Zenit vs Chelsea LIVE: Champions League result, final score and reaction tonight
Follow all the action from St Petersburg as the group stage comes to a close
Champions League holders Chelsea finished as Group H runners-up after conceding a stoppage-time equaliser in a pulsating 3-3 draw at Zenit St Petersburg on Wednesday.
The result left Chelsea second on 13 points from six games, two behind group winners Juventus who leapt into pole position thanks to a 1-0 home win over Sweden’s Malmo.
Both sides had already booked their last-16 berths while third-placed Zenit will go into the second-tier Europa League after the winter break.
Timo Werner fired Chelsea ahead in the second minute with a tap-in from a Ross Bakley corner before Brazilian Claudinho levelled in the 38th with a glancing header.
Rattled by the equaliser, Chelsea fell behind three minutes later when Iranian striker Sardar Azmoun beat the offside trap and slotted the ball home after rounding goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Romelu Lukaku hit back in the 62nd minute as he stroked the ball into an empty net after a flowing move and Chelsea seemed to have forced the final twist after Werner struck again in the 85th thanks to good work by substitute Christian Pulisic.
The Premier League side were undone, however, by a spectacular equaliser at the death as they failed to clear a cross and late substitute Magomed Ozdoev unleashed an unstoppable volley past Kepa from the edge of the penalty area.
Follow Champions League updates below:
Zenit vs Chelsea: Defence is key for Blues
Chelsea come into tonight’s game with a ‘second string’ back three although Cesar Azpilicueta is highly experienced and Andreas Christensen is pushing for a first team place, but 22-year-old Malang Sarr is still finding his way Chelsea.
Despite this they should still have enough talent to keep Zenit at bay, Chelsea are on a run of three Champions League wins without conceding and could recored a fourth winning clean sheet in a row for the first time in the competition.
Zenit vs Chelsea: A record breaking win
No English team has won in St Petersburg but the Chelsea have good memories of travelling to Russia. They have picked up victories on three previous visits to the country in this competition, most recently a 4-0 win at Krasnodar in October 2020.
Zenit vs Chelsea: Last time out
Zenit St Petersburg and Chelsea have only met in competitive fixtures once and that was back in September this year when the sides clashed at Stamford Bridge for their first Champions League game of the season.
On that occassion Romelu Lukaku scored a 69th minute goal meeting a cross from Cesar Azpilicueta to head the ball into the bottom left-hand corner and give the Blues a 1-0 victory.
Travelling away from home with the knowledge that qualification for the knockout stages is already secure may be to Chelsea’s disadvantage this evening - just ask Manchester City who lost to away to RB Leipzig last night but stll won Group A.
Zenit vs Chelsea: Antonio Rudiger set for Chelsea exit with Real Madrid leading race
Antonio Rudiger is moving closer to leaving Chelsea as a free agent next summer, with Real Madrid now leading the race to sign the 28-year-old.
Rudiger’s brother, Sahr Senesie, who is also his agent, met with Madrid a few weeks ago to discuss possible terms, with an informal agreement between the parties understood to be in place, although nothing has been signed as of yet.
Antonio Rudiger set for Chelsea exit with Real Madrid leading race
Rudiger’s contract expires in the summer and talks have stalled over extending his deal at Chelsea
Zenit vs Chelsea: Team changes
Thomas Tuchel makes eight changes to the Chelsea starting XI that lost to West Ham at the weekend. Mason Mount, Reece James and Andreas Christensen are the three players to keep their places.
Kepa Arrizabalaga returns in goal with Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger both rested in favour of Cesar Azpilicueta and Malang Sarr. In midfield are Ross Barkley and Saul Niguez with Callum Hudson-Odoi slotting in at wingback.
Timo Werner and Romelu Lukaku join Mount in the forward line.
Zenit vs Chelsea: Line-ups
Zenit XI: M. Kerzhakov, Karavaev, Barrios, Lovren, Rakitskyy, Douglas Santos, Kuzyaev, Wendel, Malcom, Azmoun, Claudinho
Chelsea XI: Arrizabalaga, Azpilicueta, Christensen, Sarr, James, Saul Niguez, Barkley, Hudson-Odoi, Mount, Lukaku, Werner
Zenit St Petersburg vs Chelsea: Tuchel on Chelsea’s form
For their high standards Chelsea have seemingly entered a little dip in form. Their last three games have seen them draw with Manchester United, struggle against Watford yet ultimately win, and then lose to West Ham at the weekend.
Thomas Tuchel was asked whether he was worried about this potential drop in form and he says he has the ambition to turn things around:
Maybe it seems to you like this but it actually does not [feel like that]. We dropped some points against Manchester United and we found a solution to win at Watford and it was a freak shot at West Ham.
"We’ve had this before, we have lost and we don’t like it. I feel it personally. I have a certain anger and ambition to try to turn things around."
Zenit St Petersburg vs Chelsea: Recent results
Chelsea have won four of their five Champions League group matches including a 4-0 demolition over Juventus on Matchday Five at Stamford Bridge.
They should finish top of Group H with a victory over Zenit St Petersburg tonight - unless Juventus rack up a cricket score against Malmo - but they come into the game on the back of a bruising 3-2 loss to West Ham in the Premier League.
Thomas Tuchel spoke after that defeat about a welling up of anger that he feels when the Blues don’t win and he’ll be wanting to get Chelsea back to winning ways tonight.
Zenit St Petersburg vs Chelsea: Early team news
Chelsea take on Zenit St Petersburg this evening and need to match Juventus’ result against Malmo if they want to finish at the top of Group H. Thomas Tuchel will have to decide whether to rest key players or play a strong line-up in order to try and win the group.
Chelsea are without N’Golo Kante who is sidelined and Mateo Kovacic who is isolating following a positive Covid test. Jorginho has not travelled with the squad and will be rested.
With qualification for the last-16 already secure Kepa Arrizabalaga may start in goal for the Blues with Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner in contention to start. Kai Havertz took a knock in the match against West Ham but has been training with the squad and could also feature.
Ahead of the match, Zenit boss Sergei Semak has been praising the cohesive nature of Thomas Tuchel’s “well-oiled” Chelsea system.
Chelsea will travel to face Zenit in St Petersburg on Wednesday, where the Blues can seal top spot in Champions League Group H.
If the Premier League side equal or better Juventus’ result against Malmo they will secure first place and a potentially more favourable last-16 draw. Semak was asked about some of the star names in the team but pointed to the well-rounded nature of the Blues’ performances.
“You’re talking about individual players but I would like to point out the importance of the system in general, they are like a German machine, well-oiled,” he said.
“Every person on the pitch knows what to do and how to do it.
“So I would like to refrain from talking about individual qualities, and concentrate more on Chelsea as a team.”
Tuchel runs ‘well-oiled’ system at Chelsea, says Zenit boss
Chelsea will travel to face Zenit in St Petersburg on Wednesday, where the Blues can seal top spot in Champions League Group H.
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