The defending UCL champions, Chelsea, played a thrilling 3-3 draw against Russian side FC Zenit in the Group H fixture of the UEFA Champions League 2021-22 season. Chelsea finished second in the group standings and FC Zenit qualified for the UEFA Europa League.
We’ve broken down all the key stats for you to digest, including;
* shot maps
* xT (expected threat)
* pass networks
* xG timelines
* defensive duels
* average positions and much more!
We also try to answer some questions for you with the visuals;
How many shots were attempted by FC Zenit? What were Chelsea’s xT creation zones in the match?
To navigate the stats gallery simply click on the numbers to move through the pages.
At the end of the gallery, you’ll be able to download the full PDF stats report.
The home team lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation and Iranian forward Serdar Azmoun led the attack.
By having a look at the average position of the players, we can observe that Wilmar Barrios played as the defensive midfielder. Malcom played a high attacking line from the right side.
Timo Werner and Romelu Lukaku started for the first time since returning from injury. Reece James played as a midfielder, and Saul operated as the left wing-back.
Reece James played in a holding midfield role and Ross Barkley was more of a box-to-box midfielder. Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic were introduced in the second half. Havertz operated behind the striker, and Pulisic played on the right side.
Both teams created a combined total of 52 positional attacks and nine counterattacks. Zenit dominated the possession in the first half but the Blues made a comeback in the second. A total of 71 recoveries each were made by both teams.
Werner attempted five shots in the match and his expected goal rate was 1.18. Reece James attempted 13 passes into the final third and made six recoveries inside the opposition’s half.
The home team attempted 16 passes with a 37.5% shot accuracy rate. The xG rate of Zenit was 2.57, and ten shots were attempted from inside the opposition’s penalty box.
Chelsea players attempted 12 shots and created an xG rate of 2.75. They managed to hit the target eight times and two goals were scored from inside the opposition’s six-yard box.
The xT timeline shows that Chelsea created threats at the start of the first and the second half. Their xT timeline rises towards the end of the first half and at the start of the second half. Serdar Azmoun and Timo Werner hit the target three times.
Claudinho was involved in a lot of play and he attempted 81 passes. His 13 passes were towards Wilmar Barrios.
Reece James was the highest passer for the away team. His 13 passes were towards Malang Sarr. James and Sarr received 62 passes each in the match.
Malcom attempted five smart passes in the match from the left side. Claudinho attempted the most crosses for the home team. Both the players landed their five passes inside the opposition’s penalty box.
Saul attempted the most crosses for the Blues. Mason Mount attempted three smart passes and five crosses. His seven passes landed inside the opposition’s penalty box.
The xT creation zones of the home team were on the wider sides. The players tried to get inside the box from the wider positions. Douglas Santos created the highest threat rate from passes.
Malcom attempted the most number of dribbles in the match and created the second-highest threat rate. Claudinho created the highest threat rate and attempted three dribbles in the match.
Chelsea created threats from the wider position as well as from the centre. Callum Hudson-Odoi created the highest threat rate for the away side.
Werner attempted the most dribbles for the away team. His five dribbles created an xT rate of 0.128.
The home team won 12 defensive duels in the middle third. Douglas Santos and Wilmar Barrios won two duels each for Zenit.
Dejan Lovren contested six aerial duels and had a 66.67% success rate. Most of the duels were won inside their half.
Zenit players contested and won most of their duels in the middle third. Artem Dzyuba won three out of the five loose ball duels contested.
The Blues won most of their defensive duels in the middle third. Reece James contested 11 duels, won three, and lost three defensive duels.
Malang Sarr and Saul contested four aerial duels each. Sarr won three duels and Saul won two aerial duels.
Werner contested the most loose ball duels in the match. He won three, lost two, and his three duels ended in a neutral result. Cesar Azpilicueta and Saul won four duels each.
Zenit created a lot of chances and deserved the point that they earned. The home team attempted more shots and were a constant threat towards the opposition’s goal. Chelsea were unable to finish at the top of the table and will now face a tougher opponent in the knockout phase.
If you want to download the stats report in PDF format you can do so here: UEFA Champions League 2021/22 Stats: Zenit vs Chelsea