another: No Azerbaijani side has ever reached the knockout stages in Europe. In fact, Qarabag have won only four of their 18 games in the group stages of a European competition (D5 L9).

19:21. I feel like I haven't included enough statistics in this coverage. Here's one, via BBC Sport: Chelsea have lost only one of their past 13 Champions League group games (W9 D3), away against Porto in September 2015 (1-2). The Blues have also scored in each of their last 24 group games at Stamford Bridge.

19:15. With half an hour to go until kick-off, a tasty atmosphere is beginning to build in West London as the Chelsea faithful look forward to the hotly-anticipated, spine-tingling Champions League anthem.

19:08. If you're struggling to dissect the syllables mashed together within Qarabag's squad list, let me give you a bit of insight about some of their players. Michel has been to Stamford Bridge before, making his debut there for Birmingham City in 2011 following a £3m move from Sporting Gijon. 35-year-old Rashad Sadygov, captain of both club and country, will be leading out his side in their first Champions League game as a player adored by the supporters. Furthermore, watch out for the big man up top, Gino Ndlovu, who has four goals in six qualifying games.

19:00. Chelsea have named a partially second-string side, with the likes of Davide Zappacosta, Andreas Christensen and Michy Batshuayi coming in as previously anticipated, while captain Gary Cahill returns.

18:56. Alternatively, to see Qarabag's seven on the sideline, read (or, at least try to): Kanibolotskiy, Amirquliyev, Madatov, Elyounoussi, Ismayilov, Yunuszada, Diniyev.

18:54. Chelsea name a very strong bench, ready to spare their teammates' blushes if things start to go wrong: Caballero, Rudiger, Morata, Hazard, Bakayoko, Moses, David Luiz.

BREAKING NEWS And facing that team, making their competitive bow in the Champions League, is: Sehic; Medvedev, Sadiqov (C), Huseynov), Jeznicak; Qarayev, Almeyda; Gerrye, Michel, Enrike; Ndlovu.

BREAKING NEWS Without further ado, here is your Chelsea team for their first European action in over a year: Courtois; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Cahill (C); Zappacosta, Kante, Fabregas, Alonso; Willian, Batshuayi, Pedro.

18:40. Stamford Bridge will play host to tonight's run of events, an arena that is no stranger to the Champions League, having witnessed many a magical European night over the last decade. Here is a reminder of one of them, when Chelsea overcame a first-leg deficit to knock Napoli out of the round of 16 on their way to glory in 2012 - an occasion for which no further words are needed.

18:36. Conte's counterpart, Gurbanov, is more than happy to ignore the bigger picture and has urged his underdogs to play without fear, via ESPN.

"Even though Chelsea is an icon in the Champions League and have a big chance to win the Champions League this season, the team is ready and we're going to play until the end.

"We know Chelsea are going to make us be defensive. That doesn't mean we're going to spend 90 minutes in defence. We're going to attack as well."

18:33. However, the Italian, who took Juventus to the quarter-finals in 2013, has challenged the Premier League champions to build a legacy.

"For sure in the Champions League we are starting a path. Remember before winning a competition you need to work very hard and improve every year step by step, and arrive then to be ready for Real Madrid or Bayern Munich or Juventus. You don’t create a big, strong team easily."

18:30. Antonio Conte has explained his desire to rotate the squad ahead of tonight's encounter, with one eye firmly fixed on the crucial upcoming clash against Arsenal, via Chelsea's official website.

"To play seven games in 21 days is not easy. For this reason, it’s normal to prepare some rotations.

"When you make decisions there is always a risk. The risk could be to play with the same players as against Leicester, and then after the game [you’re asked] why you didn’t change the team because the team was tired."

18:25. Qarabag manager Gurban Gurbanov, celebrating a decade in charge of the club this season, has almost a fully-fit squad to make history on the Stamford Bridge turf tonight, with left-back Ansi Agolli, skipper of the Albanian national team, the only notable absence.

