Chelsea's hopes of automatic progression to the Champions League round of 16 suffered a significant blow as they squandered a half-time lead to lose 2-1 at Atalanta. Enzo Maresca's side led through Joao Pedro's first-half goal but were undone by second-half strikes from Gianluca Scamacca and Charles De Ketelaere.
The defeat leaves Chelsea on ten points after six matches, with only two games remaining. Under the new Champions League format, the top eight of 36 teams avoid a play-off round and advance directly to the last 16. Last season, 16 points were required to secure a top-eight finish, meaning Chelsea likely need to beat both Pafos at home and Napoli away in January.
One positive for Chelsea was the performance of academy graduate Josh Acheampong. The 19-year-old, making his first Champions League start at right-back, impressed with a crucial last-man tackle on Ademola Lookman and drew praise from teammates Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo. Manager Maresca admitted he regretted not starting Acheampong in the previous match against Leeds.
Joao Pedro also had a strong individual showing, scoring his first Champions League goal from Reece James's cross. The Brazilian has faced criticism for recent subdued performances but was lively and reliable in possession against Atalanta.
The defeat was Chelsea's first in the Champions League since the opening game of their campaign against Bayern Munich. Atalanta climbed to third place, while Chelsea missed the chance to occupy a similar position. The result leaves Chelsea facing an uphill battle to secure a top-eight spot and avoid an exhausting schedule of play-off matches in the New Year.
