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: Here come the teams
The players head out of the tunnel and onto the pitch in St. Petersburg. The Gazprom Arena will also host the final of this year’s Champions League and Chelsea will be hoping to make a return trip.
A reminder that Chelsea will top Group H if they match Juventus’ result against Malmo. A victory over Zenit St Petersburg will certainly help their cause.
Zenit vs Chelsea: Pre-match thoughts of Thomas Tuchel
In general we need fresh legs because we want to play a high-intense game and at the level we’re used to playing.
“The game today is not so much the problem. We had a day off and two days to prepare but we have to consider we play away and a late arrival on Thursday morning so we will lose sleep then play on Saturday. It is the moment to change and trust other players. We don’t want to push players.
“It was possible to start with Ruben Loftus-Cheek again but he has not played three consecutive matches at the intense level much last year. We miss Jorginho. It is very likely that Ruben will finish the game for us but very likely just the last 30 minutes.
“We need all of our players back. Romelu Lukaku gets minutes in his legs so lets see how long he can play. He is crucial to us of course. We need everyone fit.”
Zenit vs Chelsea: Thomas Tuchel yet to fully unlock clockwork Chelsea in title race defined by attacking football
After an upset like that at West Ham United, where Chelsea twice had leads overturned, it’s tempting to wonder whether an old truth has been overturned.
Defences may win you games, but it is attacks that win titles.
That may seem a curious point when Chelsea’s defeat primarily came from “too many big mistakes”, as Thomas Tuchel put it, but that is what happens when it feels like you are always just doing enough; never quite doing real damage. They take advantage of errors rather than really force them.
Tuchel yet to fully unlock clockwork Chelsea in title race defined by attack
Two wins in five have seen the Blues drop from top spot down to third
Zenit vs Chelsea: Warm ups underway
The warm ups are underway at the Gazprom Stadium. Kick off is just 15 minutes away.
Zenit vs Chelsea: Zenit unbeaten at home against English teams
Zenit St Petersburg are hoping for a third successive home win in European competition against an English side.
Their previous victories were a 1-0 win vs Bradford City in the Intertoto Cup in July 2000 and a 2-0 victory over Liverpool in the Europa League in February 2013.
Can they make it three from three against the Blues tonight?
Zenit vs Chelsea: Mateo Kovacic: Chelsea midfielder tests positive for Covid-19
Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic has tested positive for Covid-19 and will miss the club’s upcoming Champions League fixture against Zenit St Petersburg.
Thomas Tuchel confirmed that Kovacic, who had returned to full training after suffering a hamstring injury in October, had returned a positive test result this morning.
Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic tests positive for Covid-19
The Croatian had just returned to full training after recovering from a hamstring injury
Zenit vs Chelsea: Tuchel on Chelsea’s bouncebackability
Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea are hoping to get back to winning ways tonight after losing 3-2 to West Ham at the weekend. He believes no major changes are needed for the team but that his players have to sharpen up and improve on the smaller details. He said:
Like I said after the game and when we analysed the data and performance, I don’t think it’s necessary to ask the big questions right now,
“We need to step up in details and do our details to our standards. We need to do this on the highest level and do it relentlessly.
“No matter what the result is, what the occasion is or how big the adversity is. We have some space where we can improve in the details but it is not about the big picture in the moment.”
Zenit vs Chelsea: Loftus-Cheek ready to play his part
Ruben Loftus-Cheek has made 15 appearances for Chelsea this season and is relishing the opportunity to play more for the Blues. With N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho all out this evening Loftus-Cheek says he is ready to go should he get on the pitch tonight:
There’s a lot of good players. We might have a few injuries and I might be put in. I had to be ready and I have been ready. I have had to step up as an individual,
"I’m very grateful to be fit. I’m enjoying it a lot and it comes with different duties. I’m ready to play and ready to play wherever. I’m playing a lot. You never know how football is going to go."
Zenit vs Chelsea: Everyone gets a goal
Chelsea have had 14 different goal scorers in the Champions League under Thomas Tuchel; the most of any team in the competition since his first game in February 2021.
The Blues’ top scorers in this period have scored two goals each (Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech and Jorginho).
Zenit vs Chelsea: Thomas Tuchel confident Chelsea can cope without ‘Superman’ N’Golo Kante
Thomas Tuchel has insisted Chelsea can cope without injured “Superman” N’Golo Kante.
World Cup-winning France midfielder Kante has struggled with a string of frustrating injuries this season, but an unfazed Tuchel believes there is no link between the short-term concerns.
Mateo Kovacic will also miss Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Zenit after testing positive for Covid-19, and will be a big doubt for Saturday’s Premier League clash with Leeds at Stamford Bridge.
Thomas Tuchel confident Chelsea can cope without ‘Superman’ N’Golo Kante
World Cup-winning France midfielder Kante has struggled with a string of frustrating injuries this season
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