RB Salzburg vs Chelsea result

The result, a 2-1 win, is enough to book our passage from Group E with a game to spare although we were made to work hard for the victory by a gallant Salzburg side.

In truth, both sides could have scored more but each goalkeeper – Kepa Arrizabalaga and in particular Philipp Kohn – both produced a number of impressive stops.

Both Chelsea goals were strikes right out of the top drawer. Kovacic, born 75 miles east to Salzburg in Linz, found the top corner with an instinctive left-footed drive that left Kohn with no chance to get us up and running.

While Adamu poked past Kepa to draw the hosts level, it was a moment of sheer quality from Havertz that won this game.

The German couldn’t have placed his curling effort anymore in the top corner, with his strike clipping the underside of the bar on its way in.

The victory ensures that not only will Chelsea qualify from Group E with a game to spare and can look forward to competing in the knockout stages once again, we will also finish top of the group as Dinamo Zagreb failed to beat AC Milan in the night's other game.

The selection

Graham Potter handed starts to Conor Gallagher, Kovacic, Christian Pulisic and Havertz in Austria, coming into the side for Cesar Azpilicueta, Ben Chilwell, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mason Mount in our four changes from the draw with Manchester United.

Raheem Sterling and Pulisic started the game on the left and right flanks respectively, while Jorginho played slightly deeper of Gallagher and Kovacic in central midfield.

Before the game got started, there was a moment of applause for Dietrich Matschitz – RB Salzburg’s co-founder – following his passing on Saturday. Both sets of supporters came together to make plenty of noise.

The game was barely 90 seconds old before Chelsea engineered a first attack at the Salzburg goal. Good patient passing from the back led to Jorginho picking out the run of Havertz, but the German was just beaten to the ball by the Phillip Kohn in the RB goal. Kai protested for a penalty, but the referee wasn’t entertaining the shouts.

The hosts created a good opportunity of their own on the quarter-hour mark, with Luka Sucic collecting a one-two from a team-mate and driving at the Chelsea defence before firing well over Kepa’s bar. An early warning sign though.

Blues breakthrough

However it was Potter’s Chelsea who were dictating the pace of this contest and we deservedly broke the deadlock after 23 minutes through Kovacic

Havertz brought down a Gallagher cross before he was tackled inside the area, with the ball falling to Kovacic on the edge of the area who lashed an instinctive left-footed strike into the top corner. No chance for Kohn.

A second almost followed minutes later, as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang flicked a header towards goal but he was denied by a superb reactive stop from Kohn with Havertz unable to latch onto the loose ball.

Pushing for a second

In fact, Aubameyang had a golden opportunity to double our lead just after the half-hour mark when Havertz slipped his strike partner in on goal but the Gabon international was denied by Kohn who kept out his strike from close range.

At the other end, the rarely-tested Kepa had to be alert to get down low to stop a drive from Noah Okafor, after the hosts countered on us.

Kohn was certainly the busier of the two goalkeepers, with the Swiss stopper reacting, somehow, to palm away Havertz’s close-range header after he met a teasing Gallagher centre.

The Blues were controlling the game but there were still occasions where the hosts showed a dangerous attacking edge on the counter, with Maurits Kjaergaard dragging a shot wide of Kepa’s goal when played in beyond Trevoh Chalobah.

On the stroke of half-time, a lovely Chelsea move almost brought about another opportunity when Kovacic played a threaded pass but with Havertz and Aubameyang both believing they were offside, neither really capitalised on the opportunity.

Then, with the final action of the half, Kohn produced another stunning save to prevent us adding to our lead. Sterling linked up perfectly with Aubameyang but his drive was tipped behind for a corner, which was never taken due to the referee blowing his whistle.

Salzburg hit back

While the first half ended with one-way Chelsea traffic, it was reversed after the break as the hosts drew level four minutes after the restart.

Adamu nipped in to win the ball before Thiago Silva before setting off towards goal, where he was then picked out by a long ball over the top that he directed first time past Kepa and into the bottom corner to make it 1-1.

The home crowd were really finding their voice and only a fine block from Thiago Silva denied Sucic testing Kepa.

End-to-end affair

There really was little time to catch your breath in this pulsating European night in central Europe, with Chelsea twice going close to retaking the lead moments later.

First Aubameyang forced another tidy save out of Kohn before a flicked Jorginho header from the resulting corner was cleared off the line by a Adamu.

Next it was Pulisic who was to be frustrated by Kohn, with the American unable to find a way through after shrugging off his marker inside the area.

Classy Kai

It was going to take something pretty special to beat Kohn in the Salzburg goal and that’s exactly what Havertz conjured up after 63 minutes.

Pulisic played the ball into the German, who took a touch before beautifully curling the ball into the top corner off the underside of the crossbar to restore our advantage.

Potter was delighted with that one and it totally justified his decision to return Havertz to the starting line-up for this one.

The game certainly wasn’t secured yet though and it needed something classy from Kepa at the other end to keep us in front, getting down low to superbly tip behind a drive from substitute Benjamin Sesko.

Meanwhile, we had a chance to extend our lead and, potentially, put the game beyond down with just over 15 minutes remaining.

Sterling and Havertz linked up well before the latter crossed for Pulisic, but the American miskicked his shot before Gallagher’s effort on the follow up was blocked.

At the other end, Kepa had to stay concentrated to make a number of late saves to keep RB at bay as they pushed hard for an equaliser that, thankfully, never came.

It means we can welcome Dinamo Zagreb to Stamford Bridge in our final Group E game, safe in the knowledge that qualification to the knockout stages is secured.

RB Salzburg: Kohn, Dedic, Bernado, Pavlovic, Wober (Ulmer 78), Gouma-Douath, Seiwald, Sucic (Sesko 61), Kjaergaard, Adamu (Kameri 82), Okafor (Simic 78).

Unused subs: Mantl, Walke, Van Der Brempt, Piatkowski, Baidoo, Kameri, Diarra.

Scorer: Adamu 49

Booked: Sucic

Chelsea: Kepa, Chalobah, Thiago Silva, Cucurella, Pulisic (Azpilicueta 75), Jorginho (c), Kovacic (Loftus-Cheek 67), Sterling (Ziyech 88), Gallagher (Mount 88), Havertz, Aubameyang (Broja 75).

Unused subs: Bettinelli, Mendy, Chilwell, Zakaria, Chukwuemeka.

Scorer: Kovacic 23, Havertz 63

Booked: Gallagher, Kepa

Referee: Sando Scharer (Switzerland)

Attendance: 29, 520

RB Salzburg v Chelsea Champions League table

See the standings after tonight's game

What time are RB Salzburg v Chelsea highlights available?

Match highlights from this game will be available from midnight (12am) UK time on matchday on chelseafc.com and The 5th Stand app. Extended highlights and the full match can be watched from midnight (12am) on Friday.

Chelsea fixtures - what's next?

After flying back to London after tonight’s game in Austria, the focus quickly switches back to the Premier League and a trip to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday afternoon.

Next fixture: Brighton & Hove Albion vs Chelsea

Date: Saturday 29 October 2022

Kick-off time: 3pm UK time

Location: Amex Stadium