Chelsea forget domestic woes to see off Maccabi Tel Aviv

Diego Costa celebrates with team mates after scoring the third goal for Chelsea during a Champions League Group G match against Maccabi Tel-Aviv at the Stamford Bridge in London, Sept 16, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

LONDON - Chelsea forgot their Premier League woes and got their Champions League campaign off to a flying start with a 4-0 thrashing of Israeli champions Maccabi Tel Aviv in their opening Group G match at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

Despite Eden Hazard blazing an early penalty high over the bar, Chelsea scored twice in the first half with Willian finding the net with a 30-metre free kick after 15 minutes and Oscar scoring from their second penalty with the last kick of the opening 45 minutes.

Diego Costa, who replaced Willian after the Brazilian was injured after 20 minutes, brilliantly volleyed in Chelsea's third after 58 minutes with Cesc Fabregas finishing off a breakaway for the fourth after 78.

Maccabi, back in the competition proper for the first time in 10 years, went close through skipper Eran Zahavi and Nosakhare Igiebor, but Chelsea, 17th in the Premier League with one win from five matches, were never seriously troubled.