Chelsea miss out on top spot after drawing with Atletico
Chelsea 1 Atletico Madrid 1
Chelsea missed out on top spot in Group C after only managing a draw in the Champions League clash at Stamford Bridge.
They were heading for defeat when Eden Hazard’s great work led to an own goal by Stefan Savic with 15 minutes remaining.
Hazard retrieved Cesc Fabregas’ half-cleared cross and darted along the left-hand edge of the penalty box before thumping the ball back into the danger area, where Savic diverted it into his own net.
It hauled Chelsea level after Saul Niguez’s goal 11 minutes into the second half had put Atletico Madrid ahead shortly after Filipe Luis hit the post against his former club.
But Roma’s win over Qarabag meant the Italian side progressed as group winners – and Atletico went out of the tournament.
Having been under sustained pressure, the visitors suddenly sparked into life.
Filipe Luis’ left-footed strike came back off the woodwork and Niguez’s diving header from the rebound was gathered by keeper Thibaut Courtois.
Another former Chelsea man, Fernando Torres, was involved in the goal a couple of minutes later.
Torres flicked on a corner and Niguez atoned for his miss by scoring from eight yards out.
Chelsea, already sure of their place in the knockout stage, were the better side in the first half and Alvaro Morata went close to opening the scoring when he turned his marker beautifully before curling a shot narrowly wide.
Morata then saw an effort tipped over by Atletico keeper Jan Oblak, who also denied him at close range after the striker had been set up by Victor Moses.
Oblak was called into action again seven minutes before the interval, diving low to his right to keep out Davide Zappacosta’s shot after the Italian had been found by Fabregas’ pass.
Chelsea continued to threaten early in the second half and Oblak kept out Morata’s header from Fabregas’ right-wing corner and was grateful to see a shot from Hazard deflected wide after a surging run from the Belgian.
And Andreas Christensen missed great chances before and after Atletico took the lead.
Christensen could not find a way past Oblak with a header from Hazard’s left-wing cross and later sent a diving header wide of the target after Fabregas had steered the ball back from the left-hand touchline.
After the equaliser, Morata and substitute Willian both squandered chances to put Chelsea ahead.
Morata shot straight at Oblak after being put through by Fabregas, while an unmarked Willian sliced high and wide after being perfectly teed up by Hazard.
Michy Batshuayi, also on as a substitute for the Blues, was unlucky when his late effort flashed narrowly wide of the far post.
Chelsea: Courtois; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Cahill; Zappacosta (Willian 74), Fabregas, Kante, Bakayoko (Pedro 64), Moses; Hazard, Morata (Batshuayi 80).
Subs not used: Caballero, Rudiger, Alonso, Drinkwater.
