European nights are finally back at Stamford Bridge. However, this was hardly a clash of the titans. The Blues were the favorites going in and they managed to come away with a 1-0 victory over the Russians. In many ways, Chelsea versus Zenit was just another test for the Blues to see if they could beat a team that has no problem defending with numbers and playing for counterattacks. Breaking a team like that is always tough and Zenit brought with it its own unique ideas. The Russian champions were not only extremely organized at the back, but they were threatening Chelsea with a lot of serious attacks too. Had it not been for some amazing defending and brilliant saves, the scoreline might have been quite different on the night.
Chelsea earns a narrow victory over Russian side Zenit at Stamford Bridge in the UEFA Champions League opener
The Blues were thoroughly tested by the Russian side throughout the contest. The night was not smooth sailing as Chelsea fans across the globe would’ve hoped for. However, they did see an extremely professional display by their club. While the Blues only won by a single goal, the whole team played very professionally. Thomas Tuchel’s men did well to stop the Zenit attacks, keep its position and go forward time and time again. It was not a dominant performance, but there is something to be said for teams that can play for 90 minutes with such control and composure. This performance showed us that Chelsea is extremely serious about its title defense.
We all remember how the London side fared the last time it was defending the Champions League, and it is fair to say that it will do a much better job this time. For Tuchel’s men, it does not matter if the opponent is Juventus or Malmo. What truly matters is the three points that accompany a win. It was evident that the Blues were not becoming desperate for a goal, but they kept pushing periodically and systematically, which finally got them the goal in the 69′. It was a tough—yet enjoyable—game and the result is quite fair. Here are three lessons we learnt from the 2021/22 Champions League opener:
3. Romelu Lukaku delivers yet again
Tuchel had his mind set on a striker from the very beginning of the transfer window. The German gaffer had figured out that his fellow countrymen playing striker in his team were not enough and he need some reinforcements. £97.5 million later, Romelu Lukaku rejoined Chelsea from Inter Milan. It seemed like an absolute fairy tale for the Belgian superstar when the Blues bid for him. Lukaku has stated that he would have never left Inter Milan had it not been Chelsea. The Italian club turned him into a world beater once again, and now he has managed to score his first Champions League goal for the Blues.
His second coming has been nothing short of spectacular. The clinical striker has shown the London side exactly what it was missing: a robust, strong and physical center forward who will always play as a target man. Timo Werner always used to play in a more free role, but Lukaku is only present to score the goals. On Tuesday, his game was a bit off probably because he came back from an international break last week, played a full match against Aston Villa on the weekend (where he scored two goals) and now started against Zenit. Lukaku may be a beast in terms of physicality and scoring, however, he is still a human. Tuesday was not his best game, yet he still managed to make an impact.
Chelsea was dominating possession as usual. However, the Blues were struggling to get the ball into the final third. The Zenit defense was well-organized and it was determined not to let the star No. 9 stay on the ball for long. Although Chelsea made a lot of plays down the wings, it was unable to get Lukaku involved too many times. Nevertheless, in the 69′ Cesar Azpilicueta put in a brilliant, textbook cross into the box and Lukaku—like the world class striker he is—rose above all and headed the ball into the back of the net. Although he was not in his best form, he knew he had to help his team out and scored the crucial winning goal.
2. Marcos Alonso puts in yet another brilliant display
One of the biggest surprises of the season has to be Marcos Alonso’s brilliant performances and consistency. The Spanish left wingback had been shunned out of the team not long ago under the regime of Frank Lampard. He was not supposed to stay at the club for long as Ben Chilwell had taken over his spot. Even when Tuchel replaced the failing Lampard, Chilwell was the preferred player. Although Alonso played in a few games last season, the majority of the minutes were given to Chilwell. However, this time, the English left back is not getting a chance to get into the first team due to Alonso’s spectacular performances. He has made it even harder for Chilwell to make a comeback after another amazing outing on Tuesday against Zenit.
The wingback was playing his traditional role, running up and down the wing and helping out the attack and defense both. The player has been 100 percent committed to his role and he is playing even better than his first season with the Blues. The biggest problem with Alonso has always been his tracking back and tackling. He loves to go forward and help out the striker, but isn’t a huge fan of defensive action. Regardless, it seems like the Spaniard has worked on his tackling and speed, and now he is able to fall back to perform his defensive duties properly.
Tuesday’s match was a tough one, even for Alonso, as the Russian side deployed one of its speediest and most skillful players down the right wing. Malcom was quite a handful for the Chelsea defenders, but Alonso kept up with him as much as he could, and the former Barcelona man could not have a huge impact on the game. He did make a few good runs though, but Alonso closed him down quickly. Antonio Rudiger helped him out, as well. Overall, it was a professional display by Alonso, one which will most likely secure him a place in the first team for the next match.
1. Ruthless Antonio Rudiger the difference between the sides
While a lot of credits are often given to the strikers, in this game the striker did score, but he did not have a very good game. Still, Lukaku received the Man of the Match award. However, in my opinion, the award should have been given to Rudiger. The German defender was on a different level on Tuesday night and he let everyone around him know that, as well. Not only was he confident in every tackle that he went into, he was also enjoying himself. From the first half itself, fans could see the former Roma player was playing a very high line and even crossing the halfway line at some points. He was strong and asserted dominance over the opponents with his strength.
Rudiger was playing with so much confidence against Zenit that he even decided to take on a Kurt Zouma-like run in the 49′. Just like how Zouma went from Chelsea’s half into Ajax’s defense in the 2019/20 season, Rudiger also went into Zenit’s defense. The difference between the two was that Zouma absolutely skied the shot, whereas Rudiger took a decent shot that might have even gone in had it had a bit more room to curl. It was an amazing run to witness and Chelsea fans understandably gave him a big applause for trying such an outrageous move.
However, playing in advanced positions was not all that he did. He also made a few crucial tackles to make sure that the Blues kept the clean sheet. In a sudden attack by Zenit, Sardar Azmoun was away from Azpilicueta and was through on goal with only Edouard Mendy to beat. Rudiger promptly closed him down from the side and made an incredible tackle to keep Chelsea in the game. He made a few more important blocks and interceptions to help keep the clean sheet, and his performance shows us why the Blues are desperately trying to extend his contract.
Are you happy with Chelsea’s performance against Zenit in the Champions League opener? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!