LONDON -- N'Golo Kante described his long-awaited Champions League debut as "special" after producing a typically dominant midfield display to help Chelsea mark their return to the competition with a 6-0 rout of Qarabag.
Antonio Conte made five changes to the starting XI that beat Leicester City in the Premier League last weekend but Kante kept his place, earning a first Champions League appearance along with Marcos Alonso and impressing in 63 minutes on the pitch as Chelsea surged to the top of Group C.
Kante made the decision to postpone his entry into Europe's elite club competition by moving from Leicester City to Chelsea in the summer of 2016, and after the match the France international said the experience had been worth the wait.