Chelsea FC 6 : 0 NK Maribor - Chelsea thrash Maribor

Posted Wednesday, October 22, 2014 by PA

Didier Drogba scored his first Chelsea goal since his decisive strike in the 2012 Champions League final as the Premier League leaders thrashed Maribor 6-0 at Stamford Bridge to strengthen their position at the top of Group G.

Drogba, whose final kick of his first spell was the last penalty in the shootout defeat of Bayern Munich which saw Chelsea win the European Cup, replaced Loic Remy after 16 minutes and converted a spot-kick seven minutes later.

The Ivory Coast striker's 158th Chelsea goal - he netted 157 goals in 341 appearances in his eight-year first spell - made it 2-0 after Remy's opening strike and captain John Terry swiftly added a third after sprinting the length of the field.

The watching England manager Roy Hodgson would have been impressed, even though Terry's controversial international career is over, as he watched a number of Slovenia players ahead of next month's Euro 2016 qualifier.

Mourinho, though, has a right to be concerned ahead of Sunday's trip to Manchester United as Remy, who started again up front with Diego Costa's hamstring problem ongoing, scored before going off with an apparent groin problem.

Two of Chelsea's three front-line strikers are now injured, while the 36-year-old Drogba has only just returned from an ankle problem and is not ready to play 90 minutes.

There were few worries on the night and Agim Ibraimi missed a penalty after Mitja Viler's own goal had made it four, before Eden Hazard converted a second Chelsea spot-kick 13 minutes from time and added a last-minute sixth with his second of the night.

Chelsea had opened their Group G campaign with a 1-1 draw at home to Schalke, but a 1-0 win at Sporting Lisbon and the thumping of Maribor leaves the Blues in prime position ahead of the November 5 trip to Slovenia.

First up for the Blues, unbeaten this season, is a return to Premier League business at Old Trafford, where Mourinho will come up against his former mentor Louis van Gaal.