Chelsea 6 Maribor 0

Chelsea feel like a team of the present, yet here was a match infused with a hint of nostalgia. The crowd were able to lap up goals from Didier Drogba and John Terry. The last time this pair were on the scoresheet together occurred on a seminal Champions League night, when Napoli were overturned in the spring run towards the trophy in 2012.

Mourinho is reunited with some of those he used to call untouchable. They are still fantastically reliable. Drogba came on after Loíc Rémy pulled up early on and thoroughly enjoyed an evening of throwback ease.Chelsea in cruise control look so commanding and cohesive, they certainly had the quality to emulate some of the madder scorelines in Europe on the night. They made do with just the six.

Maribor, having played six qualification games to get to this point, were undefeated in eight matches in the Champions League. They arrived a creditable second in Group G but confronted a whole new level of power mixed with classy and composed technique to what they had experienced thus far. The Premier League pace-setters took little time to find their über-confident stride. It took half an hour to build a comfortable three-goal lead.

The visitors did forge the first chance of the game, as Damjan Bohar scooped his effort on to the roof of Petr Cech’s net. Slovenian hope was fleeting, however.

A mere 10 minutes in Mourinho sent Drogba out to warm up. The reaction was typically effusive, but the earliness of the sighting suggested a possible problem up front. That turned out to be the case as Rémy was substituted in the 16th minute. But he left the pitch with a parting gift for Chelsea. His final action was to smoothly give his team the lead.

John Terry produced a Fàbregas-esque pass for the Frenchman, who worked himself the room to drive the ball sweetly into the far corner. He immediately winced and felt his groin, which signalled the premature end to his evening. The Diego Costa situation is clearly more delicate with an injury to the Frenchman, but in these parts the sight of Drogba coming on creates an inevitable buzz.

Fàbregas drifted around from his midfield base, safe in the knowledge that Nemanja Matic offered all the protection he could wish for. Prompting and cajoling, the Spaniard unpicked Maribor relentlessly. One cross for Eden Hazard came close to providing a second. Another touch fed Willian, who danced into the box. Ales Mertelj's hand was low – oddly close to the ground -and when the ball made contact the referee awarded a disappointing penalty from the Slovenians' point of view.

Hazard, the club’s designated penalty-taker, ceded responsibility given the credentials and emotional punch carried by the man who had just come on. Chelsea’s third-choice striker duly took the ball, looked up at the luminous orange “Drogba Legend” sign, calmly set the ball and finished with the alacrity they had seen so consistently in these parts.

That old-times feeling was extended when Terry galavanted upfield to poach the third. Credit where it’s due to a 33-year-old centre-half to burst the length of the pitch – the move originated from a Maribor corner, and within seconds Hazard was buzzing forwards, Fàbregas appeared on the right to deliver with customary accuracy, and Terry slid the ball in. Unfortunately for Maribor he was offside, but the Dutch referee awarded the goal anyway.

Chelsea continued creating chances. Kurt Zouma went close. A superb reverse ball from Drogba fed Hazard but the Belgian put his head in his hands when his touch let him down in a one -v-one. Hazard had a hand in the fourth, turned in by Mitja Viler.

Maribor had a chance for a consolation when Matic bundled over Agim Ibraimi, whose penalty struck the post. Back in the usual direction, Oscar's effort whooshed fractionally wide. and Willian's audacious effort thumped against the frame of the goal. The game was under such control Mourinho was able to bring on a couple of teenaged prospects to give them a flavour of a Champions League debut. Nathan Aké, 19, slotted into midfield, while 17-year-old Dominic Solanke took up position on the right side of attack.

There was more for Chelsea when Branislav Ivanovic ended up on the floor and it was time for another penalty. This time Hazard took and was unerring. The Belgian scored again with virtuoso style, twisting into position to finish after Aké's beautiful assist.

Having suggested before the match that he will not rest players, Mourinho did make three changes to his defence for this stroll. But really, such was Chelsea's overbearing dominance they could have played Peter Bonetti and Chopper Harris, and more or less been ok.

Away to Manchester United on Sunday they remain in fine fettle.