Chelsea ended Red Bull Salzburg’s 40-match home unbeaten streak to reach the Champions League last 16 thanks to brilliant strikes from Mateo Kovacic and Kai Havertz. In a pulsating Group E encounter in Austria, Kovacic opened the scoring with an unstoppable left-footed effort from 18 yards, before Junior Adamu equalised following a clever pass from Maximilian Wober.
Chelsea keeper Thiago Silva and Salzburg’s Philipp Kohn were both kept busy, with Kohn denying Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang four times and Silva clearing a late chance from Strahinja Pavlovic. Havertz’s sublime curling finish ultimately secured the victory, sending Chelsea through to the knockout stage alongside Premier League rivals Manchester City.
With 10 points from five games, Chelsea sit four points clear of second-placed Salzburg with one match remaining. If Dinamo Zagreb fail to beat AC Milan in Croatia, Graham Potter’s side will finish as Group E winners and be seeded for the last-16 draw on 7 November.
