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Chelsea boss Frank Lampard revealed he was ‘happy to qualify with games to spare’ as his side They beat Rennes in the Champions League.
The Blues secured their passage to the next leg of the Champions League with a 2-1 victory, although it was not always guaranteed.
Callum Hudson-Odoi scored in the 22nd minute to put Lampard’s team ahead.
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He received a brilliant pass from compatriot Mason Mount and then hit the ball into the bottom corner.
The goal reflected Chelsea’s devastating pace in attack, and Mount’s pass gave the Rennes defense no chance.
They led until the 85th minute when Serhou Guirassy headed home from a corner. That put a Chelsea win in doubt until Olivier Giroud appeared to score the winning goal in injury time.
Timo Werner’s shot was stopped by the Rennes goalkeeper to put the ball in the air. Giroud hit the header with a big jump to send the ball into the net.
Speaking after the victory, Lampard said: “I am very happy to qualify with two games to spare. It was a very tough game, it is a very good team. Their recent form does not reflect how good they are, it was a very close victory.
When asked about Giroud, the Englishman said: “He does things the way he does tonight, it’s great. It wasn’t just his goal when he entered, but his game and his physique.
“I have a problem because Tammy [Abraham] He’s playing well and Olivier at the restart was incredible. I have two players fighting for the position, but it’s a good problem. He’ll get his minutes for the number of games, you saw the reaction to his goal, and that wasn’t just because he was a late winner, it shows what he does from day to day and what it means to the team. “
Lampard will now look to the weekend when Chelsea take on Tottenham. Lampard said: “We have to prioritize the game we have in front of us, but we are aware of where we are in the league and that Sunday is a great game.
“It will always be because of the rivalry and they are a great team and now it’s just about preparing well. They will have a day off tomorrow and then Thursday morning we will start to think about the Spurs correctly. “
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