Chelsea clinched a 2-1 victory over RB Salzburg on Tuesday night to book their spot in the last-16 of the Champions League.
Stunning strikes either side of the interval from Mateo Kovacic and Kai Havertz were enough to cancel out Junior Adamu’s leveller four minutes into the second half.
RB Salzburg started the first half well, pressing Chelsea and stopping them from creating any meaningful openings.
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However out of the blue Chelsea took the lead through a fantastic Mateo Kovacic strike mid-way through the first half. Conor Gallagher’s whipped in cross from the right hand side was kept alive by Christian Pulisic and Kai Havertz, before falling to Kovacic on the edge of the box who slammed the ball into the top corner with his left foot.
After the goal Chelsea took control of proceedings and will feel they should have extended their lead before the break after creating a plethora of chances. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had an effort well saved from a set piece soon after the goal, and should have converted five minutes later after being played in by Kai Havertz following a wonderful free-flowing team move.
Havertz himself was then denied at close range, by the in-form Salzburg Keeper Phillip Kohn, before another sharp move was stopped right at the end of the half, with Aubameyang being denied for a third time.
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Chelsea were left to rue their profligacy in front of goal early in the second period, after Salzburg came roaring out of the gates. After initially being denied an early penalty appeal, Salzburg equalised after breaking quickly behind Pulisic, a fantastic deep cross was prodded home by Junior Adamu.
The visitors nearly got their noses back in front immediately, with Aubameyang being denied again by the fantastic Kohn, before Jorginho had a header cleared off the line from the resulting corner.
It was going to take something brilliant to beat Kohn in the Salzburg net, and Havertz duly obliged by curling in a sumptuous strike into the top left corner from the edge of the box to restore Chelsea’s lead.
Despite late pressure from Salzburg, and six minutes added on, Chelsea held on to secure all three points to clinch their place in the next round with one game to spare.
Here is how Absolute Chelsea rated the players’ performances against RB Salzburg.
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Kepa Arrizabalaga - 7/10
Kepa had a generally solid performance in the Chelsea goal, making some sharp stops as Salzburg pushed in the second half. However, Kepa was lucky not to concede a second equaliser after losing out to a Salzburg defender, who’s header would have dribbled in were it not for the awareness of Thiago Silva. Kepa couldn’t do much about the Salzburg goal as it was poked in at close range.
Trevoh Chalobah - 8/10
Chalobah made a number of key headed clearances as Chelsea weathered Salzburg’s set piece threat, and generally handled himself well throughout the tie. A player growing in confidence in a blue shirt.
Thiago Silva - 7.5/10
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Silva did a good job at weathering the Salzburg pressure at the end of the match, and put in a vital clearance to keep his side ahead after Kepa lost a duel nearly allowing Salzburg to head into an open goal. A typically composed performance from the ageless centre back.
Marc Cucurella - 7/10
Lost his man for the Salzburg equaliser, although the cross was so exquisite it would be harsh to attribute too much blame to Cucurella. Otherwise a solid performance from Cucurella who kept Salzburg largely quiet down his side.
Jorginho - 7.5/10
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A quiet game compared to his midfield peers, in a lively match that was always likely to suit the more energetic Gallagher and Kovacic. However, Jorginho was still able to hold his own in the middle of the park and was key to seeing out the match with his game management.
Mateo Kovacic - 8/10 (68)
Kovacic was one of Chelsea’s stand out performers in Austria. A fantastic strike into the top corner marked a rare goal for the midfielder. Kovacic was subbed off as Graham Potter looks to be careful with his injury issues, with his performance tonight showcasing why his manager values him so highly.
Conor Gallagher - 8/10 (88)
Gallagher put in an incredibly industrious performance for his side on a night where he was kept busy by a strong Salzburg side. Gallagher was everywhere, putting in tackles, making runs and spreading passes. An assured performance from a player trying to stake his claim in the team.
Raheem Sterling - 6.5/10 (88)
Playing left wing back against Salzburg for a second time, Sterling had a more quiet evening than Chelsea’s other attacking players. Asked to hug the left touchline, Sterling generally performed his role well and contributed to some of Chelsa’s flowing attacking moves without catching the eye too much.
Christian Pulisic - 7/10 (75)
Asked to play in an unfamiliar wing back role, Pulisic was slightly more effective than his wingman Sterling and caused some issues for the Salzburg back line with his tricky dribbling and clever runs.Helped keep the ball alive for Kovacic’s opener and set up Havertz strike too in what was a quietly productive game for the American.
Kai Havertz - 7/10
Havertz did well to keep the ball alive for Kovacic’s opener, but should have extended Chelsea’s lead later in the half, after prodding a close range header straight at the goalkeeper. Curled in a fantastic effort when it looked like Kohn was unbeatable in goal to give Chelsea the lead. A moment of brilliance which Chelsea fans hope he will start producing more regularly.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - 6/10 (75)
On another night Aubameyang could have had a hat-trick if it wasn’t for the incredible efforts of Phillip Kohn in the Salzburg goal. Of all of his missed chances, the one on one miss was his sloppiest and should have put the game to the bed. However Aubameyang was lively in attack and although he couldn’t convert his chances, he was putting himself in the right positions which is promising moving forward.
Bench
Ruben Loftus-Cheek - 6/10 (68)
Loftus-Cheek helped Chelsea see out the late Salzburg pressure and was generally effective in the middle of the park, winning some clever fouls and using his size well as he so often does, without influencing proceedings too much.
Armando Broja - 6/10 (75)
Broja wasn’t able to be as involved as he would have liked, considering his contribution against Man Utd at the weekend, however he did offer a good outlet for his team when required.
César Azpilicueta - 6/10 (75)
Helped steady the ship late on for Chelsea with his experience and game management as his side tried to see out the match.
Mason Mount - N/A (88)
Hakim Ziyech - N/A (88)
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Chelsea, Red Bull Salzburg, Football, Champions League
