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Key Moments

• Joao Pedro hands Chelsea the lead in the first half.
• Atalanta the better side after the interval and draw level through Gianluca Scamacca.
• The Belgian attacker nets a late decisive goal for the hosts.
• The defeat means Chelsea fall to 11th in the group stage of the Champions League.
• The top eight progress automatically for the knockout phase.

Chelsea's chances of qualifying automatically for the Champions League knockout stages were hit hard as their Italian opponents overturned a deficit to win in Bergamo.

Both sides entered this game with matching records in the league phase of this year's competition, having won, drawn, and suffered one defeat to be on 10 points.

For extended periods there was not much to separate them in this encounter too, although Chelsea went ahead in the first half when Joao Pedro finished Reece James' delivery.

But Atalanta always looked a threat going forward, with former Premier League attacker creating problems for the backline.

Reece James fired wide in the after the break but Atalanta upped the pressure and rightfully levelled when ex-West Ham striker headed in a centering pass.

Alejandro Garnacho hammered a strong effort straight at the keeper but they secured the decisive strike in the closing stages when the Blues defence retreated from the midfielder, who seized the opportunity with a low strike.

The visitors attempted to salvage a draw in stoppage time but a brilliant stop by the Atalanta goalkeeper denied Pedro.

The final score means Chelsea fall out of the automatic qualification places—the positions that qualify automatically for the knockouts—to eleventh with two group stage games remaining.

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

Blues Breakdown - Concerning Form Continues

This was a extremely frustrating result for Chelsea as even a draw was keeping them well placed to secure the top eight finish they require to bypass the uncertainty of the play-offs.

But they let their concentration slip in defence with seven minutes left on the clock and their opponents capitalised completely.

The Italian side are in good form at the moment so this was always going to be a challenging test for the Blues, but they will be frustrated to be departing with no points after securing the lead.

But the wider issue is that this extends Chelsea's worrying sequence of results in all competitions.

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

Excessive Rotations Proving Costly?

Manager Enzo Enzo Maresca enacted five alterations for this match as he persisted with his strategy of moving players in and out of the starting lineup.

The rotations here came after he implemented the same number for the loss to Leeds United and six for the draw with AFC Bournemouth prior to the trip to Atalanta.

The coach will see squad rotation as essential as he attempts to manage players' minutes and challenge both at home and abroad, but he insisted the key nucleus of players stays the same for crucial games.

"I think in this match [in] the first XI we had eight or nine players who featured against Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona, and Arsenal," he said.

"If you see the five alterations that we made compared to Bournemouth it may be different but it involves the eight or nine players playing Barcelona.

"The players who took to the field this evening are the ones who feature in almost all the matches."

Up Next for These Clubs?

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

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