A late, deflected strike from Charles De Ketelaere plunged Chelsea into fresh uncertainty as Atalanta snatched a 2-1 victory that knocked the Blues out of the Champions League top eight.
What began as a promising night for Enzo Maresca’s side, Joao Pedro’s VAR-awarded opener had put them ahead, ended in heartbreak as Atalanta’s relentless pressure and a dramatic finish rewrote the script at the Gewiss Stadium.
Early drama and a VAR reprieve
Atalanta started on the front foot and might have led early were it not for a sensational block from Josh Acheampong to deny Ademola Lookman on his Champions League debut. Chelsea then struck in the 25th minute when Reece James whipped in a fizzing cross that Joao Pedro finished.
The offside flag initially ruled it out, but VAR intervened, confirming both James and Pedro were onside and restoring the goal — a moment that briefly steadied the visitors.
Atalanta’s response and the turning point
The hosts, who had struggled to score in the first halves of European fixtures this season, found their rhythm after the break.
Charles De Ketelaere swung in a superb cross that Gianluca Scamacca nodded home to level, and Atalanta’s momentum never relented. The Belgian playmaker, in fine form, then produced the decisive moment late on: his shot took a cruel deflection off Marc Cucurella and slipped through Robert Sánchez’s outstretched hand to spark wild celebrations.
Missed chances and waning confidence
Chelsea pushed for a late equaliser — Alejandro Garnacho, James, and Joao Pedro all had chances that went begging — but the Blues could not find the finishing touch.
The defeat extends Chelsea’s barren run away from home in Europe this season and leaves them without a win on the road in continental competition, now winless in four across all tournaments.
Maresca’s Take: Fatigue and fine margins
After the match, Maresca admitted the squad’s congested schedule is taking its toll. “First half we were winning, we were good controlling the game,” he said, reflecting on two avoidable goals conceded in quick succession. “We look like we struggle a little bit playing every two days.” On the club’s top-eight hopes, he was pragmatic: two wins could still lift Chelsea into the automatic round-of-16 places, but the margin for error is vanishing fast. “If we want to try to finish top eight, we need to win both,” he added, urging immediate focus on the next fixture.
Table implications and the road ahead
Atalanta’s victory lifts them to third in the group and cements their status as a dangerous home force this season. Chelsea, meanwhile, slip to 11th in the group standings and sit two points shy of the automatic qualification spots, their European campaign now teetering on a knife-edge.
With momentum swinging and margins thin, Maresca’s side must find sharper finishing and fresher legs if they are to salvage their Champions League ambitions.
