U19 - Zenit St Petersburg 1 - 1 Chelsea - 切爾西足球俱樂部 Chelsea Football Club

歐洲青年聯賽小組賽第六輪




https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2021/12/08/
uyl-report--zenit-st-petersburg-vs-chelsea

UYL report: Zenit St Petersburg 1 Chelsea 1

08 Dec 2021


Our Under-19s booked their place in the UEFA Youth League play-off round
with a gutsy draw in sub-zero Russian temperatures in our group stage
finale.


https://i.imgur.com/RcDEtgI.jpg


The young Blues knew a point would be enough to seal second spot in Group
H and Alfie Gilchrist's header early in the second half proved enough for
Andy Myers's youngsters, despite the concession of an equaliser 15 minutes
later.


The freezing weather, with snow coating the city of St Petersburg,
combined with the team's unusual preparation in not training on the day
prior to the game due to the long travel, made it a challenging contest
but the learning curve will undoubtedly have been character-building for a
group whose journey in the competition will continue in the new year.


== The selection ==


Myers made four changes from our matchday five defeat at home to Juventus,
with Jude Soonsup-Bell, Harvey Vale and Josh Brooking among the returning
starters, the latter wearing a protective mask following a recent facial
injury.


https://i.imgur.com/57UjtU6.jpg
The Blues starting team line up in snowy St Petersburg


It was back to 3-4-2-1 for the Blues as Alfie Gilchrist and Brodi Hughes
joined Brooking in the back three protecting Lucas Bergstrom's goal.


== Facing the elements ==


These were pretty unique conditions for a football match to be played in,
deep in the Russian winter and with the temperature at kick-off a bracing
-12C, cold even by December in St Petersburg standards.


The Smena Stadium pitch had been a snow heap just 48 hours prior to the
game taking place and the surface was understandably rough and bumpy as a
result, though our hosts had done a commendable job to ensure the group
finale could go ahead as planned.


Myers's men were in no mood to hang about from the first whistle, testing
Zenit keeper David Byazrov inside five minutes through Vale with a low
effort that was too central to concern the Russians, who needed to win by
two clear goals in order to pip us to second place in the group on the
head-to-head record.


== Chances but no breakthrough ==


Neither side were truly on top in the first half and shots were exchanged
down both ends, keeping the respective goalkeepers' gloves warm at least.
Soonsup-Bell sliced wide before teeing up Xavier Simons after an attack
down the right, though the ball came in at an awkward height for the
skipper and he could only guide it over the bar.


https://i.imgur.com/BBWfOpo.jpg
Soonsup-Bell tested the goalkeeper on a number of occasions in the first
half


Striker Vladislav Saus then tested Bergstrom with an attempt the Finn
proved equal to before the visitors replied with Silko Thomas shooting
tamely and Lewis Hall firing over following Charlie Webster's cutback.


Those two combined again midway through the first period, Hall swinging in
a corner dangerously from the right and Webster getting there but heading
just the wrong side of Byazrov's near upright.


== Heading in front ==


The visitors, donning our changed third strip, ended the half in the
ascendancy. Arseniy Zigangirov lost out to Soonsup-Bell and then took out
Vale on the edge of the box, a foul which earned the centre-back the
game's first booking. From the resulting free-kick, Webster curled a
strike promisingly towards the left corner but just off-target.


Joe Haigh then threatened with a mazy dribble while Soonsup-Bell made a
rare cutting run in behind but both finishes lacked the necessary
conviction to prove the opener. However, it didn't take long into the
second half for that elusive breakthrough to finally arrive.


https://i.imgur.com/964tlo3.jpg
Haigh's jinking run ended in another tame effort


With our attacking talent running out of answers, it was defender
Gilchrist who powered the visitors into a 50th-minute lead, Hall turning
provider with a cross from the right and the 18-year-old thundering a
downward header into the bottom corner to make it 1-0.


https://i.imgur.com/iqgi1Rn.jpg
Gilchrist's header gave us the lead early in the second half


That proved a decisive moment in the contest, extinguishing Zenit's
long-shot ambitions of progress from the group and handing the Blues a
platform on which to build in the final 40 minutes.


== Russian resistance ==


Yet it was Bergstrom involved in the centre of the action over the next
period in the game, first reacting brilliantly to deny Roni Mikhailovskii
before watching Daniil Kuznetsov blaze the rebound over and then thwarting
the latter again as he had a go from distance.


Despite those excellent efforts, the Finn was at fault shortly afterwards
when Zenit equalised through Evgeny Kim, whose shot squirmed through the
goalkeeper's grasp and trickled across the snowy surface and over the
line.


Redemption of sorts was swift as Bergstrom dived low to his left to retain
parity in the contest, though the hosts were growing in confidence and
threatening as much as they had all afternoon in pursuit of a late winner.
Mikhailovskii misfired and Kim headed wide when unmarked from a corner in
the home team's best flurry of opportunities.


== Sub-zero subs impact ==


Changes aided the Blues as Malik Mothersille dragged a shot wide and then
his fellow substitute Leo Castledine clipped the outside of the far post
with an arrowing effort from the right before Zenit had keeper Byazrov to
thank for preserving a point.


https://i.imgur.com/Dcn1GND.jpg
Castledine's shot beat the keeper but clipped the outside of the post


The Zenit shot-stopper produced an excellent double save with five minutes
remaining to keep out Dion Rankine and then Luke Badley-Morgan on the
rebound, the latter requiring excellent reflexes to close the space at the
near post.


Despite the visitors having two goals ruled out late on for offside, the
1-1 draw was enough to get the job done and our return back to London with
a point was almost as welcome as the return to the dressing room warmth
once the final whistle sounded.


== What's next? ==


The Blues advance to the UEFA Youth League play-off round, where they will
travel to take on a winner from the Domestic Champions pathway in a
one-legged tie in order to reach the last-16.


Before then, FA Youth Cup football returns this weekend with our third
round tie at home to Leyton Orient. Kick-off at Kingsmeadow is 12 noon and
you can purchase tickets online here.


Chelsea (3-4-2-1):
Lucas Bergstrom

Josh Brooking Alfie Gilchrist Brodi Hughes

Silko Thomas Xavier Simons (c) Charlie Webster Lewis Hall
(Dion Rankine 74) (Jayden Wareham 86) (L.Badley-Morgan 86)

Joe Haigh Harvey Vale
(Leo Castledine 74) Jude Soonsup-Bell
(Malik Mothersille 64)


Unused subs - Prince Adegoke, Bryan Fiabema
Scorer - Gilchrist 50
Booked - Brooking 72; Thomas 73


Zenit St Petersburg (4-3-3):
David Byazrov

Dmitrii Bykov Arseniy Zigangirov (c) Danila Khotulev Aleksandr Sandrachuk

Evgeny Kim Dmitrii Vasilev Roni Mikhailovskii

Andrey Maryonov Vladislav Saus Daniil Kuznetsov
(Kirill Khvastukhin 66) (Akim Belokhonov h/t)


Unused subs - Georgii Korolev, Matvey Troshchenkov, Elisei Emelianov,
Valerii Murzakov, Ruslan Khailoev
Scorer - Kim 66
Booked - Zigangirov 36


Referee - Dumitri Muntean from Moldova

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When it comes to a crisis, still keep on running.

You believe in power. It's mental power.


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