Graham Potter’s first game in charge of Chelsea ended in a tie with RB Salzburg, giving his team a difficult road to the Champions League quarterfinals.
Raheem Sterling was selected by the former Brighton manager for his first game in the tournament as an advanced wing-back, and the risk paid off when the striker curled in a goal just after halftime.
It marked an improvement from Chelsea’s loss to Dinamo Zagreb in their first Group E match last week, which resulted in Thomas Tuchel’s dismissal as manager.
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However, in the 75th minute, Noah Okafor headed in Junior Adamu’s low cross after Thiago Silva botched a challenge, giving Matthias Jaissle’s well-prepared Austrian team a point.
That goal served as a reminder of the dangers. Potter’s promising strategy entailed since it caught Sterling and Marc Cucurella off guard. However, the home team had chances to win when Reece James missed with a free kick, and substitute Hakim Ziyech came close to scoring at the back post.
Chelsea is in last place in Group E after two matches. The Serie A champions will be their opponents at Stamford Bridge on October 5 following AC Milan’s earlier 3-1 victory over Zagreb.
