Romelu Lukaku praised by Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel for UCL performance vs Zenit
Speaking in a post-match press conference (h/t football.london), Thomas Tuchel has praised Chelsea star Romelu Lukaku for his performance against Zenit St. Petersburg during the club’s first UEFA Champions League group stage game of the season.
The Blues began their defence of the Champions League title against Zenit on Tuesday night and Tuchel fielded nearly the same team he ended the game with against Aston Villa on Saturday.
However, finding a breakthrough was not as simple as on the weekend as the German manager’s men were unable to create clear-cut chances against a tough and resolute defence. But then thanks to a beautifully curled cross into the box by captain Cesar Azpilicueta, Romelu Lukaku headed the ball into the back of the net and gave the West London club the lead with just 20 minutes to go.
This was the Belgian’s fourth goal in four games for the Stamford Bridge outfit, while it also marked his first Champions League goal for Chelsea, something he failed to produce during his first stint with the club nearly a decade ago.
Thomas Tuchel gave the plaudits to the 28-year-old star and explained how the striker performed well despite not having an easy game on the night. The German said (h/t football.london):
“The performance for Romelu was not easy, we didn’t create many chances for him, but he is a guy that doesn’t lose confidence. That’s why he is here. You don’t find many strikers of that quality, and the guys who are there to score regularly, they are so important as there are not many goals in football.”
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The win gave Chelsea a positive start to their UCL campaign this season, while this was also the club’s 5th win out of 6 games in all competitions. The Blues will now face Serie A giants Juventus in their 2nd game of the group stage after two weeks.