With 10 points, the Blues can no longer be caught by their evening opponents who remain blocked at six.

Zagreb and Milan have four each, but the Italians having been beaten twice (3-0, 2-0) by the Londoners, only the Croats, who won (1-0) in the first leg against Chelsea, can prevent you from finishing in the lead.

It is in any case a ninth game in a row without defeat - six wins, three draws - for Graham Potter since his arrival on the bench of the Blues.

Thomas Tuchel's successor arguably saw his team's best 45 minutes of the season on Tuesday in a first half where they could, or even should, have killed the game.

Mateo Kovacic (1-0, 23rd) and Kai Havertz (2-1, 64th) made sure there were no more cobwebs in the right skylights of the two cages, with two sublime strikes, but Chelsea shook all the way.

Chelsea players Raheem Sterling (centre) and Mateo Kovacic (right) enjoying the Champions League game against Salzburg on October 25, 2022 BARBARA GINDL APA/AFP

The fault lies with the lack of realism of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (32nd, 45 + 1, 52nd), added to the excellent match of Philipp Köhn in the Austrian goals.

But also in the much more energetic second half of Red Bull led by a decisive Junior Adamu at both ends of the field.

The young Austrian striker (21) first equalized on a smoothly led counter where he only had to set foot in opposition to convert a perfect cross from Maximilian Wöber (1-1, 48th).

Five minutes later, it was he too who was on his line to repel a deflection of Jorginho's head from a corner (53rd).

Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (left) against Salzburg's Swiss goalkeeper Philipp Köhn (right) during the Champions League match in Salzburg on October 25, 2022 KRUGFOTO APA/AFP

Without an intervention in front of his Thiago Silva line, after Kepa had lost an aerial duel against defender Strahinja Pavlović (69th), Salzburg could still have come back to the height.

By qualifying from the 5th day, and by offering themselves the prospect of a last home match without stake or almost against Zagreb next Wednesday, Chelsea offers themselves a little relief in a busy schedule and for a workforce which does not is not spared from injury.

© 2022 AFP