Football
Giroud books last-16 spot for Chelsea with late header
Chelsea sealed their progress to the Champions League knockout stage with two games to spare as Olivier Giroud’s late header secured victory at Rennes.
The French striker has played just 127 minutes for the Blues so far this season, but made the most of his time on the pitch here with an injury-time finish after Timo Werner’s effort had been blocked.
Just six minutes earlier, Rennes looked to have denied Chelsea when Serhou Guirassy headed home from a corner to cancel out Callum Hudson-Odoi’s opener.
Frank Lampard’s side dominated the first half and could easily have led by more than just Hudson-Odoi’s calm finish after he had been sent clear by a pinpoint pass from Mason Mount.
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They invited the home side on in the second half and had to rely on a defence that included the returning Thiago Silva and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who made a couple of good saves against his former club.
A late winner for Sevilla means both they and the Blues have 10 points in Group E, nine more than both Rennes and Krasnodar.
Chelsea make it 16 out of 17
- Rennes have won just one of their last 11 games in European competition (D2 L8).
- Chelsea have made the knockout stages in 16 of their 17 Champions League seasons (only failing in 2012/13).
- Rennes have managed just one clean sheet in their last 14 games in European competition (2-0 v Lazio in December 2019 in the Europa League).
- Chelsea have won three consecutive Champions League matches for the first time since December 2015.
- Chelsea are unbeaten in 13 games in all competitions, their longest run without defeat since November 2018 (18).
- Since his first European appearance for the blues in October 2018, Callum Hudson-Odoi has netted six goals in European competition, a haul bettered only by Olivier Giroud for the Blues in that time (12).
- Since the start of last season, Mason Mount has registered eight assists for Chelsea in all competition, a joint-high among players still with the club (also 8 for Azpilicueta and Abraham).
- Olivier Giroud is just the fourth player to score for both Chelsea and Arsenal in the Champions League (also Anelka, Fabregas and Gallas).
