Hazard’s Chelsea dagger deflates Roma comeback

Date: 18th October 2017 at 10:37pm
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A thrilling Champions League encounter at Stamford Bridge saw Roma comeback from two goals down to eventually draw 3-3 with the Premier League title holders.

Both Edin Dzeko and Eden Hazard grabbed braces with Roma dominating possession for the majority of the match.

Initially, Chelsea took a two-goal lead through David Luiz then Hazard, with Aleksandar Kolarov pulling one back before half-time.

A brilliant second half comeback from the Giallorossi saw Dzeko bag a six-minute brace to put Roma infront, but Hazard got his second of the game to ensure the points were shared.

After Atletico Madrid’s draw in Qarabag earlier on Wednesday, Roma remain three points clear of the Spaniards in second and two behind Group C leaders Chelsea.

Diego Perotti had the first real chance of the game but his shot from range went wide.

That initial positivity from the Giallorossi quickly evaporated as a poor backpass from Federico Fazio put Alisson under pressure and he just nicked in ahead of Hazard who would have had an easy goal.

Not long after, Chelsea took the lead. David Luiz initally tried to play in Alvaro Morata but his pass was blocked by Juan Jesus. However, the ball trickled back into the path of Luiz who struck a brilliant curler from distance.

Hazard picked up a loose ball and went on his own before firing wide of Alisson’s right-hand post.

After going a goal up, Chelsea sat back, though Roma were initially unable to break down the Blues defence they did eventually start to test Thibaut Courtois.

Perotti had an effort easily saved, before Radja Nainggolan was played in on goal, but went for power and Courtois saved with his legs.

Some good interplay between Gerson and Edin Dzeko saw the Bosnian pick out Perotti on the left, but once again he fired straight at Courtois.

Just as it looked as if Roma were going to get themselves back into the game, Chelsea doubled their lead with a stinging counter attack.

Hazard intercepted a poor pass from Roma and sent Morata on his way down the left, though his initial shot hit Fazio, it looped towards Hazard who side-footed past Alisson at the back post.

Then, just before the break, Kolarov bagged a screamer, tapping the ball round Cesar Azpilicueta and powering into the roof go the net from a tight angle inside the penalty area.

Roma continued to dominate the ball in the second half and Chelsea had Courtois to thank as he touched the ball away from Dzeko who was ready to tap in from a low Kolarov cross.

It wasn’t long before Roma did restore parity as Dzeko volleyed in a long diagonal ball from Fazio, giving Courtois no chance. A screamer on his 100th game for Roma.

The comeback was complete on 70 minutes as Dzeko got his second. Kolarov swung in a freekick from the left, and his fellow ex-Manchester City teammate directed a header into the far corner.

It wasn’t to last as, four minutes later, Pedro got the ball on the right and a delicate cross was headed home by Hazard.

Dzeko missed an excellent opportunity to restore the Giallorossi’s lead soon after as he got on the end of an excellent Bruno Peres cross, but could only direct his header wide.

Both Antonio Rudiger and Gary Cahill had headers off target as the match drew to a close.

MATCH FACTS

  • Chelsea conceded three goals in a home Champions League game for the first time since a 3-1 defeat vs Atletico Madrid in April 2014.
  • Prior to tonight, that game vs Atletico was also the last home CL game in which the Blues had conceded at least seven shots on target.
  • Only twice had Roma recorded a highest possession than tonight (60%) in a CL away game: vs BATE in 2015, vs Cluj in 2010.
  • Tonight Edin Dzeko played his 100th for AS Roma in all competitions, scoring his 58th and 59th goal for the Giallorossi.
  • Dzeko and Kolarov both scored for the first time against Chelsea in all competitions (10th game for the Bosnian, 11th for the Serbian).
  • Kolarov scored his fourth goal in 38 Champions League appearances: the previous three came against Napoli, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
  • Kolarov has scored a goal and assisted another in the same Champions League game for the first time in his career.
  • Six of David Luiz’s last seven goals for Chelsea in all competitions have come from outside the box.
  • Eden Hazard bagged his second Champions League brace after the one against Maribor in 2014.
  • Roma have now conceded goals in each of their last 23 away games in the Champions League.

 

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