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Match Summary

• The Chelsea forward gives Chelsea the advantage in the first half.
• The Italian outfit the better side after the break and equalise through Gianluca Scamacca.
• Charles de Ketelaere nets a late decisive goal for the hosts.
• Loss means Chelsea drop to 11th in the league phase of the Champions League.
• The top eight progress automatically for the knockouts.

Chelsea's chances of qualifying automatically for the Champions League knockout stages were suffered a setback as their Italian opponents overturned a deficit to claim victory in Bergamo.

Each club entered this game with identical records in the initial stage of this year's competition, having secured three victories, tied one, and suffered one defeat to have accrued ten points.

For much of the game there was very little to distinguish them in this contest too, although Chelsea went ahead in the opening 45 minutes when the Brazilian turned in Reece James' cross.

But Atalanta always looked a threat going forward, with ex- Charlton and Everton attacker creating problems for the backline.

James shot wide in the second half but Atalanta upped the intensity and deservedly equalised when ex-West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca a centering pass.

Alejandro Garnacho hammered a powerful shot straight at the keeper but Atalanta secured the winning goal late on when the Chelsea defenders retreated from Charles de Ketelaere, who made no mistake with a driven strike.

The visitors attempted to salvage a draw late on but a superb save by the Atalanta goalkeeper denied Pedro.

The result means Chelsea slip out of the top eight—the positions that qualify automatically for the knockouts—to 11th with two group stage games left to play.

The Bergamo club, meanwhile, jump up to third, three points ahead of the Londoners.

Blues Breakdown - Worrying Run Continues

This was a hugely frustrating outcome for Chelsea as even a point was leaving them well placed to achieve the top eight position they need to bypass the lottery of the play-offs.

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

The Italians are in rich vein of form at the moment so this was always going to be a challenging examination for the Blues, but they will be annoyed to be leaving with no points after securing the early advantage.

But the bigger picture is that this extends Chelsea's troubling sequence of form in all competitions.

Since beating Barcelona 3-0 at the close of November they are now winless in their last four outings.

Too Many Rotations Proving Costly?

Manager Enzo Enzo Maresca made five rotations for this match as he persisted with his policy of rotating players in and out of the starting 11.

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

Maresca will see rotation as necessary as he attempts to handle players' fitness and challenge both at domestically and abroad, but he insisted the key nucleus of players stays the unchanged for important fixtures.

"I believe tonight [in] the starting lineup we had eight or nine players who featured against Tottenham, Barcelona, and the Gunners," he commented.

"If you look at the five changes that we made relative to Bournemouth it is a change but it involves the eight or nine players who played in that match.

"The players who took to the field tonight are the ones playing almost all the games."

Up Next for These Clubs?

Chelsea's next European game sees them welcome the Cypriot side on Wednesday, 21 January (20:00 GMT).

Atalanta, meanwhile, host Athletic Club at the identical kick-off time.