A late Moises Caicedo header gave Chelsea a hard-fought 1-0 win over minnows Pafos and boosted their automatic qualification hopes for the Champions League last 16.
Defeat in Enzo Maresca’s final Champions League game in charge away to Atalanta in December has given Chelsea work to do to avoid a two-leg play-off but this narrow win in head coach Liam Rosenior’s first experience of the competition moved them up to eighth on goal difference.
There still remains big pressure to win next Wednesday’s trip to Antonio Conte’s Napoli, with eight teams level on 13 points and five more within three points of the Blues’ tally, but automatic progression – and avoiding a fixture pile-up in February – is in Chelsea’s hands.