Dinamo Zagreb Away – View From In Front Of My Screen
View From in Front of My Screen
My apologies for no report from the game against the Hammers, but I was working for a change, and by all accounts Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder were operating the VAR at Stockley Park. So we ended up with the 3pts, maybe that makes up for the 2 dropped against the Spuds, swings and roundabouts.
So on to Europe it is for this Tuesday afternoon game and STT (super Tommy Tuchel) makes a raft of changes from Saturday’s game. Mendy is dropped (rested) after several errors and an apparent injury, can Kepa make the goalie slot his again? New striker Aubameyang is in wearing his super hero mask and the team looks quite attack minded, let’s hope so…
Looking at the teams as they line up, Petkovic looks like a “big lad” and one to watch. Dinamo have already played 8 games to get this far, and 16 games this season so their players should be used to playing together.
Kick off and some early sparing sees both teams sizing each other up but no clear chances.
5 minutes in and a chance for Chelsea, but Auba was offside.
8 minutes and a good cross from Havertz passes in front of Aubameyang running in on goal.
9 mins and Chelsea get the 1st corner of the game, but Havertz’s chip is straight into the goalies hands.
12 minutes and it’s a smash and grab goal for Dinamo as a ball played out from defense is played on in Midfield by Petkovic to Orsic who sprints away from Fofana and chips the ball over Kepa….Chelsea’s 69% possession counts for nothing.
20 minutes and Chelsea get another corner which once again is wasted, Dinamo now playing with somewhere between 5-7 players at the back.
28 minutes and Fofana concedes a dangerous Free-kick, Dinamo play a clever ball into the area but its cut out.
29 Minutes and Chelsea are living dangerously another break by Dinamo brings a good save from Kepa.
Chelsea looking out of sorts again and are 1-0 down, they need to get it together.
The first half ends with Chelsea being outfought and outplayed and a goal down, STT needs to give them hell and some coffee to wake them up.
The game restarts and Ziyech comes on for Dave and Chelsea switch to a back 4.
1 minute in and Ziyech shoots from distance, but its weak and straight into the arms of the goalie.
Then a great ball across goal from Havertz just fails to find Auba running into the box again.
49 minutes and a great ball from Kovacic finds Chillwell who slides it across to Auba who taps the ball in the net, but Chillwell was offside.
Dinamo have 9 men behind the ball, Chelsea need to make some room.
55 minutes and good shot from Ristovski brings a great save from Kepa and it comes off the woodwork, Chelsea could have been 2 down.
58 minutes Havertz is pushed over in the box, nothing given and Mount gets a yellow card for something?
STT then does a double substitution, Broja and Jorginho come on for a disappointing Auba and Kovacic.
63 minutes and Chelsea playing short balls around a wall of 10 men in defense, can they find a way through?
66 mins and Koulibaly booked for breaking up a Dinamo breakaway.
70 minutes and Cucurella comes on for the tiring Chilwell.
21 players are camped in the Dinamo half.
71 minutes and Koulibaly lucky not to get booked again.
74 minutes and Pulisic comes on for Sterling, and Dinamo make several changes which eats up a few extra minutes, STT is booked for complaining about the time taken.
76 minutes and Fofana makes a good tackle on the edge of the box and takes the ball forward, but it comes to nothing.
Players going down left and right now, typical time wasting.
We have no creativity and no one to give that spark at the moment.
81 minutes and Chelsea have a chance, but it’s well defended.
84 minutes and Cucurella fouls Ivanusec who goes off on a golf cart, more time wasting.
85 minutes and James plays a ball in it comes back to him and his shot hits the post. It comes across to Ziyech who blasts a shot which draws a good save from the goalie, but he was offside anyway.
88 mins and Ademi is replaced after picking up a Yellow card.
8 minutes of extra time.
92minute and a bizarre free-kick is given as the ball comes off a Dinamo player’s arm but Ziyech catches the ball before it goes out and a free-kick is given Dinamo’s way, Chelsea not getting the rub of the green.
93 minutes and Chelsea get a dangerous free-kick, but Ziyech kicks it straight into the wall.
95 minutes and a foul on James brings a yellow card and a free-kick for Chelsea in almost the same place as the last one.
Chelsea’s players arguing who should take it, and it’s Ziyech who takes it and once again hits the wall.
The whistle goes, and Dinamo who have a history of beating London teams at home, do it again.
Chelsea look slow, ponderous and devoid of ideas. Too many sideways passes and once again crap set piece play. STT has a lot of work to do.
KTBFFH
Jack Russell
(NOTE: Thomas Tuchel was removed from his position as club manager following this defeat – Ed)
(Featured picture from the official Chelsea FC website)
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