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Key Moments

• The Chelsea forward gives Chelsea the advantage in the first half.
• Atalanta the better side after the interval and draw level through Gianluca Scamacca.
• Charles de Ketelaere grabs a late winner for the home side.
• Loss means Chelsea slide to eleventh place in the group stage of the Champions League.
• The top eight qualify automatically for the knockout phase.

The London club's chances of qualifying automatically for the Champions League knockout stages were dealt a blow as their Italian opponents came from behind to win in Bergamo.

The two teams went into this game with matching points tallies in the initial stage of this year's competition, having won, tied one, and suffered one defeat to have accrued ten points.

For extended periods there was very little to choose between them in this encounter too, although Chelsea got their noses in front in the first half when Joao Pedro finished the captain's cross.

But Atalanta remained a threat going forward, with former Charlton and Everton attacker Ademola Lookman problems for the backline.

James fired wide in the after the break but the home team increased the pressure and rightfully drew level when ex-West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca a centering pass.

The winger hammered a powerful shot straight at the goalkeeper but they scored the winning goal in the closing stages when the Blues defenders backed off Charles de Ketelaere, who took full advantage with a driven strike.

The visitors tried to salvage a point late on but a brilliant save by the Atalanta goalkeeper denied Pedro.

The final score means Chelsea fall out of the top eight—the spots that qualify automatically for the knockouts—to 11th with two group stage fixtures left to play.

The Bergamo club, in contrast, climb up to third place, three points clear of the Londoners.

Blues Breakdown - Worrying Form Persists

This was a hugely disappointing result for Chelsea as even a point was leaving them in a strong position to achieve the top eight position they require to bypass the uncertainty of the play-offs.

But they let their concentration slip in defence with seven minutes remaining and their opponents capitalised completely.

The Italian side are in fine fettle at the moment so this was always going to be a tough examination for the visitors, but they will be annoyed to be departing with nothing after securing the lead.

But the broader context is that this continues Chelsea's worrying run of form in all tournaments.

Since defeating Barcelona 3-0 at the end of November they are now winless in their last four matches.

Excessive Changes Turning Out to Be Expensive?

Chelsea boss Maresca enacted five changes for this game as he continued his strategy of moving players in and out of the first team.

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

Maresca will view rotation as vital as he attempts to handle players' workloads and challenge both at domestically and in Europe, but he stated the key nucleus of players remains the unchanged for crucial fixtures.

"I think in this match [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 did compared to Bournemouth it may be a change but it involves the eight or nine players playing Barcelona.

"The players who played tonight are the individuals playing almost all the matches."

What Next for These Clubs?

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

The Italian team, meanwhile, host Athletic Bilbao at the same time.