Maurizio Sarri came out of a bruising contest with a well deserved 1-1 draw and a vital away goal heading into the second-leg as Chelsea made it a record 16 games unbeaten in the Europa League.
Chelsea started the game with energy and purpose not content with just sitting back and soaking up the pressure they took the game to Frankfurt with Ruben Loftus-Cheek at the heart of some promising moves.
Frankfurt however always looked to possess quality out wide and Filip Kostic ensured his side made the most of their opportunities crossing low for Luka Jovic to steal in ahead of David Luiz and poke the ball past Kepa Arrizabalaga in the Chelsea net.
The Blues responded with little in the way of clear cut chances, but just on the stroke of half time, they grabbed a route back into the game through Pedro, who picked up a loose ball in the area before twisting past a couple of challenges and finding the bottom corner with unerring accuracy.
After the break, Chelsea began to up the tempo drastically and their high press was met with hurried and tired attempts from the Frankfurt backline to pass their way out of trouble.
It was not for lack of trying that Chelsea were unable to grab a second goal, with Loftus-Cheek and Hazard coming close while David Luiz struck the bar with a free-kick but as it stands the second-leg is still very much up for grabs although Pedro’s away goal could prove decisive.
