Izuchukwu OkosiChelsea boss Graham Potter was a fulfilled coach Tuesday night as his team overcame the task of getting past RB Salzburg and consequently qualifying for the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League from Group E.
The duo of Mateo Kovacic and Kai Havertz sealed a 2-1 win at RB Salzburg in testing conditions and booking a last-16 spot.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelKovacic found the top corner with a first-time effort in the first half and after Nigerian-born Austrian international Junior Adamu had leveled it for Salzburg.
Havertz won the game in fine style by curling a sublime shot in.
“It is amazing, top corner, it makes my job a lot easier when they can do that,” Potter told BT Sport.
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“Great for Kai, I’m really pleased, he has been fighting and trying his best, so today to score that and help us win, fantastic.”
The goals were worthy of the win and Potter was pleased to see his side stop a 40-game unbeaten home record for Salzburg.
“I am delighted. It was a fantastic performance, I thought the players showed real courage here because the atmosphere, they are so intense,” he said.
“We were under pressure but I thought we controlled it well, we attacked well, created some chances. I was a bit disappointed to be only 1-0 half-time – one action from them, which can happen at this level – but we responded really well and a great goal from Kai and overall we deserved it.
“It was hard work but it is going to be at this level, that is how it is, away from home in the Champions League is so complicated, with the crowd and their team and the quality they have. Overall we played well, delighted for the players. They were fantastic.”
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
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