Youthful Chelsea thump hapless Ajax 5-1 in Champions League

LONDON :A youthful Chelsea hammered Ajax Amsterdam 5-1 in an eventful Champions League game on Wednesday that included three goals from teenagers, three penalties and a red card, under pouring rain at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca put out a side with an average age of 22 and made 10 changes from the team that beat Nottingham Forest in the Premier League at the weekend.

"I work with them every day. I know what they can do," Maresca said of his teenagers. "The good thing about them is that they want to learn, they want to improve."

Ajax's night turned sour in the 17th minute when captain Kenneth Taylor was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Facundo Buonanotte after referee Felix Zwayer consulted the pitchside monitor and changed his original yellow card to red.

A minute later, following the resulting free kick, 19-year-old Marc Guiu knocked the ball into the net from close range latching on to a Wesley Fofana cross.

Moises Caicedo made it two in the 29th minute with an audacious low shot from 30 metres that took a deflection into the net.

Lofty Ajax striker Wout Weghorst reduced the deficit in the 27th minute from the penalty spot after Tosin Adarabioyo had trodden on Raul Moro's foot.

But the Ajax numbers' shortfall soon told again and, when Weghorst brought Enzo Fernandez down with a sliding tackle in the 45th, the Chelsea captain for the night beat 41-year-old goalkeeper Remko Pasveer from the spot.

CHELSEA 11TH, AJAX BOTTOM

Five minutes later, deep into added time, Youri Baas brought down Estevao with another reckless tackle and the 18-year-old Brazilian slammed the resulting penalty high into the net for a 4-1 halftime lead.

The second half was damage limitation for the Dutch side, who have lost all their