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 as an advanced wing-back in his debut game in charge, and the risk paid off as the forward curled into the bottom corner just after the half.
It was a marked improvement from Chelsea’s loss to Dinamo Zagreb in their opening Group E match last week, which resulted in Thomas Tuchel’s dismissal as manager.
However, on the 75th minute, Noah Okafor headed in Junior Adamu’s low cross after Thiago Silva botched a tackle, giving Matthias Jaissle’s well-prepared Austrian team a point.
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That goal served as a reminder of the dangers Potter’s optimistic strategy entailed because 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, and the Serie A champions will be their opponents at Stamford Bridge on October 5 after AC Milan’s earlier 3-1 victory over Zagreb.
