Olivier Giroud’s 91st minute winner against Rennes ensured Chelsea qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League with two games to spare in the group stage.
The Blues won 2-1 away at Rennes, despite Callum Hudson-Odoi’s early opener being cancelled out by Serhou Guirassy’s 85th minute header.
Substitute Olivier Giroud, who has only played 127 minutes all season, made the desired impact from the bench, scoring his first goal of the season for Chelsea, in injury time to give the Blues the win.
Speaking after the match, Frank Lampard was adamant he wants the French striker to stay, despite the 34-year-old striker admitting he will consider his future in January due to the lack of minutes: ‘Oli will get his minutes because we have a busy schedule we play every few days.
‘I think the reason you see such a reaction around the goal, not only was it in the last minute but with someone like Oli you see how he acts day in, day out and it shows you what he means to this team.’
Chelsea threatened to run away with the match early on, piling on the pressure, and pinning the French side back.
Timo Werner, who missed a host of chances against Newcastle at the weekend, spurned another glorious chance to score three minutes in, blazing a cross over from six yards out.
Hudson-Odoi put the visitors ahead after Mason Mount turned over possession before brilliantly playing his fellow Chelsea youth academy graduate in behind for a simple one on one finish.
However, after the Blues went ahead, they invited pressure onto themselves, with Ben Chilwell misplacing two back-passes in the first half, which required Thiago Silva to clear away the resulting danger.
Lampard’s men were lucky to go into the break ahead, and after halftime, Rennes continued to control the ball in search of an equaliser.
The leveller eventually came from the home side’s 11th corner of the match.
Guirassy drifted away from his marker to power a free header past his ex-teammate Edouard Mendy.
The equaliser revitalised the visiting team as they went in search of a late winner.
Chilwell arrived free at the backpost to meet Hakim Ziyech’s cross but failed to get a firm connection on the ball to have a meaningful attempt at goal.
The Moroccan then played Werner through on goal, and the German’s scuffed shot forced Alfred Gomis to parry into the air but luckily Giroud was on hand to spare the German’s blushes.
Following the match, Lampard expressed his delight to secure qualification so early: ‘I’m very happy to qualify with two games to spare. It was a really tough match, they’re a very good team. Their recent form doesn’t reflect how good they are, it was a tough, hard-fought win.’
By Sajidur Rahman
