Match ends, Chelsea 1, Atlético de Madrid 1.
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
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 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
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
A report in the Times newspaper 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
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
- Possession
- Home50%
- Away50%
- Shots
- Home17
- Away12
- Shots on Target
- Home7
- Away3
- Corners
- Home10
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home10
- Away12
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Chelsea 1, Atlético de Madrid 1.
Post update
Offside, Chelsea. Willian tries a through ball, but Eden Hazard is caught offside.
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.
Post update
Offside, Atlético de Madrid. Antoine Griezmann tries a through ball, but Ángel Correa is caught offside.
Post update
Attempt missed. Ángel Correa (Atlético de Madrid) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Luciano Vietto.
Post update
Offside, Atlético de Madrid. Jan Oblak tries a through ball, but Antoine Griezmann is caught offside.
Post update
Corner, Atlético de Madrid. Conceded by Gary Cahill.
Post update
Foul by Victor Moses (Chelsea).
Post update
Yannick Carrasco (Atlético de Madrid) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Victor Moses (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Yannick Carrasco (Atlético de Madrid).
Post update
Attempt missed. Willian (Chelsea) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Eden Hazard.
Post update
Foul by Victor Moses (Chelsea).
Post update
Yannick Carrasco (Atlético de Madrid) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Substitution
Substitution, Chelsea. Michy Batshuayi replaces Álvaro Morata.
Substitution
Substitution, Atlético de Madrid. Luciano Vietto replaces José Giménez.
Post update
Attempt missed. Thomas Partey (Atlético de Madrid) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Saúl Ñíguez.
Substitution
Substitution, Atlético de Madrid. Ángel Correa replaces Gabi.
Post update
Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by José Giménez.
Comments
Join the conversation
They really ought to be concentrating on their huge game against BATE Borisov tomorrow night.
Bring them on, the last time we won it we had to do it the hard way, no fear and no surrender
Bit surprised, as PL Champs, it wasn't this HYS that opened last night? The MU loving moderators had opened theirs, no surprises
28 minutes ago
Chelsea are obsessed with Tottenham
Say a Spurs fan posting on a Chelsea HYS !
You couldn't make it up.
Chelsea Honours 1990-2003 (6)
FA Cup 1997, 2000, League Cup 1998, FA Charity Shield 2000,
Cup Winners' Cup 1998 UEFA Super Cup 1998
Spurs Honours 1990-2003 (3)
FA Cup 1991 Football League Cup 1999 FA Charity Shield 1992 (joint)
Atletico to win Europa
Arsenal....this HYS has nothing to do with them.
babayoko is at present a xpensive let down.
Clearly I touched a nerve as you felt the need to resort to playground insults.