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LONDON – Eden Hazard signed what could be his last appearance at Stamford Bridge with Chelsea with a winning penalty, while Maurizio Sarri's men booked their place in the Europa League final with a spectacular shootout victory on Eintracht Frankfurt after a 1-1 draw. at Stamford Bridge.
Good points
Chelsea still has the hope of finishing this roller coaster season with silverware, Hazard can still sign with a winner 's medal and Sarri can still win the first major trophy of his coaching career. Arsenal is waiting in Baku for what promises to be the most surreal London Derby.
The negatives
The second half was a familiar story. Chelsea, having dominated Eintracht for the first 45 minutes, went astray at the beginning of the second half and allowed his opponents to pull out the equalizer that made him tarnish. Sarri will know that much better is needed to defeat Arsenal in the final.
Rating of the manager out of 10
6 – The starting lineup of Sarri had the expected effect early in the game, but what does he say (or does not he say) to his team at halftime? Willian and Ruben Loftus-Cheek's open anger at the substitution is not a good look for the Italian, and his decision to snub Gary Cahill when Andreas Christensen injured is a huge risk, but ultimately she is almost paid. of.
Player's Notes (1-10; 10 = Best Players Introduced After 70 Minutes Receive No Notes)
GK Kepa Arrizabalaga, 8 years old – He is arguably the best rescue of his career at Chelsea so far in the first half, beating high to shake Danny da Costa's stunning volley off his top-left corner. It was not really tested after that until David Luiz let him brutally exposed to the ruthless Luka Jovic, but kept off another hard effort from Mijat Gacinovic before becoming a hero in the shooting with two stops.
DF Cesar Azpilicueta, 5 – Was incredibly lucky not to see a straight red card for a two-foot reckless madman who hit Gacinovic on the knee. Otherwise, he handled his unexpected transition to the back very well. He thought he had won in overtime, then telegraphed Kevin Trapp's penalty for it to save.
DF Andreas Christensen, 6 years old – Did a heavy early fall and sometimes the physiognomy of Jovic and Ante Rebic troubled him, but he generally handled dangerous situations quickly and without hassle. Injured in the 74th minute, Davide Zappacosta replaced him and Azpilicueta went to the back.
DF David Luiz, 6 – He had a hard time facing Jovic, allowing the Serb to climb over him to try his luck and then lose him twice before Eintracht's equalizer. Partially saved by Sebastien Haller, he partially saved the check by a painful defeat.
DF Emerson Palmieri, 6 years old – His overlap on the left flank caused a lot of problems at Eintracht during a particularly brilliant first half-hour, but the general collapse of Chelsea's offensive game diminished the effectiveness of his attacks. . At the other end, his ambition sometimes left his teammates exposed.
MF Mateo Kovacic, 5 years old – Never had the chance to shine with the thankless task of replacing N & G's Kante right of Chelsea's third midfielder. He could not provide the same defensive coverage as the Frenchman, and his defeat, generally neat, failed him too often as the home side lost control after half-time.
MF Jorginho, 7 – It continued its momentum in the first period, coming under impressive pressure to give Chelsea the advantage and initiate some of its most promising moves. I found the match more difficult in the second half, but never stopped showing for the ball, even if those around it were working. Guarded the head in the shooting.
MF Ruben Loftus-Cheek, 7 – His skilful combinations with Hazard and Emerson were at the base of Chelsea's best attacks, and he was not surprised to see him break the deadlock after being dropped by the Belgian. More errors slipped into his game after the interval and Barkley replaced him in the 86th minute.
FW Willian, 4 – We had some good times in the first period when Chelsea attacked with speed, fluency and goal, but was one of the worst culprits, as they came out of the interval still asleep. Reacted angrily as Sarri tried to comfort him after his substitution, but he could not complain.
FW Olivier Giroud, 5 years old – He held the ball well in the first minutes and made several assists almost immediately after the goal, forcing Trapp to make a good save. The hands of the German international were again stung with a long-range strike, but its influence diminished with the quality of the service.
FW Eden Hazard, 7 – He seemed to want Garland which is most certainly his last appearance at Stamford Bridge in Chelsea with an individual masterclass, and it was his moment of magic that created the first match of Loftus-Cheek. He drifted everywhere in search of another decisive contribution, but little of what he tried came out. When the shooting fell on his way, however, he would always be equal to the present moment.
replacements
FW Pedro, 4 – Worked as hard as he always did, but seemed unable to find a teammate with one of his passes, losing the ball repeatedly in difficult areas, while Eintracht rallied.
DF Davide Zappacosta, 7 – Amazingly chosen in front of Cahill by Sarri when Christensen was to be replaced. I steadily advanced, made two trapping jams of Trapp with long-range strikes and managed a good recovery block on Haller's overtime header.
MF Ross Barkley, 6 years old – Sarri's decision to summon him for Loftus-Cheek was not popular, but he breathed fresh energy and enthusiasm into the Chelsea midfield. Hazard should have played without fail in his team's best overtime attack. Marked an excellent penalty.
FW Gonzalo Higuain, 5 years old – Inevitably, Giroud replaced Giroud as Chelsea's fourth substitute in overtime, but he could not positively affect things and still managed to slow down on a field of tired players. Not trust with a penalty in the shootout.
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