Chelsea boss Graham Potter has delivered his verdict on the Blues’ Champions League win against Dinamo Zagreb.
The west London side played their final match in Group E of the illustrious competition, having secured their spot in the round of 16 last week.
Zagreb took the lead inside the opening minutes of the match as Bruno Petkovic made the most of some poor defending from the hosts to head the ball past Edouard Mendy.
Advert
Raheem Sterling soon got Chelsea back on level terms though, with the winger netting from inside the area to score his fourth of the campaign.
Debutant Denis Zakaria then gave the Blues the lead on the half hour mark, with the 25-year-old firing in from the edge of the area to score his first for the club.
The result sees Chelsea return to winning ways following their defeat to Brighton on Saturday afternoon, and it was their final Champions League match of the year.
Potter’s side will compete in the last-16 of the tournament in the early months of next year, with the west London outfit no doubt keen to win the trophy for the third time in their history.
Advert
The head coach spoke to BT Sport after the game and shared his thoughts on the result: "Really pleased.
“Not the ideal start, but the character was good. Overall, played quite well. Attack well, good chances, positive.
“Really pleased to get a win and finish off in a positive way."
He also spoke on the performance shown by Zakaria, who played his first minutes for Chelsea since his loan move from Juventus in the summer.
Advert
"He was really good,” said Potter.
“You can see what he brings, the quality he has. Played with enthusiasm. Really pleased for him.
"He’s certainly did what we asked. He did everything he could, showed his quality, helped the team, scored, great debut."
Advert
Two wins against AC Milan and victory at RB Salzburg last week ensured that Chelsea finished top of Group E before they even kicked a ball against Zagreb.
The Croatian side were victorious in the reverse fixture on matchday one, but were unable to experience the same fate on their travels to west London.
Chelsea now have three games left to play before the break for the World Cup.
They will host Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, before travelling to Manchester City for the Carabao Cup on Wednesday and facing Newcastle next weekend.
Topics: Chelsea, Graham Potter, Champions League, Football
Robert Calcutt