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Dinamo Zagreb 1-0 Chelsea: Pressure mounts on Thomas Tuchel as Mislav Orsic goal inflicts Blues to Champions League defeat

Dinamo Zagreb 1-0 Chelsea: Pressure mounts on Thomas Tuchel as Mislav Orsic goal inflicts Blues to Champions League defeat

Chelsea fell to defeat in their opening match of the Champions League this season.

Chelsea were defeated 1-0 by Dinamo Zagreb in their opening Champions League match of the season.

Mislav Orsic gave the Croatian side the lead in the 13th minute having been able to run through on goal and slot it past Kepa Arrizabalaga.

The goal was against the run of play as the Blues enjoyed a lot of possession in the opening stages.

However they couldn't make the pressure count, and soon found themselves behind.

Throughout the rest of the game, Thomas Tuchel's side lacked precision when going forward, with some players hesitating to shoot.

Zagreb were able to hold on and secure a shock win on the opening matchday of the Champions League, with Chelsea losing their third game of the season so far.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made his first start for the club after his arrival on Deadline Day, with Kepa's inclusion in goal in place of Edouard Mendy being the most notable change.

It was a new look front three for Chelsea and they came close to setting up a goal in the early stages, but Raheem Sterling's shot was blocked by the Zagreb defence.

Moments later the trio continued their early fluidity and threat, but Kai Havertz's ball across goal wasn't met by a teammate.

Tuchel's side dominated the possession, but it was the hosts who took the lead on the night.

Orsic was able to outpace Wesley Fofana from a through ball and slot it past Kepa in the Chelsea goal, which was very much against the run of play.

As they looked for a response, the Blues found themselves overhitting passes and struggling to test Dominik Livakovic in the Zagreb goal.


It was the Croatian outfit who were closer to the next goal as Orsic fired over in search of his second.

Arijan Ademi then saw his effort saved by Kepa as Zagreb continued their momentum.

Despite all their early pressure, Chelsea found it difficult to unlock their opponent's defence in search of an equaliser, something they have struggled with for some time.

Misplaced passes and failing to track opposition runs were soon becoming a formality in the game, with frustration clearly growing.

Zagreb grew in confidence as time went on, which was detrimental to the two time European Champions.

Chelsea soon found themselves a chance as Sterling's cross met the head of Aubameyang, but the newcomer failed to find the target and the offside flag was soon raised.


The former made a good run into the area moments before the break but opted not to have shot on goal when he maybe should have had a go.

Half-time soon came, leaving Chelsea with a lot of work to do in the second half.

Hakim Ziyech was brought on for Cesar Azpilicueta as the Blues' first change of the match, therefore a change of system came into play.

The former Moroccan international was close to making an instant impact as his speculative effort from range was on target, but easy for Livakovic to save.

Aubameyang was able to tap into an empty net from Ben Chilwell's pass, but the flag was raised for offside in the buildup.

Zagreb's efforts from the first half continued into the second and Stefan Ristovski came close to doubling their lead, but Kepa pulled off a superb save to tip it onto the bar.


Havertz appeared to be pushed in the box when trying to win a header but the referee thought nothing of it, with Armando Broja and Jorginho being brought on moments later for Aubameyang and Mateo Kovacic.

Past the hour mark and it was much of the same from Chelsea, little precision going forward.

Reece James found room on the right to send a teasing ball into the area, but no one was able to get onto the end of it despite it being in a dangerous position.

Once again the Blues had the chance to get a shot away, but this time Havertz opted not to pull the trigger or pass, with possession soon lost.

Another change was made as Saturday's hero Chilwell was replaced by Marc Cucurella, with time running out for the west Londoners to find a leveller.

Christian Pulisic came on as the final change, with Sterling being the man who was replaced.

Ziyech's volley from Havertz's ball was hit into the ground and over the bar, an attempt that summed up Chelsea's efforts on the night.

The latter's header was blocked by some good defending from Robert Ljubicic as the game entered the final ten minutes.

James hit an effort onto the post before Mount and Ziyech shots were saved superbly by Livakovic.

A flurry of balls forward would not create any chances, and even eight minutes of added time proved to not be enough for Chelsea to score.

Full-time was eventually signalled, with the Blues succumbing to their third defeat in seven games across all competitions so far this season.

Featured Image Credit: UEFA Champions League

Topics: Chelsea, Champions League