Chelsea laboured to a 1-0 victory over Malmö in Champions League Group H on Tuesday night in southern Sweden.
It was a frustrating first half of attack versus defence that yielded just one clear-cut opportunity for the visitors. Ruben Loftus-Cheek slipped Kai Havertz through just before the half-hour mark but the false nine delayed a shot, allowing a defender to apply some pressure and his effort was smothered by the goalkeeper.
Hakim Ziyech and Loftus-Cheek spurned half-chances and Andreas Christensen saw a long-range drive saved at the second attempt by Johan Dahlin before Malmö almost delivered a hammer blow in first-half stoppage time, with Antonio-Mirko Colak volleying just wide of Edouard Mendy's far post following smart work by Sergio Peña from a drop ball.
Loftus-Cheek engineered a chance for himself ten minutes after the break, showing great strength and smart footwork before getting a shot away, but Dahlin blocked.
Two minutes later Chelsea got the all-important goal, with Callum Hudson-Odoi combining with Havertz before running clear and laying the ball on a plate for Ziyech, who finished fist time into the empty net.
