Havertz sends Chelsea into UCL last 16, but attack continues to falter

SALZBURG, Austria -- Chelsea held connected for a 2-1 triumph implicit FC Salzburg connected Tuesday evening successful Austria, to corroborate their spot successful the Champions League knockout rounds arsenic winners of Group E.

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Mateo Kovacic opened the scoring for the visitors midway done the archetypal half, lone for Junior Adamu to level the people conscionable 3 minutes aft the interval. But Kai Havertz delivered a stunning eventual victor successful the 64th minute, sending the Blues location with each 3 points, connected apical of Group E and beyond the scope of their rivals.

Chelsea volition invited Dinamo Zagreb to Stamford Bridge a week from Wednesday, portion Salzburg volition adjacent retired their Champions League radical signifier with a travel to AC Milan adjacent week, to find who volition travel the West London nine into the circular of 16.

JUMP TO: Player ratings | Best/worst performers | Highlights and notable moments | Post-match quotes | Key stats | Upcoming fixtures

Rapid reaction

1. Havertz stunner seals knockout-round qualification for Chelsea

Havertz secured Chelsea's spot successful the Champions League circular of 16 with a stunning extremity to clinch a 2-1 Group E triumph against Salzburg successful Austria connected Tuesday. The Germany forward, who scored the winning goals successful the 2021 Champions League last and 2022 FIFA Club World Cup final, delivered different important onslaught for Chelsea aft Salzburg had threatened to overturn a first-half shortage to boost their ain qualification hopes.

With Adamu cancelling retired Kovacic's 23rd-minute opener by equalising 4 minutes into the 2nd half, Salzburg grew successful assurance and looked connected people to widen their unbeaten location grounds successful each competitions to 41 games. But Havertz silenced the location assemblage and ensured triumph for Chelsea with a left-foot changeable from 20 yards connected 64 minutes that bushed goalkeeper Philipp Kohn aft hitting the underside of the crossbar.

Had Chelsea mislaid against the Austrian champions, they would person had to get a effect astatine location to Dinamo Zagreb connected matchday six to beryllium definite of qualification. But Havertz ended the imaginable of a tense last crippled with his extremity and besides saw manager Graham Potter instrumentality his unbeaten tally arsenic Chelsea manager to 9 games since replacing Thomas Tuchel successful September.

- Report: Salzburg 1-2 Chelsea | Champions League table | Upcoming fixtures

2. Sterling continues to conflict to marque an impact

Raheem Sterling was Chelsea's connection signing earlier this summer, arriving successful a £47.5 cardinal transportation from Manchester City, but the England guardant saw different large crippled walk him by successful Salzburg. The 27-year-old has present scored conscionable erstwhile successful his past 10 games for the club, and helium didn't look similar ending that barren streak arsenic Graham Potter's squad wasted a fig of chances to triumph the crippled comfortably.

On this occasion, Sterling was forced to play arsenic near wing-back with Potter opting to usage a three-man defence successful Austria. Playing retired wide, with greater antiaircraft responsibilities, is not conducive to getting the champion from a subordinate who enjoyed his champion signifier astatine City successful a much precocious presumption oregon arsenic a cardinal guardant nether Pep Guardiola.

Potter had intelligibly told Sterling to enactment arsenic wide arsenic imaginable to agelong the pitch, with Christian Pulisic fixed the aforesaid instructions connected the close flank, but the tactical program nullified Sterling's champion qualities. The situation for Potter is to find a mode to get much from 1 of his apical players, due to the fact that if Chelsea are to situation for honours this season, Sterling needs to lend overmuch more.

3. Salzburg's younker argumentation shines again

Salzburg are regarded arsenic having 1 of the champion recruitment teams successful Europe due to the fact that of the Austrian champions' quality to unearth young talents, make them and past determination those players connected to bigger clubs successful much competitory leagues.

Their roster of erstwhile players is hugely impressive, led of people by Erling Haaland, who scored connected his Champions League debut arsenic a teen aft signing from Molde. Aside from Haaland, though, Salzburg person besides acceptable the likes of Sadio Mane, Dayot Upamecano, Takumi Minamino and Karim Adeyemi connected their mode to glory elsewhere.

Benjamin Sesko, the 19-year-old Slovenia forward, is regarded arsenic the adjacent large happening and helium has already been lined up for a determination to Red Bull spouse nine RB Leipzig, but helium was named arsenic a substitute by manager Matthias Jaissle due to the fact that of the signifier of 21-year-old striker Adamu. The Austria planetary has scored 8 goals successful his past 9 home games, truthful helium got the motion against Chelsea and repaid his manager with the equaliser aboriginal successful the 2nd half. Adamu and Sesko are some destined for moves to bigger clubs, with defender Strahinja Pavlovic and midfielder Luka Sucic besides making a large impression.

To underline Salzburg's absorption connected youth, their starting lineup had the youngest mean property -- 22 years, 10 days -- successful the Champions League since 2009. Only Arsenal (2009) and Ajax (2003 and 2004) person ever fielded younger teams successful the competition.

Player ratings

Salzburg: Philipp Kohn 9; Amar Dedic 6, Bernardo 7, Strahinja Pavlovic 7, Maximilian Wober 7; Lucas Gourna Douath 6; Nicolas Seiwald 6, Luka Sucic 8, Maurits Kjaergaard 7; Noah Okafor 6, Chukwubuike Adamu 8
Subs: Benjamin Sesko 7, Roko Simic 6, Andreas Ulmer 6

Chelsea: Kepa Arrizabalaga 6; Trevoh Chalobah 6, Thiago Silva 7, Marc Cucurella 5; Christian Pulisic 5, Mateo Kovacic 7, Jorginho 6, Raheem Sterling 6; Conor Gallagher 6; Kai Havertz 7, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 5
Subs: Ruben Loftus-Cheek 6, Cesar Azpilicueta 6, Armando Broja 6, Hakim Ziyech 6, Mason Mount 6

Best and worst performers

BEST: Philipp Kohn, Salzburg. The Salzburg goalkeeper overcame a bang to the caput from Havertz successful the 2nd infinitesimal and different stroke aboriginal successful the archetypal fractional to nutrient a world-class show for the location side. Chelsea could person scored 5 oregon six but for Kohn.

WORST: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Chelsea. The Chelsea guardant missed excessively galore wide chances for a striker of his quality. Aubameyang was a last-minute panic signing successful August and helium isn't the reply to the team's goal-scoring problems.

Highlights and notable moments

Potter has enactment himself successful rarified aerial successful his archetypal sensation of the Champions League arsenic Chelsea manager.

After the match: What the managers, players said

Gallagher connected Kovacic's goal: "It was a large finish, I couldn't judge it to beryllium honest. To get that archetypal extremity was important and helped america retired and gave america assurance successful the game."

Kovacic: "It's bully to people wherever I was born. My parents were present and my friends."

Key stats (provided by ESPN Stats & Information)

- Chelsea person not mislaid a Champions League crippled erstwhile scoring the archetypal extremity since April 2014, erstwhile they mislaid 3-1 to Atletico Madrid successful the semifinals, the longest specified streak successful the contention dating backmost to astatine slightest 2010-11.

- Chelsea are present unbeaten successful 21 consecutive games erstwhile Chalobah starts.

Up next

Salzburg: The Red Bull-backed nine stay astatine location for their instrumentality to Austrian Bundesliga play against TSV Hartberg connected Saturday.

Chelsea: The Blues volition instrumentality to England for a Premier League contention connected Saturday astatine the erstwhile location of not lone Potter but besides Cucurella: Brighton & Hove Albion.