UCL REVIEW: Chelsea, Bayern, Shakhtar in big wins

Chelsea warmed up for Sunday’s Barclays Premier League clash against Manchester United with a comprehensive 6-0 victory over Slovenia champions Maribor in the UEFA Champions League (UCL).

The hosts took the lead in the 12th minute through new signing, Loic Remy.

The Blues doubled their lead in the 23rd minute when Didier Drogba, who replaced the injured Loic Remy, converted a penalty following a handball from Ales Mertelj.

Captain John Terry added a third seven minutes later to end the Maribor’s slim hopes of a comeback.

Fourteen minutes into the second half, the home side extended their lead after a good wing-play from Filipe Luis resulted in an own-goal from Mitja Viler.

Maribor had a great opportunity to reduce the arrears in the 63rd minute when they were awarded penalty after a clumsy tackle from Matija Matic but Agim Ibraimi spurned the chance.

Eden Hazard bagged the Blues’ fifth from the penalty spot 14 minutes later and he struck again in the 89th to round off an emphatic victory for the west Londoners.

Neymar and Lionel Messi helped Barcelona get their Champions League campaign back on track with a 3-1 win over Ajax at Camp Nou.

Messi created Neymar’s seventh-minute opener and the Argentine doubled the hosts’ advantage midway through the first half after being put in on goal by Andres Iniesta.

Anwar El Ghazi pulled one back for Ajax with two minutes to go but Sandro Ramirez netted in injury time to seal all three points for Barca.

Manchester City were left struggling after squandering a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at CSKA Moscow in an empty stadium.

Goals from Sergio Aguero and James Milner gave City a comfortable two-goal lead by halftime at Arena Khimki but substitute Seydou Doumbia pulled one back in the 65th minute off a cross from Ahmed Musa and Bibras Natcho levelled in the 86th from the penalty spot after Doumbia was fouled by Aleksandar Kolarov.

Bayern Munich left Roma in ruins as they recorded their biggest-ever away win in the Champions League.

Pep Guardiola’s German giants tore apart their Italian counterparts at the Stadio Olimpico.

By half time, it was 5-0.

After 90 minutes, it was 7-1 as Roma were tormented by the attacking prowess of the reigning Bundesliga champions.

Arjen Robben bagged a brace, while Mario Goetze, Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Mueller, and substitutes Xherdan Shaqiri and Franck Ribery got a goal each. Roma’s solitary goal came from the hard-fighting Cote d’Ivoire forward, Gervinho, who also hit the post.

Elsewhere, Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine recorded an even more emphatic 7-0 away win over BATE Borisov off five goals from Luiz Adriano. Alex Teixeira and Douglas Costa contributed the other two goals.