Zenit St Petersburg 3-3 Chelsea: Dramatic equaliser means Blues finish second in group

A dramatic equaliser from Zenit St Petersburg four minutes into added time meant holders Chelsea failed to top their Champions League group.

Substitute Magomed Ozdoev scored a stunning half-volley from the edge of the box after Chelsea had come from behind to lead 3-2 with minutes left.

Timo Werner scored in both halves and also set up Romelu Lukaku after Zenit had come from 1-0 down to lead 2-1.

But Ozdoev's strike meant Chelsea finish behind Juventus, who beat Malmo.

Thomas Tuchel's side - whose only defeat of the group stages came in Turin when they lost 1-0 to Juventus - made the perfect start, Werner reacting to poke in the opener within three minutes.

Two goals in quick succession from Claudinho and Sardar Azmoun saw Zenit go in front at the break, before Werner's one-two with Ross Barkley helped tee up Lukaku for Chelsea's second.

Werner, who was a threat for Chelsea throughout, showed composure to make it 3-2 when substitute Christian Pulisic played him in with five minutes remaining.

But Ozdoev's stunning stoppage-time strike ensured Juventus topped Group H, while Zenit finished in third and will go into the Europa League play-offs in February.

Chelsea troubled by Zenit

Tuchel made eight changes for the game in Russia, saying fresh legs were needed to manage a heavy fixtures schedule in December.

Lukaku, returning to the side for the first time since October after injury, lacked sharpness but was in the right place to tap in Werner's cut-back in the second half.

Werner thought he had given Chelsea victory when he slotted in his second late on - anxiously awaiting a check from the video assistant referee for a potential offside.

But Zenit, who had threatened Chelsea on numerous occasions in the first half, remained a threat deep into stoppage time.

Earlier misses from Mason Mount, Werner and Saul will add to Chelsea's disappointment but Zenit also had chances of their own - Azmoun was denied in a one-on-one with Kepa Arrizabalaga in the first half and again from a header in the second.

Chelsea end the group stage with four wins from six games, two points off Juventus.

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Zenit St Petersburg

Squad number41Player nameKerzhakov

Squad number15Player nameKaravaev

Squad number6Player nameLovren

Squad number44Player nameRakitskiy

Squad number3Player nameDouglas Santos

Squad number5Player nameBarrios

Squad number10Player nameMalcom

Squad number14Player nameKuzyaev

Squad number8Player nameWendel

Squad number11Player nameClaudinho

Squad number7Player nameAzmoun

Squad number4Player nameKrugovoy

Squad number17Player nameMostovoy

Squad number21Player nameErokhin

Squad number22Player nameDzyuba

Squad number27Player nameOzdoev

Chelsea

Squad number1Player nameArrizabalaga

Squad number28Player nameAzpilicueta

Squad number4Player nameChristensen

Squad number31Player nameSarr

Squad number20Player nameHudson-Odoi

Squad number24Player nameJames

Squad number18Player nameBarkley

Squad number17Player nameSaúl

Squad number19Player nameMount

Squad number9Player nameLukaku

Squad number11Player nameWerner

Squad number3Player nameAlonso

Squad number10Player namePulisic

Squad number22Player nameZiyech

Squad number29Player nameHavertz

Line-ups

Zenit St Petersburg

Formation 4-1-4-1

41Kerzhakov

15Karavaev6Lovren44Rakitskiy3dos Santos Justino de Melo

5Barrios

10Malcom14Kuzyaev8Valle da Silva11Rodrigues Parisi Leonel

7Azmoun

Substitutes

Chelsea

Formation 3-4-1-2

1Arrizabalaga

28Azpilicueta4Christensen31Sarr

20Hudson-Odoi24James18Barkley17Saúl

19Mount

9Lukaku11Werner

Substitutes

Live Text

Match ends, Zenit St Petersburg 3, Chelsea 3.

Second Half ends, Zenit St Petersburg 3, Chelsea 3.

Hand ball by Marcos Alonso (Chelsea).

Goal! Zenit St Petersburg 3, Chelsea 3. Magomed Ozdoev (Zenit St Petersburg) right footed shot from outside the box to the top left corner.

Marcos Alonso (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Foul by Aleksandr Erokhin (Zenit St Petersburg).

Malang Sarr (Chelsea) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Foul by Artem Dzyuba (Zenit St Petersburg).

Goal! Zenit St Petersburg 2, Chelsea 3. Timo Werner (Chelsea) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Christian Pulisic.

Attempt saved. Timo Werner (Chelsea) header from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Christian Pulisic with a cross.

Attempt missed. Douglas Santos (Zenit St Petersburg) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right following a corner.

Attempt blocked. Aleksandr Erokhin (Zenit St Petersburg) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Daniil Krugovoy with a cross.

Corner, Zenit St Petersburg. Conceded by César Azpilicueta.

Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Vyacheslav Karavaev.

Attempt blocked. Timo Werner (Chelsea) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Kai Havertz.

Substitution, Zenit St Petersburg. Magomed Ozdoev replaces Daler Kuzyaev.

Substitution, Zenit St Petersburg. Aleksandr Erokhin replaces Malcom.

Substitution, Zenit St Petersburg. Artem Dzyuba replaces Sardar Azmoun because of an injury.

Substitution, Chelsea. Kai Havertz replaces Romelu Lukaku.

Substitution, Chelsea. Marcos Alonso replaces Saúl Ñíguez.

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