Chelsea midfielder Denis Zakaria scored on his debut and his side finished Champions League Group E with a 2-1 win over Dinamo Zagreb at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, leading the pack and ending the season. Croatian Champions League.
Chelsea finished on 13 points, three ahead of second-placed AC Milan, who beat third-placed Red Bull Salzburg 4-0. Dynamo finished on four points, two behind Salzburg.
Edouard Mendy, a first-time starter under Graham Potter, got off to a good start when he headed just wide of Chelsea’s goal in the seventh minute after the visitors suffered a header from Bruno Petkovic.
Chelsea equalized shortly afterwards, Raheem Sterling took advantage of a slip by Dino Pericu 11 minutes later, going in and shooting with his left foot.
Swiss international Zakaria, playing his first game since joining Juventus on September 1, put the Blues ahead in the 30th minute after some good work from Mason Mount.
In a worrying moment for England manager Gareth Southgate, Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell injured his knee in the second half and limped into the dressing room with the help of medical staff when the game ended 2-1.
In other Group E match Milan booked their second place after beating Austrian side RB Salzburg with scoreline 4-0.
Stefano Pioli said Milan are only taking their first steps in reverse after leading the Italian giants to the Champions League play-offs for the first time in nine years.
Pioli’s week got off to a perfect start when he extended his contract with Milan until 2025 on Monday and rewarded the club with a 4-0 win over Salzburg on Wednesday, securing him second place in Group E behind Chelsea.
Milan’s climb to the top 16 in Europe overshadows Pioli’s recovery even after he won Serie A titles, but the 57-year-old wants his team to aim even higher.
“This is just the first step, we can’t stop. If we want to succeed in Europe, we cannot be content with finishing in the top 16, but we will try to keep going,” Pioli told reporters.
Second place leaves Milan with Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Real Madrid as potential opponents in the second round.
The only doubt about Pioli’s great team is their ability to deal with the best teams in Europe as they clearly lost to Chelsea in two matches against a Premier League club.
“There was always a group of players who were very hungry and wanted to do everything,” Pioli added.
“We are the champions of Italy, we have not even made it to the Champions League. We are a good team and we have very good players.”
