Atalanta 2-1 Chelsea: Post-match review, Stats, Key moments

Dive into Bwin’s post-match review of Atalanta 2-1 Chelsea in the Champions League on Tuesday, 09 December 2025, with stats, key moments and our take on the match.

Atalanta defeated Chelsea 2-1 in a competitive encounter. Chelsea took the lead in the 25th minute when João Pedro scored, assisted by Reece James, capitalising on their early pressure that aligned with their recent form of strong results including a 3-0 win over FC Barcelona. Atalanta, building on their unbeaten run with wins against Eintracht Frankfurt and Olympique Marseille, responded in the second half as Gianluca Scamacca equalised in the 55th minute with an assist from Charles De Ketelaere.

The game’s momentum shifted after Atalanta’s substitutions around the 70-minute mark, leading to Charles De Ketelaere’s winning goal in the 83rd minute, assisted by Marten de Roon. Chelsea’s attempts to fight back were hampered by a yellow card to Trevoh Chalobah in the 29th minute and subsequent changes, including Wesley Fofana replacing him at half-time. This result extends Atalanta’s positive streak, while Chelsea will look to bounce back from this setback following their mixed recent outings like the draw with Qarabağ.

The match was evenly contested, with Chelsea holding a slight possession edge at 51% compared to Atalanta’s 49%, yet Atalanta proved more effective in transitions as shown by their 86 successful dribbles against Chelsea’s 57. Chelsea generated more corners with five to Atalanta’s two, indicating set-piece threats, but Atalanta’s two assists edged out Chelsea’s one, highlighting better creativity in the final third. Cards were minimal, with Chelsea picking up one yellow while Atalanta stayed clean, and neither side saw reds or injury-time goals.

Substitutions played a role in the flow, as Atalanta used all five slots—including Davide Zappacosta replacing Raoul Bellanova at 17 minutes, Honest Ahanor for Sead Kolasinac at 71, Nikola Krstović for Gianluca Scamacca at 72, and double changes at 87 with Mario Pasalić for Ademola Lookman plus Yunus Musah for Éderson—while Chelsea made four, such as Wesley Fofana for Trevoh Chalobah at 46, Alejandro Garnacho for Pedro Neto at 66, Malo Gusto for Enzo Fernández at 67, and Tosin Adarabioyo for Wesley Fofana at 76. No penalties were taken by either team, keeping the focus on open-play dynamics.

Chelsea opened the scoring in the 25th minute through João Pedro, assisted by Reece James, but the goal underwent a VAR check shortly after at 26 minutes, which confirmed it stood. Atalanta’s early substitution saw Davide Zappacosta replace Raoul Bellanova at 17 minutes, helping stabilise their defence, before Trevoh Chalobah’s yellow card for Chelsea at 29 minutes added pressure leading into half-time. The turning point came in the second half with Gianluca Scamacca’s 55th-minute equaliser, assisted by Charles De Ketelaere, shifting control to the hosts.

Further changes bolstered Atalanta, with Honest Ahanor replacing Sead Kolasinac at 71 minutes and Nikola Krstović coming on for Scamacca at 72, setting up Charles De Ketelaere’s decisive 83rd-minute goal assisted by Marten de Roon. Chelsea’s adjustments, including Alejandro Garnacho for Pedro Neto at 66 and Malo Gusto for Enzo Fernández at 67, aimed to regain footing, but Atalanta’s late double substitution at 87—Mario Pasalić for Ademola Lookman and Yunus Musah for Éderson—sealed their hold on the game.

Atalanta lined up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, allowing fluidity in attack with Charles De Ketelaere and Gianluca Scamacca linking effectively behind the forward, as seen in their goal contributions. Marten de Roon provided midfield stability, assisting the winner, while substitutions like Davide Zappacosta for Raoul Bellanova early on and later changes involving Honest Ahanor, Nikola Krstović, Mario Pasalić, and Yunus Musah maintained their structure. Ademola Lookman and Éderson started in key roles before making way late, supporting a balanced approach that turned the game.

Chelsea deployed a 4-2-3-1 setup, with Reece James assisting João Pedro’s opener from the right and Pedro Neto offering width before Alejandro Garnacho replaced him. Enzo Fernández anchored midfield until Malo Gusto came on, while Trevoh Chalobah’s early yellow led to Wesley Fofana replacing him at half-time, only for Tosin Adarabioyo to substitute Fofana later. This formation aimed for control, but defensive partnerships were tested throughout.

Bwin’s Man of the Match was Charles De Ketelaere, who starred for Atalanta with one goal and one assist, creating one big chance and delivering three key passes that drove their comeback. His involvement in both home goals underlined his influence in the attacking third, turning the match in Atalanta’s favour.

Recent Champions League matches:

• Win: 2-1 vs Chelsea (H)
• Win: 3-0 vs Eintracht Frankfurt (A)
• Win: 1-0 vs Olympique Marseille (A)
• Draw: 0-0 vs Slavia Praha (H)
• Win: 2-1 vs Club Brugge (H)

Recent Champions League matches:

• Loss: 1-2 vs Atalanta (A)
• Win: 3-0 vs FC Barcelona (H)
• Draw: 2-2 vs Qarabağ (A)
• Win: 5-1 vs Ajax (H)
• Win: 1-0 vs Benfica (H)

Atalanta have just secured a 2-1 home win over Chelsea, maintaining their strong recent form with four wins and one draw in their last five league games, placing them third on 13 points. This positions them well in the chase for top spots, and they will aim to extend their momentum in their next fixture against Cagliari on 2025-12-13 at 19:45, where a victory could further solidify their standing despite the opposition’s details being unconfirmed.

Chelsea have just suffered a 1-2 away loss to Atalanta, interrupting their recent run that included wins over FC Barcelona, Ajax, and Benfica alongside a draw with Qarabağ, leaving them 11th on 10 points. They will look to regain ground and climb the table in their next match against Everton on 2025-12-13 at 15:00, with a positive result key to avoiding a mid-table slide amid unconfirmed opponent standings.

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