Zenit St Petersburg – Fortunebets

Chelsea were forced to settle for second place in Group H after an injury-time equaliser from Magomed Ozdoev clinched a 3-3 draw for Zenit in the Champions League.

Two goals from Timo Werner and another from Romelu Lukaku were not enough to secure the victory for the Blues, with Claudinho, Sardar Azmoun and Ozdoev all scoring for Zenit in Russia, and the Blues will now not be seeded in Monday’s draw for the last 16 after finishing below Juventus, who beat Malmo in Turin.

The momentum of the game swung back and forth several times, with Chelsea’s Kepa Arrizabalaga kept particularly busy.

Blues boss Thomas Tuchel was missing a number of midfielders, including Jorginho, N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic, and started Ross Barkley and Reece James in the middle, with Atletico Madrid loanee Saul Niguez being utilised at left wing back.

Chelsea took the lead in just the second minute when a Barkley corner was flicked on at the near post by Andreas Christensen, allowing Werner a simple tap-in.

Zenit should have been level on 26 minutes when Malcom was played in on goal, but the former Barcelona winger was denied by Kepa.

The equaliser did arrive 12 minutes later when Douglas Santos played a ball into the box that was glanced in by the head of Claudinho.

The hosts then took the lead before half-time when Barkley was dispossessed in midfield, with Malcom sliding Azmoun in behind a chaotic Chelsea defence. The Iran international took the ball round Kepa before slotting home, with the Blues goalkeeper forced to make another save from Azmoun just moments later.

Chelsea improved in the second half and were level just after the hour as Werner and Barkley played a one-two on the edge of the box, with the German giving Lukaku an easy tap in to make it 2-2.

Azmoun was denied another as Kepa made a fine save down to his left following a header from the striker, before Werner finished off a nice move five minutes from time, narrowly remaining onside.

However, the visitors failed to hold on as a tremendous strike from substitute Ozdoev deep into stoppage time levelled it up to ensure the spoils were shared.

This was a second chaotic game in the space of a week for Tuchel’s men, which will have the German scratching his head considering how organised they have looked for much of his reign.

After surrendering top spot in the Premier League following their 3-2 defeat at West Ham on Saturday – where they also conceded a late goal – Chelsea lost first place in their Champions League group as well, and could potentially now face Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the last 16.

Tuchel was forced into several changes, but will still have been irked by the lack of shape in this game, with Zenit looking the more dangerous across the 90 minutes, having 18 shots to Chelsea’s 13, with seven on target.

James has been one of Chelsea’s standout players this season playing at right wing back, but the England international was moved to midfield in Russia due to a growing injury list at Stamford Bridge.

Despite the disappointing result, James looked the part for most of the game, topping the list of Chelsea players for total passes (81), successful passes (76) and total passes in the opposition half (49), while also gaining possession eight times.

James’ versatility could come in very handy for Tuchel in the next few weeks while he waits for his first-choice midfielders to return.

Normally, you cannot question Chelsea’s defence. Since Tuchel’s first Champions League game in charge of the club in February, the Blues had only conceded three goals in 12 games in the competition before this one.

Their nine clean sheets in this period was the highest total of any team, and had they kept one here, they would have been the fastest team and manager combination to reach 10 clean sheets in the competition (13 games), ahead of Ajax under Louis van Gaal, Milan under Fabio Capello and Real Madrid under Jose Mourinho (all 14 games).

However, without Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger, Chelsea’s backline looked all over the place for large parts of this game, with Cesar Azpilicueta, Christensen and Malang Sarr being regularly pulled this way and that by the Zenit attack.

Romelu Lukaku’s pinpoint header rescued Chelsea’s first match as Champions League holders in a 1-0 win over Zenit St Petersburg.

Belgium hitman Lukaku bagged his third goal in two games and his fourth for Chelsea since his £98million switch from Inter Milan.

The 28-year-old converted captain Cesar Azpilicueta’s hanging far-post cross with a header of stunning accuracy, and that after shrugging aside three touch-tight Zenit defenders.

Chelsea laboured past a resolute and regimented Zenit, for much of the match running the risk of limping to a dispiriting draw.

But then Lukaku rose up, highest of all, to nod home and turn the night entirely.

Both Chelsea and Lukaku have been clear from the start: the Anderlecht product has come to west London to score goals and win matches.

So far, so very good for the talismanic striker.

Last season Chelsea would have drawn this match. Lukaku’s prowess and presence have already delivered a major impact, with the Blues’ rivals in all competitions taking ominous note.

Had Artem Dzyuba slid the ball home for Zenit from mere yards out late on the tie would have harboured a very different hue.

But Chelsea escaped unscathed, to swipe three important points from the opening Group H encounter.

A belated Uefa individual awards presentation ceremony before kick-off whipped up a victory parade atmosphere in west London.

Thomas Tuchel received his Uefa manager of the year gong for last term, with Edouard Mendy presented his trophy for goalkeeper of the year.

Jorginho finally got his hands on his player of the season silverware too, as the Blues paid reverence to last term’s Champions League triumph.

Uefa figurehead Aleksander Ceferin was on hand to dole out the pre-match prizes, and an entirely underwhelming first-half proved a true case of after the president’s show.

Chelsea could not convert their general comfort into genuine openings, leaving Stamford Bridge to a man frustrated at the interval.

Try as they might the Blues could not carve open Zenit’s regimented defence.

The visitors ultimately had the most credible half-chance before the break despite minimal possession. Reece James lifted the ball off Claudinho’s toe, however, to ease the danger.

Hakim Ziyech struck Chelsea’s first shot on target shortly after half-time, but it took a mammoth run from Toni Rudiger to lift the crowd.

The Germany defender cantered 70 yards into the Zenit box, before lashing a shot wildly wide. Once the gritty centre-back had found that position, he should truly have hit the target.

But the resolve to run all but the length of the field proved enough to get the home faithful on their feet.

Mateo Kovacic threaded a lovely ball to Ziyech but the Morocco forward could not pick out anyone in the centre of the box.

James then tiptoed around the back of Zenit’s defence but could not test Stanislav Kritsyuk in the visitors’ goal.

As Chelsea pressed and lost an edge of control, Sardar Azmoun almost sneaked through on goal – with Rudiger required to blast away to safety.

Just as Chelsea’s nerves started to twitch for a breakthrough though, up popped Lukaku with a fine headed finish.

Azpilicueta’s hanging far-post cross begged to be turned home but still required an inch-perfect contact.

Not even the posse of three Zenit defenders swarming him could deny Lukaku however, with the talisman striker nodding the ball out of everyone’s reach and into the net.

Replacement forward Dzyuba should have found the net when sliding in towards a low centre that left him in a heap with Mendy.

His miss proved the closest Zenit could come to opening up the Blues, with the hosts negotiating the final stages to seal the win.