Chelsea has embarked on a victorious path – Newspaper Kommersant No. 199 (7400) of 10/26/2022

The next club to secure a spot in the 1/8 finals of the Champions League was Chelsea, who play in Group E. The London club got a ticket to the play-offs in the fifth, penultimate round of the group stage, beating Salzburg away in a very difficult match – 2:1.

After this match, it was funny to remember that, in fact, the start of the group stage distinctly smelled for Chelsea of ​​a grandiose European Cup failure. An away defeat against Dinamo Zagreb, then a home draw with Salzburg – one point in two rounds, moreover, in clashes with not the most dangerous opponents and with a rather mediocre game. Plus – a change of coach during the tournament, which I would like to equate to those hasty decisions that are sometimes taken in vain in a state of panic. Well, Graham Potter, unlike his predecessor Thomas Tuchel, was not very similar to the “correct”, trendy mentor for such a club as London.

But a month later, the picture is already seen in a completely different light. Graham Potter turned out to be quite ready for a new challenge, decent results went, and the disastrous start of the Champions League compensated for the excellent continuation, in the form of two consecutive convincing victories over Milan.

Chelsea’s success was consolidated in a match with a young team, which had long managed to turn into almost the main factory in Europe for the production or fine-tuning of football talents. He fixed it in a manner typical for himself lately. Half-time Chelsea played what British commentators quickly came up with the succinct definition of “potterball”, which is enjoyed with pleasure when watching his matches. Well, yes, as it turned out, Potter, a native of the English football hinterland with its taste for everything that is simpler, more reliable, for some reason loves the “Barcelonian” style and knows how to put it: this is when tricky laces are weaved on the field with short movements of the ball and players. It seems that no danger is created, beauty for the sake of beauty, but the opponent’s defense is slowly getting tired, slowly losing vigilance.

What happened to Salzburg is exactly what happens to many teams that run into the potterball. He coped with it for a long time and at first glance calmly, and then began to sag.

Chelsea opened the scoring after a flank attack, which, it seemed, had already broken, stalled. Kai Havertz could not catch on to the transfer, the ball was knocked out of him and he flew off to the penalty line. It flew off so inconveniently for Mateo Kovacic that he had neither time nor space, not only for a full run, but for a short swing. But Kovacic managed to poke the ball in such a way that it turned out to be a great shot.

And then the goalkeeper of “Salzburg” Philip Köhn came to the fore. Without his exploits, the players of the Austrian club would have gone to rest, losing with some such a big score that Chelsea could have put up their women’s team in the second half and still kept the advantage.

But those who thought that the intrigue, since the Londoners had a ride, was killed, they were greatly mistaken. Salzburg, confirming the reputation of the team as unpredictable and daring, spitting on authorities due to their youth, opened the second half, biting Chelsea painfully. Maximilian Weber completed a chic counterattack, who passed a pass against the most cunning, enveloping all Londoners, as if someone remotely controlled the ball, trajectory, and Chukvubuike Adam, who transformed it into an accurate hit in touch. And a little later, “Salzburg” rescued Adamu in the opposite half, having secured Kyon on the “ribbon”.

The owners of fate resisted desperately, but the class still prevailed over arrogance. Kai Havertz was almost the most unlucky Chelsea player for an hour, who could consider this evening one big failure – nothing sticks. But all these nasty moments were smeared with a bright layer of brilliant paint by the moment of insight that visited Havertz, when he was thrown back the ball in front of the Salzburg penalty area. He fired – even though he, like Kovacic before, was not up to preparing a blow – perfectly: the ball fell over the goal line, hitting the crossbar.

Three points earned in Austria ensured Chelsea’s participation in the play-offs. Salzburg meanwhile, despite the loss, also have chances to penetrate there. Before this round, he had six points in his asset, one less than the Londoners, and two more than Milan with Dynamo. More clear tournament prospects of the Austrian club, in the final round of meeting on the road with the Milanese, and his pursuers became clear only after the end of the match outsiders in Croatia. It took place late in the evening Moscow time.

Alexey Dospekhov