Boy did Chelsea and Jose Mourinho need this game.
A 4-0 drubbing of Maccabi Tel Aviv was just what the football doctor ordered for the beleaguered Blues.
Willian, an Oscar penalty, Diego Costa and a Cesc Fabregas tap in, blitzed a shell-shocked Israeli side in the opening fixture of both sides Champions League voyage at Stamford Bridge tonight.
Total dominance of e ball for the Blues reaped early dividends when Willian was bundled over in the Maccabi penalty area.
Quite what was going through Eden Hazrad's mind when he took the kick is anyone's guess. The fact he thrashed the ball high over Predrag Rajkovic's crossbar, much to the mirth of the visiting supporters told its own sorry tale.
But undaunted the Belgian knuckled downwind got on with the task in hand and that was to arrest the shocking start to the season.
For perhaps the first time this season, luck played its part and the Blues took the lead on 15 minutes.
With Hazard hacked down on the final third of the pitch in theft-hand side, Willian elected to take the kick. Was it a pass to a forward, was it an inch-perfect right-footed curler that eluded forward's and defence and also Rajkovic? Either way the ball zipped into the back of e net to give the Blues the lead.
Willian lasted just another eight 'injures before a injury forced him off. Diego Costa resumed striking duties.
Maccabi had a couple of half chances, the first on 3 minutes which saw Eran Zahavi free in the Chelsea penalty area from a free-kick, but his glancing header went over Asmir Begovic's crossbar.
The second, a speculative shot by Zahavi on 37 minutes, went high and wide of goal.
Deep into added time in the first half and Oscar set Costa on a run through the Maccabi defence.
A clip by ex-Chelsea defender Ben Tal Haim on Costa saw the striker hit the deck.
Referee Felix Zwayer pointed to the spot again. Hazard opted to give the ball to Oscar who coolly slotted home to double the lead.
Despite complete control from Chelsea, the first goal effort of the second- half came from Maccabi, on 55 minutes, and from the left boot of Avraham Rikan. Sadly for him, his volley was off-target but did get a nick off the shin of Gary Cahill for a corner. Nothing came of it.
Normal service was resumed three minutes lat. when Cesc Fabregas, with acres of space to play with, chipped in the perfect pass to Costa eight-yards out. With his body at a 90 degree angle to the goal he decided to smash a right-footed volley which arrowed past the hapless Rajkovic to put the Blues 3-0 up.
Number four came with 12 minutes left. A quick break started by Hazard saw Remy try a left footer just inside the Maccabi penalty area. Rajkovic could only parry the ball to the feet of in-running Fabgrgas who tapped it into the empty net.
Teams
Chelsea:
:Begovic
Azpilicueta
Cahill
Zouma
Baba
Fabregas
Loftus-cheek
Willian
Oscar
Hazard
Remy
Subs:
Blackman,
Ivanovic
Ramores
Traore
Costa
Matic
Terry
Maccabi Tel-Aviv: Rajkovic, Shpungin, Alberman, Zahavi, Tal Ben Haim II, ey tan Tibi, Ben Hharush, Rikan, Mitrovic, Tal Ben Hain I, Igiebor
subs, Lifshitz, Itzhaki, Miha, Vermouth, Garcia, Peretz, Radonjic
Referee: Felix Zwayer (Germany)