The Blues needed a win to secure top spot in Group E but got off to the worst possible start when they fell 1-0 down to the Croatian side inside seven minutes. Raheem Sterling ended his recent poor run when he equalized shortly after, before Zakaria scored the winner at the half-hour mark to send Graham Potter’s side top.
Zakaria has endured a miserable time at Stamford Bridge since his transfer deadline move from Juventus, with his loan move so far proving pointless. This was the Switzerland international’s first appearance for Chelsea, but proved that he belongs in the Premier League outfit by putting on an outstanding performance. In addition to his goal, he had 98 percent pass accuracy and played one key pass as well.
Supporters have been calling for the on-loan midfielder to be given a chance in the first-team, with Potter even stating recently that the midfielder deserved an opportunity. Zakaria has plenty of competition ahead of him in the Chelsea midfield which led to him sitting on the sidelines.
But the former Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder took his chance with both hands against Zagreb, as supporters took to Twitter to offer their support:
Graham Potter ‘really impressed’ by Chelsea midfielder following Champions League win
Following the victory, Potter was affusive in his praise for the Swiss midfielder, describing his appearance as ‘really good.’ Potter told BT Sport after the game in west London (as per BBC Sport):
Potter went on to discuss Chelsea’s overall performance, as he stated:
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