18:21.Team news now, and hosts Chelsea are expected to be without deadline day signing Danny Drinkwater, who is out with a calf injury picked up during training. The £35m midfielder, acquired from Leicester City under dramatic circumstances, is yet to make his debut for the Blues. Fellow new signing Davide Zappacosta should be announced in the starting lineup following his positive impact off the bench at the weekend. Eden Hazard is expected to start the game on the bench, as he continues his return to full fitness in anticipation of seven games in 21 days. Meanwhile, captain Gary Cahill could make his first appearance in over a month after his 15th-minute red card in the opening day defeat to Burnley.

18:15. Also making their European bows in London will be Tiemoue Bakayako, who was instrumental to Monaco's astonishing run to the semi-finals of last year's competition, Antonio Rudiger, who will no doubt look forward to facing his old employers in Roma. Willy Caballero, the backup goalkeeper signed on a free transfer from Manchester City, featured in Pep Guardiola's lineup as the Mancunians crashed out to Monaco in the last 16.

18:10. Speaking of Alvaro Morata, this will be the Spaniard's first Champions League run out in the royal blue of Chelsea, having appeared in two previous finals, in 2015 and 2017, for Juventus and Real Madrid respectively. If he can get off the mark in a similar way to his blistering start to the Premier League campaign, then Qarabag will be in for a long, physical night. The 24-year-old, signed from Madrid for a record fee this summer, has three goals in his first four domestic appearances, all with his head.

18:04. Chelsea will be hoping for a largely uneventful evening where their travelling supporters are concerned, following controversy on an anti-Semitic scale, which threatened to mar their 2-1 defeat of Leicester at the weekend. The Blues were in the centre of a PR storm after a section of their fans were heard chanting a new song for talisman Alvaro Morata, with reference to cross-city rivals Spurs and their Jewish contingency. The club have since released an impromtu statement, promising the prosecution of all of those found to be involved, while Morata himself appealed to the supporters via Twitter. With Chelsea's slate of previous European adventures not exactly immaculate (see Paris, 2015), the club will be hoping for a smoother transition to and from Eastern Europe.

17:58. This is, unsurprisingly, the first meeting of these two ridiculously-unmatched clubs, with the return fixture occurring on a bitter mid-November evening in Baku, by which point we should have a clearer idea of how this mouthwatering group, also containing AS Roma and Atletico Madrid - of Italy and Spain respectively - will pan out.

17:52. In order to get from Azerbaijan to SW6, Qarabag have had to overcome 4,500 miles and three qualifying rounds. Their reward; a gobsmacker of a tie against the champions of 2012. Following their stroll towards the fourth of four consecutive titles, the Baku outfit have made a perfect start to this year's campaign, winning all of their first three games, sitting in second place with a game in hand over the solitary side above them.

17:46. This is Antonio Conte's inaugural venture into the Champions League since his arrival in West London just over a year ago and have no doubt that the Italian tactician will be determined to get off to the best possible start as he looks to take the competition by storm just as he did domestically over the last 12 months. His Chelsea side have recovered from an opening day defeat at the hands of minnows Burnley to get their title retention back on track with an impressive run of wins over Everton, Leicester City and bitter London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, leaving the Blues in third place.

(photo; Getty Images / Justin Setterfield)

17:40. Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the UEFA Champions League as Premier League champions Chelsea commence their Group C journey after a year's absence from the competition. Their opponents today come in the form of Champions League debutants Qarabag FK, fresh off the back of a league-winning campaign in Azerbaijan, who kickstart their maiden pilgrimage into Europe's elite tournament with the most tantalising of ties. Kick-off is at 19:45 BST, but we'll have live build-up in the hours leading up to the game, so stay tuned for your first fix of Champions League action of the season, courtesy of Cian Woulfe.

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About the author
Cian Woulfe
I am a keen enthusiast in both English and Dutch football, with Chelsea and Vitesse Arnhem the object of my desires. I also have a real soft spot for Rafael Nadal.