Chelsea end dominant Champions League group stage with draw against Krasnodar

Job done. Maybe not on the night, as Chelsea played out a frustrating 1-1 draw, with Krasnodar taking the lead in the 24th minute through Remy Cabella and then being pegged back by Jorginho’s penalty on 28. But certainly with the bigger picture of qualification to the latter stages of the Champions League.

Emphatically so, too. Chelsea won Group E with 14 points and a monster goal difference of 12 thanks largely to just two goals conceded across their six games. Not only were they unbeaten but they have triumphed comfortably in what originally looked a tricky group, without getting into fifth gear.

The best indicator of Chelsea’s dominance over the last couple of months was that there was nothing resting on this fixture. They were already through as group toppers, their 4-0 victory over Sevilla establishing both a three-point and head-to-head advantage over the La Liga outfit. Krasnodar were similarly well set in third, guaranteed of their place in the Europa League at the turn of the year.

So, Lampard had carte blanche to change things up, naming a side with 10 changes from the weekend. Kai Havertz was the only player present from kick-off that started the 3-1 against Leeds United. And even knowing this was a “second string”, calling it “weakened” seemed a tad much considering there were still 229 international caps to go around.

The main attractions, though, were two young academy products on their full Champions League debuts. Billy Gilmour in central midfield is as known a quantity as you can be with just six first-team appearances. But Tino Anjorin, a dynamic forward, was given the chance to show what he could provide from the left. Both 19-year-olds spent the middle chunk of the summer dealing with muscle injuries making Tuesday night’s start all the more satisfying.

As expected, though, wholesale changes meant a disjointed first-half for the hosts, who enjoyed close to 60 per cent possession but few notable chances, spending most of their time jinking around the periphery of the visitor’s box, flirting with the idea of running through the Russians but without ever committing.

By contrast, the visitors were more direct and, having snatched at a couple of opportunities, held their nerve to take the lead. A break down the left and some neat touches into space eventually saw Viktor Claesson laying the ball inside to Cabella, who regular viewers may not remember from a largely forgettable stint at Newcastle United between 2014 and 2016. Back on English soil, the Frenchman held his nerve to sweep past Kepa Arrizabalaga.

The lead would only last four minutes, mind. Chelsea’s engaging forward line stepped up figuratively to increase the pressure in the final third and were rewarded by Abraham’s smart bit of forward play. A flick into the box from Havertz found Abraham with his back to goal, but a neat turn of Kaio coerced the centre-back into bringing him down. Abraham wanted the spot kick with Timo Werner sat on the bench. But former first-choice taker Jorginho stood firm, skipped, hopped and nestled the ball in the bottom right corner as Krasnodar Evgeni Gorodov went the other way.

Such was Chelsea’s domination from that moment on, the half-time whistle felt more like the bell at the end of the round. Krasnodar were being pushed into the corner and the knockdown blow of a second goal for the Blues felt in the offing. The break did not do Chelsea any favours.

The second half more or less followed type, though Chelsea spent more time trying to instigate quicker attacks. They pressed more from the front, and it was this method that saw their best chance of the half arrive when Abraham dispossessed left-back Cristian Ramirez but failed to beat Gorodov’s left foot, thrusted out to clear a slow shot from eight yards out headed inside his near post.

The cavalry arrived in the final moments: Timo Werner and N’Golo Kante on at 74 minutes, then last week’s four-goal hero Olivier Giroud on for his 100th Chelsea appearance with 10 to go. Werner’s injection of pace created problems, and a chase for himself that went wide but not wide enough that Abraham could bundle it in at the far post.

A killer punch could not be found, as sweet as it might have been to finish on such a high with a fifth win out of six. But Chelsea are through, as group winners, comfortably and with every right to be optimistic heading into 2021, when this competition really gets tasty.