Sevilla 0-4 Chelsea: Olivier Giroud scores all four goals for visitors as they secure top spot in Champions League Group E

Olivier Giroud scored all four goals for Chelsea as they beat Sevilla 4-0 in Spain to top of Group E in the Champions League.

The goals meant that Giroud moved ahead of Zinedine Zidane in the list of all-time top goal-scorers in the Champions League and the Frenchman has only been outscored by Robert Lewandowski and Lionel Messi in Europe since the 2018-19 season.

Despite this, Giroud has been out of favour this season and remained humble about potentially starting at the weekend against Leeds: ‘First I want to enjoy tonight and the great win,’ the 34-year-old said.

‘We will rest [before Saturday], we will see [if I start] and what the gaffer’s plan is.’

Both sides were much-changed having already qualified for the last 16 of Europe’s elite competition before their encounter. 

Chelsea started the brightest, and almost took the lead in the opening five minutes, through Christian Pulisic who fired a shot just wide from inside the penalty box.

Soon after, the Blues did take the lead as Giroud expertly curled the ball into the far corner of the goal with his left foot – having been played through by Kai Havertz.

Frank Lampard’s men looked to double their lead before the break and Christian Pulisic came close again after a splendid solo-run, but his shot was well saved by Alfonso Pastor.

Sevilla controlled possession throughout the match without creating many clear-cut chances, but came closest early in the second half when Nemanja Gudelj’s volley narrowly went over the bar.

Chelsea then extended their lead as Giroud superbly chipped over Pastor with his weaker right foot to give the Blues a two-goal cushion.

With a quarter of an hour to play, the Frenchman, completed a perfect hat-trick powering in a header from N’Golo Kante’s cross to make it 3-0.

Yet he wasn’t done there, having been fouled in the box, the 34-year-old picked himself up to smash the resulting penalty into the top right corner and seal top spot for the London club.

By Sajidur Rahman