One of those nights when everything fell Chelsea’s way, and the path to the last 16 is now clear. A trip to the San Siro wasn’t the challenge it had seemed, or that it used to be, but that wasn’t completely true despite Milan now being a level or two below Graham Potter’s side. The truth was that everything went against the Italian champions in this Group E fixture, and Chelsea made it all count for a 2-0 win.
That is something that has already become impressive in these early days of the Potter tenure, and why there was real merit in a performance that otherwise became a routine group-stage win. If that will ensure it is one of those games that disappears into history other than as a result in the records, it would at least suit Fikayo Tomori. How the Milan defender could do with forgetting this match.
Tomori completed a dismal double against his former club, following a poor performance in the first game, with a red card after just 19 minutes here.
It was admittedly a debatable decision and can lead to fair discussion over whether this game would have been quite so comfortable for Chelsea had Tomori stayed on. Milan certainly insisted he should. The home team had arguably been the better side until then, really going at Chelsea, which was arguably why Mason Mount’s sudden breakthrough caught their defence by surprise.
Tomori tried to get around the midfielder and in doing so pulled him, Mount going to ground for a penalty. Since the rigours of the law dictated that this was denying a goal-scoring opportunity if it was actually a foul – and Mount had got a shot off as he fell – it meant Tomori had to go.
The main question was whether it should have been judged a foul at all. There was no doubt it dictated the entire game. It certainly resulted in a dull second half.
It was as if the Milan players knew this, that this was their chance, as more cards came out when they remonstrated with the officious Daniel Siebert. The penalty was even delayed, while fans from the raucous Curva Sud poured forward to scream abuse. None of it flustered Jorginho, who had already got a few extra boos given his Napoli history. He rolled the ball into the corner in typical style.
Milan, showing the promise from Stefano Pioli’s management that means the team are much more than the account they gave of themselves in this double-header, did respond well. They even remained the better side for spells. They should have been level soon afterwards.
Another former Chelsea player had a moment almost as bad as Tomori’s. Olivier Giroud at least stayed on the pitch, before later being subbed off, but the fact he put the ball so far off the pitch from such a promising position perhaps had a lot to do with the latter.
On 27 minutes, Brahim Diaz lofted in a lovely cross that just demanded to be headed into the corner. Giroud, completely unmarked and in prime position, couldn’t do that. The former French international somehow put it well wide, and that was pretty much that for Milan.
Within minutes, in one of a few bursts of life Chelsea showed throughout the game, Potter’s side had carved Pioli’s defence open.
This was in some ways the most encouraging moment we’ve seen from the new manager’s team so far. Through a series of angled passes, Chelsea just sliced through Milan, Mount playing it in before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang arrived to drive the ball into the corner.
If Chelsea can produce that kind of incision regularly, to really complement Potter’s clever tactical structure, we may begin to see a really serious team.
They have already displayed their growth with the manner in which they have recovered from a horror start – and an underwhelming opening draw for Potter – to win what appeared to be the two most difficult games in the group.
Again, that wasn’t completely Milan’s fault, as this was not a match where they enjoyed any luck. Chelsea nevertheless more than acted on it.
This epic stadium didn’t offer the scale of challenge it should. Neither, it seems, will this group.
