Champions League
ChelseaChelsea1Atl MadridAtlético Madrid1

Chelsea 1-1 Atlético Madrid

By Mike HensonBBC Sport
Saul Niguez
Atletico managed only three efforts on target, but were able to frustrate the hosts

Eden Hazard says Chelsea do not fear facing Paris St-Germain or Barcelona in the Champions League last-16 after his side were held to a draw by Atletico Madrid and missed out on top spot in their group.

As it stands, Turkish side Besiktas are the only other possible opponents for the Blues in the knockout stages.

"It's not a problem who we get, we are Chelsea," said the attacker.

"We know PSG and Barcelona are very good but we are a top team too. We can do anything."

Chelsea had dominated against Atletico until the opening goal, with Alvaro Morata going close and Hazard almost weaving through the visiting defence.

But Saul Niguez escaped the attentions of Tiemoue Bakayoko to plant home a header from Fernando Torres' near-post flick-on after 56 minutes.

Chelsea piled forward as time ebbed away, and Stefan Savic turned Eden Hazard's cross into his own net as the pressure told.

But, with Roma beating Qarabag in the Italian capital, Chelsea could not find the second goal and the victory needed to regain the lead in Group C.

Chelsea's knockout equation

Diego Simeone and Antonio Conte
Diego Simeone and Antonio Conte (right) were animated figures in the final 15 minutes with both their sides pushing for victory

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte claimed afterwards that whoever his team draw "won't be happy to play us".

Spartak Moscow or Sevilla may yet become possible opponents if Wednesday evening's matches change the standings in Group E, where Liverpool currently lead the way.

But the unsettling prospect of taking on either free-spending PSG or five-time champions Barcelona over two legs hung over Stamford Bridge at the final whistle.

Chelsea and Atletico Madrid touch map
While Chelsea (left) got into dangerous crossing positions and into the box in attack, Atletico (right) were kept at bay for most part by the hosts.

Chelsea had plenty of chances to leap-frog back over Roma in the group with Morata and substitutes Willian and Michy Batshuayi all missing glorious chances in a frenetic final 15 minutes.

Against Besiktas, whose last taste of Champions League knockout football was in the 1992-93 season, such attacking invention should be enough.

Whether it would undo one of the continent's superpowers is far less clear.

"When you play this competition and go through, you must be ready to face the best teams. We know we can play those three," said a defiant Conte.

The Italian even suggested that English teams are stronger, relative to overseas opposition, earlier in the tournament before a busy fixture list and lack of a winter break take effect.

"When you arrive at the final stage English teams have a lot of games in the legs. It makes it problematic to win," he added.

The end of the road for Atletico

Atletico Madrid leave the field after a draw with Chelsea
Atletico Madrid will compete in the Europa League for the first time since 2013

For Atletico Madrid, the draw marked the end of a curiously weak Champions League campaign.

The damage had been done to the Spanish side, semi-finalists last season and runners-up in two of the last four, long before this creditable point however.

Draws at home and away to Azerbaijani underdogs Qarabag earlier in the campaign ultimately left them with too much ground to make up as they finished four points shy of Roma and Chelsea.

The club's new Wanda Metropolitano stadium will instead host Europa League football in 2018. Former Chelsea striker Diego Costa, currently ineligible because of a ban on Atletico registering new players, will be available by then.

His new club, toothless at Stamford Bridge, could do with his trademark snarl. Antoine Griezmann, who has scored seven goals in an underwhelming campaign, lurked wide and dropped deep, but rarely threatened.

Instead it was strike-partner Torres, on his return to the club where he scored 46 goals in 172 games, who provided the more telling touch, setting up Niguez's goal before departing to a standing ovation from both sets of fans.

Hazard ahead

Eden Hazard takes on Atletico Madrid
Hazard was a constant menace to the Atletico defence

A report in the Times newspaperexternal-link earlier in the day claimed Hazard was holding off on signing a new £300,000-a-week contract with Chelsea, concerned that putting pen to paper would spell the end of any chance of joining Real Madrid.

The 26-year-old, who has two-and-half years to run on his current deal, took his chance to impress against Real's city rivals.

The Belgian's dribbling ability frequently left defenders in his wake and wide open space for his team-mates to exploit.

One superb slaloming run early in the second half took him to the heart of the Atletico box, only for Hazard to see his finish deflect wide off a despairing visitor.

As one of few potential successors to Lionel Messi and Cristano Ronaldo as the world's best, his negotiating position, whether in English or Spanish, grew a little stronger.

Man of the match - Eden Hazard

Eden Hazard reacts against Atletico Madrid
Hazard was Chelsea's most creative outlet and his low cross was turned into his own net by defender Stefan Savic for the hosts' only goal

Match stats

  • Even though they have progressed, only once have Chelsea had fewer points in the current Champions League group stage, back in 2012-13 when they were eliminated from the competition.
  • In fact, since 2003-04, this is just the fourth time they have failed to finish top of their Champions League group.
  • The Blues have lost just one of their last 41 Champions League group stage matches at Stamford Bridge (winning 30 and drawing 10) - a 2-1 loss against FC Basel in September 2013.
  • Chelsea have also scored in 27 successive Champions League group stage home games - the last time they failed to score was in a 0-0 draw against Valencia in December 2007.
  • The last time Atletico were knocked out of the Champions League group stage was in 2009-10 when they won the Europa League at the end of the season.
  • Fernando Torres has been directly involved in eight goals in his 10 appearances against Chelsea in all competitions with seven goals and one assist.
  • Saul Níguez's goal was Atletico's first away from home in the Champions League in six and a half hours of football, since the Spaniard scored at Leicester in April.

