Chelsea 1-0 Zenit: Romelu Lukaku gives Blues win in Champions League

3 years ago 91

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Lukaku's header was his first ever goal for Chelsea in the Champions League

Chelsea opened their defence of the Champions League with a victory as Romelu Lukaku finally pierced Zenit St Petersburg's stubborn resistance at Stamford Bridge,

Lukaku, a £97.5m summer signing from Inter Milan, has already demonstrated his goal threat in the Premier League and was on the mark again with his first goal for Chelsea in the competition they won for the second time against Manchester City in June.

Chelsea were made to work hard as Zenit dug in but manager Thomas Tuchel's side stepped up the pace after the interval, Lukaku breaking the deadlock when he headed in at the far post from Cesar Azpilicueta's cross in the 69th minute.

The holders deserved the victory but Zenit missed a glorious chance to snatch a point when substitute Artem Dzyuba slid wide from six yards as he tried to turn in Sardar Azmoun's cross late on.

Player of the match

LukakuRomelu Lukaku

with an average of 8.30

Chelsea

Squad number9Player nameLukaku
Squad number2Player nameRüdiger
Squad number8Player nameKovacic
Squad number29Player nameHavertz
Squad number28Player nameAzpilicueta
Squad number4Player nameChristensen
Squad number16Player nameMendy
Squad number5Player nameJorginho
Squad number24Player nameJames
Squad number3Player nameAlonso
Squad number6Player nameThiago Silva
Squad number21Player nameChilwell
Squad number22Player nameZiyech
Squad number19Player nameMount
Squad number12Player nameLoftus-Cheek

Zenit St Petersburg

Squad number3Player nameDouglas Santos
Squad number2Player nameChistyakov
Squad number44Player nameRakitskiy
Squad number10Player nameMalcom
Squad number5Player nameBarrios
Squad number19Player nameSutormin
Squad number7Player nameAzmoun
Squad number64Player nameKravtsov
Squad number22Player nameDzyuba
Squad number8Player nameWendel
Squad number11Player nameClaudinho
Squad number21Player nameErokhin
Squad number14Player nameKuzyaev
Squad number1Player nameKritsyuk
Squad number4Player nameKrugovoy
Squad number17Player nameMostovoy

Line-ups

Chelsea

Formation 3-4-2-1

16Mendy
28AzpilicuetaBooked at 45minsSubstituted forThiago Silvaat 83'minutes
4Christensen
2Rüdiger
24James
8Kovacic
5Jorginho
3AlonsoSubstituted forChilwellat 83'minutes
19MountSubstituted forLoftus-Cheekat 90+3'minutes
22ZiyechSubstituted forHavertzat 63'minutes
9Lukaku

Substitutes

1Arrizabalaga
6Thiago Silva
11Werner
12Loftus-Cheek
14Chalobah
17Saúl
18Barkley
20Hudson-Odoi
21Chilwell
29Havertz
31Sarr
36Bergstrom

Zenit St Petersburg

Formation 5-4-1

1Kritsyuk
19Sutormin
5Barrios
2Chistyakov
44RakitskiyBooked at 62minsSubstituted forKrugovoyat 88'minutes
3dos Santos Justino de Melo
10MalcomSubstituted forDzyubaat 75'minutes
8Valle da SilvaSubstituted forErokhinat 76'minutes
14KuzyaevSubstituted forKravtsovat 82'minutes
11Rodrigues Parisi LeonelSubstituted forMostovoyat 88'minutes
7Azmoun

Substitutes

4Krugovoy
17Mostovoy
21Erokhin
22Dzyuba
41Kerzhakov
64Kravtsov
71Odoevskiy
94Khotulev

Referee:Bartosz Frankowski

Live Text

Match ends, Chelsea 1, Zenit St Petersburg 0.
Second Half ends, Chelsea 1, Zenit St Petersburg 0.
Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Douglas Santos.
Attempt blocked. Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Mateo Kovacic.
Foul by Reece James (Chelsea).
Artem Dzyuba (Zenit St Petersburg) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Chelsea. Ruben Loftus-Cheek replaces Mason Mount.
Substitution, Zenit St Petersburg. Daniil Krugovoy replaces Yaroslav Rakitskiy.
Substitution, Zenit St Petersburg. Andrey Mostovoy replaces Claudinho.
Substitution, Chelsea. Ben Chilwell replaces Marcos Alonso.
Substitution, Chelsea. Thiago Silva replaces César Azpilicueta.
Substitution, Zenit St Petersburg. Kirill Kravtsov replaces Daler Kuzyaev.
Attempt missed. Artem Dzyuba (Zenit St Petersburg) left footed shot from very close range misses to the left. Assisted by Sardar Azmoun.
Attempt missed. Marcos Alonso (Chelsea) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Mason Mount.
Foul by Mason Mount (Chelsea).
Daler Kuzyaev (Zenit St Petersburg) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Marcos Alonso (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Daler Kuzyaev (Zenit St Petersburg).
Substitution, Zenit St Petersburg. Aleksandr Erokhin replaces Wendel.
Substitution, Zenit St Petersburg. Artem Dzyuba replaces Malcom.