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Match Summary

• The Chelsea forward gives Chelsea the lead in the first half.
• The Italian outfit the better side after the break and equalise through Gianluca Scamacca.
• The Belgian attacker grabs a last-gasp decisive goal for the hosts.
• The defeat means Chelsea slide to 11th in the league phase of the Champions League.
• The leading eight teams qualify automatically for the knockouts.

The London club's chances of securing a place automatically for the Champions League knockout stages were dealt a blow as their Italian opponents fought back to claim victory in Bergamo.

Each club entered this game with matching records in the league phase of this season's tournament, having secured three victories, drawn, and lost to be on ten points.

For large parts there was very little to choose between them in this encounter too, even though Chelsea took the lead in the opening 45 minutes when Joao Pedro converted Reece James' cross.

But Atalanta always looked a danger going on the attack, with ex- Premier League attacker Ademola Lookman problems for the backline.

James shot wide in the second half but the home team upped the pressure and deservedly equalised when former West Ham United striker Gianluca Scamacca a cross.

The winger drove a strong effort straight at the goalkeeper but they scored the winner in the closing stages when the Blues defence backed off the midfielder, who seized the opportunity with a low shot.

Chelsea attempted to rescue a draw late on but a brilliant save by the Atalanta goalkeeper denied Joao 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 matches remaining.

The Bergamo club, in contrast, jump up to third place, three points ahead of the Blues.

Blues Breakdown - Concerning Run Continues

This was a hugely disappointing outcome for Chelsea as even a point was leaving them well placed to secure the top eight finish they need to bypass the lottery of the qualifying play-off round.

But they lost focus in their defensive duties with seven minutes remaining and their opponents seized the moment.

The Italians are in good form at the moment so this was always going to be a tough examination for the visitors, but they will be frustrated to be departing with no points after securing the lead.

But the bigger picture is that this perpetuates Chelsea's concerning run of form in all competitions.

Since beating Barcelona 3-0 at the end of November they are now without a win in their last four outings.

Too Many Rotations Proving Costly?

Manager Enzo Maresca enacted five alterations for this game as he persisted with his policy of rotating players in and out of the starting lineup.

The changes here followed after he implemented the same number for the loss to Leeds and six for the tie with AFC Bournemouth prior to the journey to Bergamo.

Maresca will see rotation as vital as he tries to manage players' minutes and compete both at domestically and in Europe, but he stated the core group of players remains the unchanged for crucial fixtures.

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

"If you see the five changes that we did relative to Bournemouth it may be different but it is the eight or nine players who played Barcelona.

"The ones who took to the field tonight are the ones who feature in almost all the games."

What Next for These Sides?

Chelsea's next Champions League fixture sees them host the Cypriot side on Wednesday, 21 January (8pm GMT).

Atalanta, on the other hand, are at home to Athletic Bilbao at the same time.