Thomas Tuchel made significant changes to his starting line-up, and one of the new faces was heavily involved in the opening goal. Ross Barkley’s corner was eventually tapped home from inches out by Timo Werner after less than two minutes had been played.
Zenit were there for the taking, but Chelsea’s poor final ball prevented them from doubling their lead, which left the door open for the Russian side to get back into the game. Malcom forced a save from Kepa Arrizabalaga, whilst Sardar Azmoun headed a glorious chance wide. But Sergey Semak’s men did not have to wait too long to level as Claudinho headed home Douglas Santos’ beautifully bent cross. Three minutes later the tables had completely turned as Azmoun breached the offside trap, rounded Arrizabalaga and fired Zenit ahead for the first time.
Chelsea started to apply pressure after the break, forcing Zenit goalkeeper Mikhail Kerzhakov to fumble Saúl Ñíguez’s effort to safety before the equaliser came after 61 minutes. Romelu Lukaku ended a ten-game goal drought, tapping into an empty net after Barkley had brilliantly found Werner.
With Juventus winning against Malmo, Chelsea knew they needed a victory to seal top spot in the group and avoid a potentially trickier first knock-out round tie. They retook the lead late on as Werner grabbed his second of the night, skipping past two defenders in the box before whipping a shot into the back of the net to earn the visitors the all-important victory. But the hosts would have the last laugh as Ozdoev’s sumptuous strike from outside the box earned Zenit a point, and ensured Chelsea would finish in second place in the group.
