In
Champions
League
history,
the
trophy
holders
have
only
lost
their
first
game
of
the
subsequent
campaign
on
two
of
27
previous
occasions.
Although
Chelsea
limited
Zenit
to
little
going
the
other
way
in
this
tussle,
it
looked
as
though
Thomas
Tuchel’s
side
would
be
frustrated
at
Stamford
Bridge.
Yet
club-record
signing
Lukaku
followed
up
his
double
against
Aston
Villa
with
a
towering
69th-minute
header
to
get
the
Blues
up
and
running
in
Group
H.
1
2244591
It
proved
decisive,
but
Zenit
should
have
levelled
–
substitute
Artem
Dzyuba
unable
to
convert
from
five
yards
out
as
Chelsea’s
profligacy
went
unpunished.
14
–
Only
Robert
Lewandowski
(21),
Erling
Haaland
(20)
and
Bruno
Fernandes
(17)
have
scored
more
goals
than
Romelu
Lukaku
(14)
in
major
European
competition
since
the
start
of
2019-20.
Rise.
pic.twitter.com/8wEzRvLJEJ—
OptaJoe
(@OptaJoe)
September
14,
2021
Despite
a
dominant
start,
Chelsea
were
caught
cold
defensively
in
the
12th
minute,
with
Reece
James
just
managing
to
block
Claudinho’s
path
to
goal.
The
trend
continued,
Chelsea
prodding
and
probing
without
any
sign
of
a
breakthrough,
Yaroslav
Rakitskiy’s
tame
38th-minute
effort
marking
the
only
attempt
on
target
in
the
first
half,
before
Lukaku
headed
James’ cross
over.
It
took
defender
Antonio
Rudiger
to
spark
the
crowd
into
life
with
a
charging
50-yard
run,
the
Germany
international
sending
his
shot
just
wide
from
the
edge
of
the
area.
Rudiger
made
a
vital
intervention
at
the
other
end,
timing
a
challenge
on
Sardar
Azmoun
–
who
was
heading
through
on
goal
–
to
perfection.
Chelsea
made
Rudiger’s
work
count,
Cesar
Azpilicueta
floating
in
a
cross
that
Lukaku
directed
powerfully
into
the
left
corner.
Marcos
Alonso
drilled
wide
as
Chelsea
looked
for
a
second,
though
parity
should
have
been
restored
moments
later.
Azmoun
squared
to
his
strike
partner
Dzyuba,
only
for
the
Russia
forward
to
slice
wide
on
the
slide
and
let
Chelsea
off
the
hook.
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