🔗 Share this article

Match Summary

• The Chelsea forward gives Chelsea the advantage in the first half.
• Atalanta the stronger side after the interval and equalise through Gianluca Scamacca.
• The Belgian attacker grabs a last-gasp winner for the home side.
• Loss means Chelsea fall to 11th in the league phase of the tournament.
• The leading eight teams qualify automatically for the knockout phase.

Chelsea's chances of securing a place automatically for the European Cup knockouts were suffered a setback as Atalanta fought back to triumph in their home stadium.

Both sides entered this fixture with identical points tallies in the league phase of this season's tournament, having secured three victories, drawn, and suffered one defeat to sit on 10 points.

For much of the game there was not much to separate them in this encounter too, although Chelsea got their noses in front in the first half when the Brazilian converted the captain's cross.

But The Serie A side consistently appeared a threat going forwards, with ex- Premier League attacker creating problems for the defence.

Reece James fired wide in the after the break but the home team raised the intensity and deservedly equalised when ex-West Ham striker nodded home a cross.

Alejandro Garnacho hammered a strong effort straight at the goalkeeper but Atalanta secured the winning goal in the closing stages when the Blues defence retreated from Charles de Ketelaere, who made no mistake with a low finish.

Chelsea tried to salvage a draw in stoppage time but a brilliant stop by Marco Carnesecchi denied Pedro.

The outcome means Chelsea slip out of the top eight—the positions that qualify automatically for the knockouts—to 11th with two group stage matches left to play.

The Bergamo club, in contrast, jump up to third place, three points clear of the Blues.

Chelsea Analysis - Worrying Sequence Persists

This was a deeply disappointing result for Chelsea as even a point was leaving them well placed to secure the top-eight finish they require to bypass the lottery of the qualifying play-off round.

But they lacked concentration in their defensive duties with seven minutes left on the clock and their opponents capitalised completely.

The Italians are in fine fettle at the moment so this was always going to be a tough test for the visitors, but they will be disappointed to be leaving with nothing after securing the early advantage.

But the wider issue is that this extends Chelsea's concerning run of results in all tournaments.

Since beating Barcelona 3-0 at the end of November they are now winless in their last four games.

Excessive Changes Turning Out to Be Expensive?

Chelsea boss Maresca made five rotations for this game as he persisted with his policy of moving players in and out of the first team.

The rotations here followed after he made the same number for the loss to Leeds and six for the tie with Bournemouth prior to the trip to Atalanta.

The coach will see rotation as vital as he attempts to manage players' workloads and challenge both at domestically and in Europe, but he insisted the central contingent of players remains the unchanged for important games.

"I believe tonight [in] the first XI we had eight or nine players who featured against Tottenham, FC Barcelona, and Arsenal," he said.

"If you look at the five changes that we did relative to the previous game it is different but it is the eight or nine players who played Barcelona.

"The players who played this evening are the ones playing almost all the matches."

What's Next for These Teams?

The Blues' next Champions League fixture sees them host the Cypriot side on Wednesday, 21 January (8pm GMT).

Atalanta, on the other hand, are at home to Athletic Bilbao at the identical kick-off time.