Penalties: Chelsea 1-1 Villarreal: Saved! Aissa Mandi has a short run-up, doesn’t look convincing, hits a shot that is unconvincing, and Kepa pushes it clear!
Penalties: Chelsea 1-1 Villarreal: Cesar Azpilicueta’s penalty is very similar to Havertz’s, only better. The keeper goes the right way, the height is helpful, but it’s too close to the post and Asenjo can’t reach it!
Penalties: Chelsea 0-0 Villarreal: Saved! Havertz hits his penalty to his right, nowhere near the corner and at a very stoppable height. If Asenjo went the right way he couldn’t help but stop it, and he did.
I’m a big fan of bringing goalkeepers on for shoot-outs. It’s certainly a lot better than bringing outfield players on for shoot-outs, which as England proved in the Euro 2020 final is a dodgy tactic.
Final score: Chelsea 1-1 Villarreal. Penalties ahoy!
90+30+2 mins: It’s all over! It’s not that there haven’t been any chances in the last 45 minutes or so of play, but Villarreal have largely been able to soak up the Chelsea pressure without exerting much of their own.
90+25 mins: Mount is fouled near the half-way line, then gets up and struts over to Moi Gomes, I think, who he shouts at a bit and pushes in the shoulder while the referee is looking the other way.
90+23 mins: Alonso’s decision-making is letting him down here. After the pull-back to Kovacic in Chelsea’s last attack, when really he should have crossed, this time he cuts onto his right foot and blasts over the bar.
90+17 mins: Villarreal threaten to break with two players free on the right flank. The linesman wants to give Chelsea a free kick and though the referee overrules him, the move petered out in confusion.
90+13 mins: Azpilicueta flings himself to the turf ludicrously inside Villarreal’s penalty area, claiming that Estupinan fouled him. The referee tells him not to be so silly.
90+11 mins: Mount is suddenly making all sorts of good runs into the box, but Villarreal are defending in numbers and Chelsea are relying on lucky bounces to make their chances.
90+2 mins: Raba spots Mendy loitering just outside his penalty area and shoots from just inside his own half. The ball rolls out of play near the corner flag.
90+3 mins: Pulisic gets the ball on the edge of the area, cuts infield, probably has a split second to shoot but doesn’t take it, keeps dribbling across the edge of the area and eventually has a shot from a poor position that hits Alonso, who is offside.
90 mins: Estupinan blasts a very curious pass up into the Irish sky. It lands in the penalty area, bounces a couple of times and then Asenjo sends it back into the air again, and in two very puzzling passes Villarreal have played themselves into a poor position (on which Chelsea fail to capitalise).
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