🔗 Share this article

Match Summary

• Joao Pedro hands Chelsea the advantage in the opening period.
• Atalanta the better side after the interval and draw level through the striker.
• The Belgian attacker scores a late winner for the hosts.
• The defeat means Chelsea slide to eleventh place in the group stage of the Champions League.
• The top eight progress automatically for the knockouts.

Chelsea's hopes of qualifying automatically for the European Cup knockouts were hit hard as their Italian opponents overturned a deficit to claim victory in Bergamo.

Both sides entered this fixture with the same records in the league phase of this season's tournament, having secured three victories, drawn, and suffered one defeat to be on ten points.

For extended periods there was very little to distinguish them in this contest too, although Chelsea went ahead in the opening 45 minutes when Joao Pedro turned in the captain's cross.

But Atalanta remained a threat going forwards, with ex- Premier League attacker creating issues for the defence.

James fired wide in the after the break but Atalanta increased the pressure and deservedly drew level when ex-West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca a centering pass.

The winger hammered a powerful shot straight at the keeper but they got the winner in the closing stages when the Blues defenders backed off Charles de Ketelaere, who took full advantage with a driven finish.

Chelsea attempted to salvage a draw in stoppage time but a superb save by Marco Carnesecchi kept out Pedro.

The result means Chelsea drop out of the top eight—the spots that qualify automatically for the knockouts—to 11th with two league phase fixtures remaining.

The Bergamo club, meanwhile, jump up to third place, three points clear of the Londoners.

Blues Breakdown - Worrying Run Persists

This was a hugely frustrating outcome for Chelsea as even a point was leaving them well placed to secure the top eight position they require to bypass the uncertainty of the qualifying play-off round.

But they let their concentration slip in defence with seven minutes left on the clock and Atalanta took full advantage.

The Italian side are in rich vein of form at the moment so this was always going to be a difficult test for the visitors, but they will be annoyed to be leaving with no points after securing the lead.

But the bigger picture is that this continues Chelsea's worrying streak 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 Rotations Proving Costly?

Manager Enzo Enzo Maresca made five rotations for this game as he continued his policy of rotating players in and out of the starting lineup.

The rotations here followed after he implemented the same number for the defeat to Leeds and six for the tie with Bournemouth prior to the trip to Bergamo.

Maresca will view rotation as vital as he attempts to manage players' workloads and challenge both at home and abroad, but he maintained the core group of players remains the same for crucial fixtures.

"I believe tonight [in] the starting lineup we had eight or nine players who played against Tottenham, Barcelona, and the Gunners," he said.

"If you see the five changes that we did relative to the previous game it is different but it involves the eight or nine players playing in that match.

"The players who played this evening are the individuals playing almost all the games."

Up Next for These Clubs?

Chelsea's next European game sees them welcome the Cypriot side on the coming Wednesday (20:00 GMT).

The Italian team, on the other hand, host Athletic Club at the identical kick-off time.