Wesley Fofana, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Reece James were the goalscorers for the home side in the win, which lifted them to 2nd place in the group. Salzburg lead with five points, one point ahead of Chelsea and Milan.
Only two points separate the top and bottom of the even group, in which Dinamo Zagreb also cling.
– It was a good night for us. We needed a good performance and the attitude of the players was fantastic. A very important win for us,” Chelsea manager Graham Potter told BT Sport.
Milan started the game well, but midway through the first half Chelsea insisted on scoring. Midfielder Thiago Silva was allowed to go up without pressure from three straight set pieces. The third time was supposed to happen, and Fofana made it 1-0 after the ball went loose on the pitch.
A whiff of joy for the London club is that Fofana had to leave the pitch with an injury six minutes before half-time.
– We have to examine it tomorrow before we know how serious it is. The injury was the only disappointing thing today, Potter said.
Trust
2-0 was a done deal for Potter’s team after ten minutes in the second half. James hit a good cross behind the Milan defence, and Aubameyang was in the box and scored his second goal in a Chelsea shirt.
– It was not an easy game. Milan were good in the first half but we played with great intensity and confidence,” Aubameyang told BT Sport after scoring against one of his former clubs.
– I feel good at Chelsea. Everyone welcomed me, said the former Arsenal star.
James created even more cheers at Stamford Bridge when he hammered 3-0 from close range half an hour before the end.
Okafor again
Earlier on Wednesday, Salzburg’s Noah Okafor secured the top spot for the Austrians. From the penalty spot, he scored the team’s third goal in the group stage. The 22-year-old has been responsible for all the internet celebrities.
Bodø/Glimt superiors in Championship qualifier Dinamo Zagreb are in last place after a half-contested group stage. The Croatians surprisingly beat Chelsea 1-0 in the first game.
Dinamo Zagreb had chances against Salzburg and came close to being cut back when Josip Drmic finished directly on Salzburg goalkeeper Philipp Köhn in good position.
Drmic encouraged the equalizer in extra time, but was properly called off for offside.
