The Blues showed an improvement in their performance on Tuesday night, as they drew 0-0 against the team from the Ukrainian capital. While the result in Kiev means Chelsea are still four points behind Group G leader Porto, and a point behind Dynamo Kiev, there is a hope that they could reach the last 16.
For the first time this season Jose Mourinho’s side looked like the solid outfit that was so hard to break down last term.
The manager, who has been troubled since the opening match of the Premiership season, made some tactical decisions: the Blues captain, John Terry, who last year became the joint-highest defender in the history of the Premier League, was restored to the centre defence, while Eden Hazard, the 2014/5 PFA player of the year, was back in the midfield.
Also, the 20 year-old Kurt Zouma was selected to play at right-back, while Cesar Azpilicueta was reverted to left-back.
The tactics worked well as the Londoners neutralised Kiev’s biggest goal threat, Andrey Yarmolenko, and turned in their best 45-minute display of the season in the opening half; they had several chances for goals in the first half - Hazard almost scored, with Dynamo keeper Oleksandr Shovkovskiy saving via the help of a fingertip.
The visitors started the second half equally well, but unfortunately Willian and Hazard did not manage to turn their chances into goals. Nemanja Matic - the Man-of-the-Match- was solid in the midfield and also had a chance of scoring.
Mourinho is confident that progress is being made; his side will now need to win two of their last three matches in thegroup competition to qualify for the next phase.
They are third in the group, but two of their remaining three games - against Dynamo Kiev and Porto - are at Stamford Bridge. They will also need to play Maccabi Tel-Aviv away on 24 November, but the Blues’ manager is assured they could get three points in Israel.
As for Ukrainian champion, Uefa’s disciplinary body is now investigating a racial attack on four black spectators by a group of Dynamo fans, during the Tuesday night match.
The history is repeating itself at the Kiev’s Olympic Stadium, as the club was already fined and ordered to close part of the stadium after a Europa League match in March, when a racial attack had taken place towards Everton players.
