Salzburg 1-2 Chelsea: Potter´s Blues end Salzburg streak to secure last-16 spot

Kai Havertz fired Chelsea through to the Champions League last-16 stage as his second-half strike secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Salzburg.

Mateo Kovacic’s first-half effort gave the Blues the lead, but the hosts hit back swiftly in the second half, Junior Adamu capping off a fine counter-attack.

Goalkeeper Philipp Kohn was called upon in both halves to keep the visitors at bay but could do nothing with Havertz’s winning effort, as the Germany international drilled in to end Salzburg’s 40-game unbeaten home run.

Victory means Chelsea’s spot in the knockout stages is confirmed, while Graham Potter’s side could still be confirmed as group winners if Dinamo Zagreb fail to beat Milan in the Croatian capital.

5 – Mateo Kovacic is only the second player to score his first five Champions League goals under different managers (Jurcic, Benitez, Zidane, Lampard, Potter), along with Luka Modric (Redknapp, Mourinho, Ancelotti, Benitez, Zidane). Varied. pic.twitter.com/dPls7zUUis

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 25, 2022

Opportunities were few and far between until Chelsea took the lead after 22 minutes, Kovacic drilling a shot into the top-left corner after the ball fell kindly to him just outside the area.

Three minutes after the break, Salzburg equalised on the counter as Maximilian Wober’s superb cross-field pass found Adamu and the 21-year-old jabbed a first-time finish past Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Adamu then had a major impact at the other end, superbly clearing Jorginho’s header off the line to prevent the visitors swiftly retaking the lead.

There was no denying Havertz three minutes after the hour mark, however, as he collected Christian Pulisic’s pass just outside the box and fired home a fine finish in off the left post to leave Kohn helpless.

The hosts had chances for an equaliser, notably with Thiago Silva needing to be alert to clear Strahinja Pavlovic’s header off the line as the Chelsea defence stood firm.

What does it mean? Blues book their spot

After defeat in their first group-stage match, which ended up being the final chapter of Thomas Tuchel’s stint at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea have fought back under new head coach Potter to secure their spot in the last 16.

That is no small feat after being placed in a group alongside Serie A champions Milan and a Salzburg side who, until Chelsea’s trip to Austria, had been recently formidable at home in all competitions.

Potter still has work to do with the squad, however, with creativity in front of goal still a cause for concern. While the Blues had 10 shots on target against Salzburg, they only created two big chances – defined by Opta as a situation where a player should reasonably be expected to score.

Potter remains unbeaten

Victory against Salzburg extends Potter’s unbeaten run at the helm of the Blues to nine matches, securing six wins and three draws so far.

That makes Potter the second English boss to achieve the feat at the start of his reign in the team’s history, following on from William Lewis in 1906-07.

Kohn-fident display

Salzburg owe a lot to their goalkeeper for keeping them in the game for so long, as Kohn made key saves to give the hosts hope – most notably in the opening 45 minutes to deny a Havertz header and keep Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang out.

Kohn made eight saves over the course of the game, as well as charging off his line in brave fashion to prevent other opportunities materialising for Chelsea.

What’s next?

Potter faces a reunion with his former team Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday, before Chelsea bring their group-stage campaign to a close against Dinamo Zagreb next Wednesday, when Salzburg face Milan at San Siro.