Chelsea's Late Collapse at Zenit Could Be Costly in Champions League Title Defense

Chelsea's road to repeating as Champions League winner likely got significantly more difficult after settling for a second-place group finish.

Chelsea's quest to repeat as European champion may have gotten significantly more difficult.

All Chelsea had to do to top its Champions League group was hold out for a couple of more minutes. With a 3–2 lead over Zenit St. Petersburg and a first-place finish within its grasp, it was all there for the taking for the defending European champions. But a stoppage-time concession forced Chelsea to settle for a draw, and subsequently a second-place group finish that makes the road to returning to Zenit's home stadium—the final is set to be staged there in late May—all the more challenging.

ZENIT SCORES IN STOPPAGE TIME! Magomed Ozdoev beats Kepa with a stunner, and now Chelsea is going through as a group runner-up! #UCL

(via @TUDNUSA) pic.twitter.com/SLHYoOGj44

— SI Soccer (@si_soccer) December 8, 2021

By virtue of Chelsea's draw and Juventus's win, it's the struggling Italian power that goes through as winner of their Champions League group, something that makes Chelsea's possibilities in Monday's round-of-16 draw more treacherous. Instead of being paired with a runner-up, Chelsea will go up against a group winner, and with three English teams topping their groups, the options are limited. (Clubs cannot be drawn against other clubs from the same association or clubs from their group in the last 16.)

The Blues are guaranteed to face either Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Ajax or Lille.

There's a wide range of degree of difficulty that comes with those possibilities. Bayern would make for the most devastating draw, while Chelsea would take its chances against whichever side wins the unsettled Group G. Ajax went through the group stage a perfect 6-0-0, while Real Madrid has been rounding into form and would represent a rematch from last season's semifinal round. Lille, meanwhile, has also found its form after a struggle at the beginning of its Ligue 1 title defense.

Regardless, Wednesday's result won't be a welcome development for manager Thomas Tuchel, whose club conceded three goals for the second time in as many games after having not done that only twice during the entirety of the calendar year (and not since April). The result also spoils a solid showing from forward Timo Werner, who had two goals and an assist and had scored what appeared to be the match-winner in 85th minute off an assist from U.S. star Christian Pulisic, only to have his effort be for naught.