The Road to Baku: How Chelsea reached the Europa League final

If only there were a road to Baku as far as Chelsea fans are concerned, but the select few that will make the journey to Azerbaijan will do so in the knowledge that it could be the end of an era.

Head coach Maurizio Sarri seems almost certain to lose his job should the result go Arsenal’s way, and perhaps even if it doesn’t, but the main fear of the fans is that it may well be Eden Hazard’s final appearance for the club.

In truth, while the Belgian has carried the side in the league this season he has played only a bit part to book a place in the final on Wednesday, with Sarri calling upon a number of players that he has continuously overlooked in England’s top-flight.

Chief among them is Olivier Giroud, who leads the Europa League scoring charts with ten goals, the first of which didn’t come until the fourth game of the club’s group stage campaign.

It was one that began with a narrow victory in Greece, with a seventh minute Willian strike enough to overcome PAOK. While the scoreline suggested a tight affair, however, the reality was far from it, with the Blues - led by the misfiring Alvaro Morata at the time - mustering 22 shots to their hosts’ three, along with 68 per cent of the possession.

The Spaniard made up for his wastefulness - having missed the target with all seven of his shots - in the first European night of the season at Stamford Bridge a fortnight later. It was a similar story of dominance against another modest opponent in then Hungarian champions Vidi, though the Blues were made to sweat on all three points.

Morata struck the only goal of the game in another 1-0 win with his seventh attempt, coming in the 70th minute as Chelsea saw even more of the ball (76 per cent) but again hit the target with just five shots, of 28 in total this time around.

A more comfortable win over stronger opposition in BATE Borisov followed, as Ruben Loftus-Cheek enjoyed his finest moment in a Chelsea shirt with a hat-trick inside 53 minutes. The midfielder would start eight of 11 appearances in the competition in total, chipping in with a further goal and three assists, but will miss the final due to a serious injury sustained in an end of season friendly in America.

Then came Giroud’s first goal of the competition with the winner in the return fixture in Belarus as Chelsea made hard work of things once more with another 1-0 victory. The defence of the now exiled Gary Cahill and European ever present Andreas Christensen was standing tall but profligacy was proving a concern at the other end.

Step forward Callum Hudson-Odoi, whose first start for the club coincided with a thumping 4-0 win over PAOK in which the teenager scored one, assisted another and scooped a man of the match rating (9.77). He would impress again in the meaningless stalemate at Vidi, completing six dribbles, and put pressure on Sarri to hand the youngster a more prominent role.

The Italian refused to baulk to those growing calls for Hudson-Odoi’s inclusion however, and the winger was dropped for the first knockout game in Malmoe - ending 2-1 - only to star once more with the final goal in a 3-0 win on home soil after Ross Barkley and Giroud had netted in back-to-back meetings with the Swedes.

Next up came Dynamo Kyiv and, once again, Hudson-Odoi was left out of the XI for the first leg before putting the tie beyond out with a third in another 3-0 win from the bench before the trip to Ukraine was even made. He started the second leg, scored and assisted a goal once more, but it was Giroud that stole the show with a hat-trick and assist of his own for a perfect ten rating.

The draw continued to prove favourable for the Blues in the quarter-finals, with Czech champions Slavia Prague in waiting. The tie, however, was far from straight-forward as Chelsea emerged victorious away from home courtesy of an 86th minute Marcos Alonso winner having mustered just two of a meagre eight shots on target.

The reverse fixture in London was far more memorable as Sarri's side group stage efforts somewhat reverted, racing into a 3-0 lead within 20 minutes and 4-1 up before the half hour. Two stunners from Petr Sevcik shortly after the break made it slightly tense but the match ended 4-3 despite the Blues having had just nine shots in total. The issue, all of a sudden, wasn't in front of goal but keeping them out at the other end.

A meeting with Eintracht Frankfurt in the semis would, after all, unquestionably prove Chelsea's toughest test in an otherwise advantageous route to the final. Before the tournament if you'd offered a final four clash with the Germans it would have seemed a dream draw but this Frankfurt side had the potential to cause nightmares.

Luka Jovic proved midway through the first half of the first leg why he is among the most sought after strikers on the continent to put Adi Hutter's side ahead before Pedro grabbed a crucial equaliser and away goal just before the break. That's how the score would stay ahead of a return to the capital, where Chelsea were once again buoyed by the absence - from the start at least - of Jovic's partner in crime Sebastien Haller.

The Frenchman's restricted role over the tie perhaps told as it was left to Jovic to do the damage once more, this time cancelling out Ruben Loftus-Cheek's first half opener, and send the match to extra time and ultimately the dreaded penalty shootout.

It was Chelsea who blinked first from the spot, with Cesar Azpilicueta's effort saved by Kevin Trapp. When Jonathan de Guzman put the visitors 3-1 up with the subsequent penalty it looked like curtains for the Londoners, but Jorginho held his nerve before Martin Hinteregger - excellent on the night - crumbled.

Kepa saved from the Austrian before denying Goncalo Pacienca and, with David Luiz sticking home Chelsea's fourth in between, it was up to that man Hazard to seal the deal.

While Chelsea's place in Baku certainly appeared to be, Hazard's conversion of the winning penalty was never in doubt and he, having played a relatively minor role to get the Blues in that position, took the plaudits.

It was, however, messrs Giroud, Loftus-Cheek and Hudson-Odoi that truly shone to make it this far. The fact that only the former is fit to play may not effect what Sarri believes is his strongest team doesn't change the fact that without the aforementioned injured pair the Chelsea side won't be a reflection of those most deserving a place in the spotlight.