Dinamo Zagreb stunned Chelsea to beat the two-time Champions League winners 1-0 in Croatia. It was a shock win in the Croatian capital, but truly deserved as Chelsea failed to create major chances. 

The visitors started strongly, but were unable to convert their opportunities. Dinamo Zagreb had little possession, however they took their first chance of the match.

Mislav Orsic stroked the ball past Kepa Arrizabalaga after being played through by his attacking counterpart, Bruno Petkovic. The Blues had 66% possession in the first half, but found themselves one nil down at half-time due to wasteful finishing. 

In the second half, Chelsea continued to dominate the game, but failed to create many major chances. The visitors came closest through Reece James, however he could only hit the post. It was a performance full of desire and determination from the hosts, making their victory well-deserved.

The result sees Dinamo Zagreb move to the top of the group, whilst Chelsea sit rock bottom. Pressure will be building on Thomas Tuchel to find results quickly, otherwise he may face the sack. 

  • Story of the Match

Dinamo Zagreb made four changes from their 3-1 weekend win against Rijeka. Their most well-known player, Mislav Orsic, led the line alongside Petkovic.

Chelsea made six changes from their 2-1 win against West Ham. Most notably, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang came in to make their first appearances of the season in Zagreb. 

The first chance of the match came to Chelsea in the sixth minute. New signing Aubameyang laid the ball to Raheem Sterling in the middle of the box, however his shot was blocked. Although the offside flag was later raced, it showed the threat the visitors possessed. 

In the eight minute, Kai Havertz found space on the left flank to attack. He put a powerful ball into the box, but the former Arsenal striker was unable to latch onto it. The Gabon international had another chance a minute later, but chose to be selfless instead of taking the shot. In the opening ten minutes, the visitors had 67% possession as they dominated the game.

Smash and Grab

However, it was Dinamo Zagreb which capitalised on the first major chance. In the 13th minute, Petkovic headed a perfectly placed through-ball to Orsic. After being Wesley Fofana in a sprint, the Croatian found himself through on goal before delicately placing the ball past Kepa. It was a classic 'smash and grab' from the hosts.

Chelsea's dominance continued, but the hosts held firm in front of their jubilant fans. However, the visitors had to be wary of the hosts on the counter.

In the 30th minute, Arijan Ademi had a powerful shot from distance saved by the Spanish goalkeeper after a flowing move. As the match progressed, Dinamo Zagreb began to gain a foothold in the game, whilst Chelsea's frustration built up. 

The visitor's movement patterns were not flowing as their attacks continuously broke down. Chelsea eventually created another chance. Sterling whipped a delicate lobbed cross into Aubameyang, but he was unable to control the ball.

This summed up the first 45 minutes for Chelsea. Despite having the majority of possession, they failed to create a major chance. All three of their attackers seemed to be lacking on confidence, especially new signing Aubameyang. 

For the second half, Thomas Tuchel made an attacking substiution. Hakim Ziyech replaced Cesar Azpilicueta, which saw the Blues switch to a back four. 

Chelsea thought they had equalised in the 49th minute, but they were denied by the offside flag. Mateo Kovacic played a sweeping ball in behind for Ben Chilwell. The Englishman laid it off for the former Dortmund striker, but Chilwell had started his run too early. It was a sign of an impressive start to the second half for the Blues. 

Tonight's match demonstrated the use of semi-automated offside decisions for the first time. The technology showed how far the Englishman was offside, allowing for offside decisions to be more consistent.

In the 56th minute, Stefan Ristovski's long range strike was denied by a spectacular save by Kepa. The Blues were continuing to dominate, but the strike from the North Macedonian highlighted the threat the Croatian side possessed. 

A double change from Tuchel with thirty minutes to go saw Jorginho and Armando Broja replace Kovacic and Aubameyang retrospectively. It was a disappointing performance from the new signing, who lacked confidence in the box.

Lacking the final Product

Thomas Tuchel's  men continued to fizz low crosses into the box, but they failed to find a blue shirt at the end of it. Despite an attacking chance at half-time, the West London team were still failing to create major chances. With twenty minutes to go, Havertz found himself in space in the final third. But, the chance amounted to nothing, after the German chose to ran into danger instead of passing to a teammate. 

With fifteen minutes to go, Sterling was replaced by Christian Pulisic, as the Blues searched for a winner. Moments later, goalscorer Orsic was replaced by Dario Spikic. It was a stunning performance from the Croatian, but Ante Cacic's side needed fresh legs for the final 15 minutes.

Havertz had a glorious chance to equalise with a header. He was denied by some heroic last gasp defending from Robert Ljubicic. It was Chelsea's best chance of the night so far, but they were still unable to find an equaliser. 

With just five minutes to go, Reece James struck the post with a ferocious effort. This led to chaos within the box as Dominik Livakovic made a heroic double save to deny the Blues. Dinamo Zagreb defended for their lives in the final minutes, which was the epitome of the effort and desire they had throughout the match.

Eight minutes were added on for stoppage time. This threatened a jubilant night for the home fans. In the end, the West London side were unable to seriously threaten the hosts in the final minutes. 

The full-time whistle blew in Zagreb, allowing the exhausted home players to celebrate with their delighted fans. The result sees Chelsea lost a third away game this season, whilst Dinamo Zagreb go to the top of the group. 

  • Player of the Match: Mislav Orsic

The 29-year-old produced a superb display to stun the two-time Champions League winners. After previously scarring Tottenham Hotspur in 2021, Orsic has now damaged another London side. 

His goal showed his sensational pace, which allowed him to beat Fofana to the ball. Even so, it was the composure and calmness the Croatian showed in front of goal which was most impressive. It was a delicate finish from the winger, giving the hosts a valuable lead. With that being the only goal of the game, it allowed Orsic to be the hero for the home side.