Chelsea picked up a 2-1 win over Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League, with Denis Zakaria finally rising to the occasion.
Chelsea have sealed their place in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League as the Group E winners, and they will be looking forward to a favourable fixture in the round of sixteen now.
Dinamo Zagreb did manage to hand Chelsea an early scare by opening the scoring in the seventh minute through Bruno Petkovic.
However, the Blues battled their way back soon as Raheem Sterling fired in the equaliser in the 18th minute. Chelsea then took the lead through Denis Zakaria in the 30th minute, and that proved to be the match-winner eventually.
The goal will come as a huge boost for Zakaria, who has had a tough time since moving to Stamford Bridge. The Swiss midfielder will hope to build on his goalscoring display and hold down a starting berth now. Here at The Hard Tackle, we look at how the Chelsea players fared on the night.
Job done. 🤝@WhaleFinApp | #UCL pic.twitter.com/5gY9oOYJcV
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) November 2, 2022
Edouard Mendy: 6.5/10
The Senegalese international was handed a start here after Kepa Arrizabalaga picked up a knock. Mendy did quite well with his catching and distribution. He was relatively untested throughout the game but did come up on top when called upon. Produced an important save from Josip Sutalo.
Cesar Azpilicueta: 6/10
Azpilicueta looked reasonably solid in the defence and tried to contribute going forward as well. However, he will feel that he could have done better to prevent Dinamo Zagreb’s opener.
Trevoh Chalobah: 6/10
Chalobah was impressive with the ball at his feet and is improving with every passing week. However, he lost Petkovic for the opening goal of the game and will need to improve with his positioning.
Kalidou Koulibaly: 6.5/10
Much like his fellow defenders, Koulibaly had a solid outing at the back and helped Chelsea build up from the deep with accurate and purposeful passing. The veteran looked strong in tackles and dealt with the threat from Dinamo Zagreb.
Ben Chilwell: 7.5/10
Chilwell was probably the pick of the defenders. He looked solid defensively and was just as effective going forward. Dinamo Zagreb struggled with his runs and link-up play. Just a shame that he picked up a hamstring injury towards the end of the game.
Denis Zakaria: 7.5/10
Denis Zakaria scores on his Chelsea debut 💙 pic.twitter.com/s1Kz7uI6TL
— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 2, 2022
The Swiss international was handed his debut here, and he did not disappoint. Zakaria was impressive with his passing and added physicality in the middle of the park. The Swiss midfielder scored the match-winning goal for his side as well. The fans will certainly want to see more of him in the coming weeks.
Jorginho: 6.5/10
Just another day in the office for the Italian international. Jorginho was calm and composed on the ball and helped control the tempo of the game. He played a big part in Chelsea’s opening goal.
Mason Mount: 7/10
Mount did well to test the Dinamo Zagreb goalkeeper from time to time and linked up well with the forwards. He looked like Chelsea’s brightest spark in the attack and will be disappointed to have not scored.
🏆#UCL pic.twitter.com/eTMtUA17At
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) November 2, 2022
Kai Havertz: 5/10
A subdued performance from the German international. His impressive technical ability meant that he linked up well with Sterling and Aubameyang, but he could not impact the game in the final third as much as he would have liked.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: 6/10
Aubameyang created the opening goal for Chelsea and could have got on the scoresheet himself, only to be denied by the crossbar.
SUBSTITUTES
Thiago Silva: 6/10
Silva added a bit of calmness and composure in the back three when he came on. He helped Chelsea see out the game comfortably.
Conor Gallagher: 6/10
Gallagher added intensity and defensive cover to the midfield when he came on. He gave Chelsea more control with his presence.
Armando Broja: 5/10
Broja, the player to watch in our preview, was an attacking outlet for Chelsea late on, but he barely had a notable impact on the game.
Christian Pulisic: N/A
Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Ruben Loftus Cheek – 5/10
Did not make any notable impact after coming on. Kept the play ticking with short, accurate passes.