What's next?

Chelsea travel to London rivals West Ham in the Premier League in Saturday's lunchtime kick-off, while Atletico, six points off leaders Barcelona, are away to Real Betis the next day in La Liga.

Line-ups

Chelsea

Formation 3-5-1-1

  • 13Courtois
  • 28Azpilicueta
  • 27Christensen
  • 24Cahill
  • 15Moses
  • 4Fàbregas
  • 7Kanté
  • 14BakayokoSubstituted forPedroat 64'minutes
  • 21ZappacostaBooked at 52minsSubstituted forWillianat 73'minutes
  • 10E Hazard
  • 9MorataSubstituted forBatshuayiat 81'minutes

Substitutes

  • 1Caballero
  • 2Rüdiger
  • 3Alonso
  • 6Drinkwater
  • 11Pedro
  • 22Willian
  • 23Batshuayi

Atl Madrid

Formation 4-4-2

  • 13Oblak
  • 24GiménezSubstituted forViettoat 79'minutes
  • 15Savic
  • 19HernándezBooked at 16mins
  • 3Filipe Luís
  • 5Partey
  • 14Fernández ArenasSubstituted forCorreaat 78'minutes
  • 8Saúl
  • 6Koke
  • 9TorresSubstituted forCarrascoat 57'minutes
  • 7Griezmann

Substitutes

  • 1Moyá
  • 2Godín
  • 10Carrasco
  • 11Correa
  • 16Vrsaljko
  • 17Vietto
  • 21Gameiro
Referee:
Danny Makkelie
Attendance:
40,875

Match Stats

Home TeamChelseaAway TeamAtl Madrid
Possession
Home50%
Away50%
Shots
Home17
Away12
Shots on Target
Home7
Away3
Corners
Home10
Away5
Fouls
Home10
Away12

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Chelsea 1, Atlético de Madrid 1.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Chelsea 1, Atlético de Madrid 1.

  3. Post update

    Offside, Chelsea. Willian tries a through ball, but Eden Hazard is caught offside.

  4. Post update

    Attempt missed. Michy Batshuayi (Chelsea) right footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Cesc Fàbregas.

  5. Post update

    Offside, Atlético de Madrid. Antoine Griezmann tries a through ball, but Ángel Correa is caught offside.

  6. Post update

    Attempt missed. Ángel Correa (Atlético de Madrid) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Luciano Vietto.

  7. Post update

    Offside, Atlético de Madrid. Jan Oblak tries a through ball, but Antoine Griezmann is caught offside.

  8. Post update

    Corner, Atlético de Madrid. Conceded by Gary Cahill.

  9. Post update

    Foul by Victor Moses (Chelsea).

  10. Post update

    Yannick Carrasco (Atlético de Madrid) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  11. Post update

    Victor Moses (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  12. Post update

    Foul by Yannick Carrasco (Atlético de Madrid).

  13. Post update

    Attempt missed. Willian (Chelsea) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Eden Hazard.

  14. Post update

    Foul by Victor Moses (Chelsea).

  15. Post update

    Yannick Carrasco (Atlético de Madrid) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  16. Substitution

    Substitution, Chelsea. Michy Batshuayi replaces Álvaro Morata.

  17. Substitution

    Substitution, Atlético de Madrid. Luciano Vietto replaces José Giménez.

  18. Post update

    Attempt missed. Thomas Partey (Atlético de Madrid) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Saúl Ñíguez.

  19. Substitution

    Substitution, Atlético de Madrid. Ángel Correa replaces Gabi.

  20. Post update

    Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by José Giménez.

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As It Stood

A

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Man Utd6501123915
2FC Basel6402115612
3CSKA Moscow6303810-29
4Benfica6006114-130

B

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1PSG65012542115
2Bayern Munich6501136715
3Celtic6105518-133
4Anderlecht6105217-153

C

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Roma632196311
2Chelsea6321168811
3Atl Madrid61415417
4FK Qarabag6024214-122

D

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1Barcelona642091814
2Juventus632175211
3Sporting621389-17
4Olympiakos6015413-91

E

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1Liverpool5230166109
2Sevilla5221111108
3Spartak Moscow51319636
4NK Maribor5023215-132

F

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1Man City55001331015
2Shakhtar Donetsk530278-19
3Napoli520310916
4Feyenoord5005313-100

G

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Besiktas532094511
2FC Porto521210827
3RB Leipzig52129907
4Monaco5023411-72

H

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1Tottenham5410124813
2Real Madrid5311145910
3B Dortmund5023510-52
4Apoel Nicosia5023214-122
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