Ranking Chelsea's 5 best players against Zenit in the UEFA Champions League
Chelsea began their Champions League defense with a 1-0 win over Zenit St Petersburg at Stamford Bridge. The Blues were nowhere near their best, but a sole goal in the second half by club-record signing Romelu Lukaku helped them grab all three points.
Thomas Tuchel will have a lot to think about as most of his players were off the mark tonight. Mason Mount and Hakim Ziyech were nowhere near their best, and the duo struggled against the Russian side's defense. Both players tried to influence the game on multiple occasions, but Zenit were able to keep them at bay.
However, the Blues found some inspiration in the second half and managed to start their Champions League campaign with a win. Here are five players who impressed for Chelsea tonight at Stamford Bridge.
#5 - Antonio Rudiger
Once again, the defender was on top of his game, and Zenit could not get past Antonio Rudiger tonight. Apart from having a good day in the back-line, he went on a crazy run and almost got a goal in the second half as well.
Rudiger's best moment of the game came in the second period. Sardar Azmoun raced through after a mistake by Andreas Christensen and was ready to give Zenit the lead. The Iranian forward managed to wriggle past the Chelsea defense and was clear on goal. But before he could get a shot away, Rudiger managed to put his foot in the way and block the shot.
The German finished the game with a 94% past success and that one very important tackle. It is safe to say that Chelsea might not have gotten all three points without Rudiger in the back-line tonight.
#4 - Jorginho
Jorginho was presented with the UEFA Men's Player of the Year award at the start of the game. In the 90 minutes on the pitch, he showed exactly why he deserved it.
The Italian managed to control the game from the start, and along with Kovacic, he ensured that Zenit did not enjoy much possession. Jorginho was the focal point of all moves and was determined to keep the ball in his side's control. The Chelsea vice-captain also finished with a 94% pass success and made two crucial tackles when Zenit tried to counter during the game.
Thomas Tuchel will be really happy with Jorginho's performance tonight. The Italian remains vital for the German manager's side to play well.