3 reasons why Chelsea beat BATE Borisov | UEFA Europa League 2018-19

#2 Too many defensive errors from BATE

BATE were too soft with their challenges

Yes, Chelsea played some delightful football. Yes, Chelsea ran riot at the Bridge. But fingers can be pointed at their opponents, who came out to prevent Sarri's men from scoring, but made a mess of it.

Neither did they close down the flanks, nor did they mark their men. Both first-half goals were a clear indication of the same. Zappacosta had too much time for his cross, and Loftus-Cheek was a free bird in the opposition box.

A few spells of pressing was all they could boast while defending. Many a time, they let in too many gaps while trying to maintain the organisation. As a result, the combination play worked in favour of Chelsea.

The players were on their heels most of the time. You simply cannot allow full-backs to dribble past your entire midfield and not try to stick a foot out and prevent them. In total, the home team's players completed over 35 dribbles and 24 take-ons.