Zakaria makes his debut, scores the winner and leaves the pitch to the applause of the crowd

By Paul Lagan at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea 2 v Dynamo Zagreb 1

Denis Zakaria was an unlikely Champions League group-stage match winner.

But the Switzerland midfielder fired the Blues to a 2-1 win over aggressive and hard-working Dynamo Zagreb tonight at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues had already won their group, and so while this was a dead rubber, it allowed Zakaria the chance to make his bow for the West Londoners.

Chelsea had gone behind before Raheem Sterling levelled and Zakari then had his moment under the lights.

It’s uncertain if he will ever get another chance, there is talk of cutting short his loan from Juventus in January.

But if it’s his only game, then he can take some comfort from the game, and as he walked the perimeter of the pitch following his substitution with an injury, he was cheered and clapped by the appreciative Chelsea fan base.

Following Chelsea’s disasterous 4-2 defeat at Brighton at the weekend, this was a chance for many of those players to redeem themselves.

But the wheels on the Graham Potter bus fell off as early as the seventh minute when chronically poor defending allowed Bruno Petkovic, the embarrassingly easy task of nodding the ball past Mendy from close range.

Chelsea’s midfield failed to entertain the prospect of trying to close the visitors down and a regulation right byline cross was headed back across goal where the unchallenged striker did his bit.

A little piece of invention by Kai Havertz on 16 minutes, saw him whip in a fierce in-swinger to Sterling, but the striker could only side foot the ball into the Shed for a goalkick.

He was much better composed a minute later when he slotted home with a low, left-footer after with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang back heel gave him the space he needed.

He had a glorious chance to put the Blues into the lead on 30 minutes, but he skied another effort.

Thankfully he could rely on Zakaria to ram the ball home on 31 minutes to put the west Londoners 2-1 up.

The midfielder, 25, on a season-long loan from Juventus, was on the end of a good exchange of passes and was alone in the middle of the Zagreb penalty area but kept his composure when the ball came to him. His low right-footed effort evaded any attempt at deflection and ended up at the back of Dominik Livakovic’s net.

Chelsea successfully repelled the occasional foray on their defences and went in the break ahead.

There were no changes by either side at half-time.

Mendy was first into action on 50 minutes, doing well to tip away for a corner another free header - this time from Josip Sutalo.

A wonderful run and shot saw Aubameyang almost increase the blues lead on 53 minutes, but his edge of are effort pinged off the crossbar.

Head coach Graham Potter decided on a triple substitution on 63 minutes - on came Thiago Silva, Conor Callagher, and Armando Broja - off came Havertz, Aubameyang, and Kalidou Koulibaly.

They we’re soon followed by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who replaced Zakaria, who lipped off with a injury.

Christian Pulisic then replaced Sterling.

Che;sea should have finished off their oppenent deep into fed time, but Gallaher’s close-range shot was well parried away from Livakovic.

Chelsea face Arsenal at the Bridge on Sunday in the Premier League.

Teams: Chelsea, Mendy, Jorginho, Aubameyang, Chalobah, Sterling, Mount, Zakaria, Chilwell, Koulibaly, Azpilicueta, Havertz

Sus:, Bettinelli, Silva, Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Broja, Ziyech, Gallagher, Cucurella

Zagreb, Livakovic, Moharrami, Ademi, Ivanusec, Ivanusec, Ristovski, Ljubicic, Misic, Sutalo, Peric, Orsic

Subs: Nevistic, Stefulj, Lauritsen, Baturina, Emreli, Bockaj, Drmic, Theophile-Catherine, Bulat, Menalo, Spikic

Referee: Francois Letexier (France)