Eden Hazard, Chelsea Held to 1-1 Draw by Eintracht Frankfurt in Europa League

Chelsea and Eintracht Frankfurt played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League semi-final on Thursday, leaving everything to play for when they meet again in west London.

Luka Jovic opened the scoring after 23 minutes with an excellent header (U.S. viewers only):

Pedro hit back shortly before half-time after some great work from Ruben Loftus-Cheek (U.S. viewers only):

Chelsea dominated the second half and had plenty of chances to find a winner, but goalkeeper Kevin Trapp denied Eden Hazard and Co. on several occasions.

The two teams are battling it out for a spot in the final, where they'll meet the winner of the tie between Arsenal and Valencia.

Chelsea Need to Move on From Christensen

Thursday's outing marked the fifth straight match in which Andreas Christensen has featured for the Blues and the team has failed to keep a clean sheet.

The 23-year-old got booked after a needless lunge just 19 minutes into the contest, forcing him to play with the handbrake on the rest of the way. He was caught out of position for Jovic's goal and generally struggled throughout the contest.

With just five starts in the Premier League so far this season, it's clear Christensen is not a favourite of manager Maurizio Sarri. The limited opportunities haven't aided his progression, which has halted since he returned to the club from his impressive two-year loan spell with Borussia Monchengladbach.

Christensen needs a fresh start, and Chelsea have to accept things haven't worked out with the talent. They're likely to add to their defensive depth in the summer if their transfer ban doesn't get in the way, and the current uncertainty has left their plans in limbo, per Simon Johnson the London Evening Standard.

But even if they can't go outside the organisation to find new starters or depth, the Blues would be better of bringing back Kurt Zouma from Everton. The 24-year-old has earned another look with his performances on the pitch, whereas Christensen hasn't been able to do so this season.

Jovic Must Resist Lure of Top Transfer

Frankfurt striker Jovic is one of the most coveted young forwards in the sport today, and he entered Thursday's clash with one of the best resumes in Europe this season:

The former Red Star and Benfica man reminded everyone of his incredible talent with his goal, which came after some clever movement and a strong header.

He's been linked with both of La Liga's top clubs this season, and Frankfurt sporting director Fredi Bobic recently admitted a switch to Real Madrid is a possibility, per ZDF (h/t Goal's Sacha Pisani).

His father has commented on the persistent links with Barcelona, telling Bild (h/t Ronan Murphy) the Serb wants to stay in Frankfurt for now:

He should. Jovic may have become a household name this season, but scouts have known about the youngster for a long time. While he's still just 21 years old, he has already enjoyed quite the journey in his career, making his professional debut back in 2014.

In the same year, the Guardian featured Jovic in their Next Generation list, compiling the top talents in the sport. His future looked bright, but his move to Benfica turned out to be a massive mistake. Between his arrival in Portugal in 2016 and his move to Frankfurt a year and a half later, he barely played senior football.

Jovic is now back on track and rapidly progressing. He should resist the urge to move to a top club at this stage and opt for at least one more season in Frankfurt, where he can keep growing as part of an exciting, attacking squad.

Those top clubs will still be waiting for his services in a year or two. Even if they miss out on Champions League football, Eintracht is the perfect club for Jovic right now.

What's Next?

Chelsea will host Watford on Sunday, while Frankfurt visit Bayer Leverkusen on the same day. The two sides will rematch next Thursday in London.