Charles De Ketelaere provided a hammer blow to Chelsea's top-eight hopes in the Champions League after his late goal inspired Atalanta to a 2-1 win.
2025/2026 UEFA Champions League
2-1
Match Report
Having set up Gianluca Scamacca's second-half equaliser, the Belgium forward powered past Robert Sanchez with seven minutes remaining.
His goal lifted Atalanta to third in the 36-team standings, eight places and three points above Enzo Maresca's side with just two league-phase games remaining.
The Italian side should have taken the lead after just six minutes when Ademola Lookman's near-post effort squirmed under Sanchez, only for De Ketelaere to be caught flat-footed on the rebound.
Reece James' left-sided cross for a cute first-time finish by Joao Pedro was then initially ruled out for offside, before the VAR intervened to overturn the decision and award the Brazilian his 25th-minute opener.
James almost turned from creator to finisher early into the second half, but dragged narrowly wide before Lookman's tap-in was ruled out for offside in an immediate Atalanta response.
The hosts soon found the 55th-minute leveller, however, as De Ketelaere crossed for Scamacca to peel off towards the back post and thump a header past Sanchez.
Scamacca could have sent Atalanta in front just seven minutes later, but his glancing header was clawed away by Sanchez.
However, De Ketelaere stepped up for the decisive moment when his wicked effort deflected off Marc Cucurella and in, before Marco Carnesecchi denied both Alejandro Garnacho and Joao Pedro late on.
It ends in defeat.#CFC | #UCL pic.twitter.com/4fTDgm6qmz
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC" >@ChelseaFC" >@ChelseaFC" >@ChelseaFC) December 9, 2025
Data Debrief: Chelsea falter after half-time lead for once
Chelsea had gone unbeaten in 41 Champions League games when leading at half-time, but they suffered their first such defeat since September 2013 here.
Scamacca started the turnaround, and he has now either scored or assisted a goal in each of his last three games in all competitions for Atalanta, after managing just one goal involvement in the nine before that.
But the game belonged to Scamacca's team-mate De Ketelaere, who created the joint-most chances in this game (three, along with Reece James).
Raffaele Palladino will feel his side deserved the win, having accumulated 1.74 expected goals (xG) to Chelsea's 1.25.
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
7' Lookman tries to pick out a team-mate to slot home but it hits Robert Sanchez
17' Blow for Atalanta as Bellanova cannot continue after picking up an injury
20' Acheampong spreads himself to block Ademola Lookman's goal-bound attempt
25' GOAL! Pedro socres and it's not offside after VAR review! Atalanta 0-1 Chelsea
46' Match Event for Atalanta vs Chelsea
46' Chelsea have replaced Chalobah with Fofana at the start of the second half
53' Lookman fires home but it's disallowed for offside
55' GOAL! Gianluca Scamacca heads Atalanta back on level terms! Atalanta 1-1 Chelsea
67' Chelsea have made a double change as Garnacho and Malo Gusto are on
75' Garnacho fires straight at the keeper
83' GOAL! De Ketelaere fires home to turn it around! Atalanta 2-1 Chelsea
Line-ups
Atalanta XI: De Roon, Djimsiti, Kolasinac, Scamacca, Bellanova, Lookman, Marco Carnesecchi, Éderson, De Ketelaere, Odilon, Lorenzo Bernasconi
Subs: Sportiello, Zappacosta, Pasalic, Krstovic, Isak Hien, Yunus Musah, Brescianini, Nicola Zalewski, Lazar Samardžić, Maldini, Giorgio Scalvini, Honest Ahanor
Chelsea XI: Cucurella, Trevoh Chalobah, Reece James, Robert Sánchez, Pedro Neto, Badiashile, João Pedro, Enzo, Caicedo, Gittens, Josh Acheampong
Subs: Adarabioyo, Wesley Fofana, Jørgensen, Gusto, Garnacho, Jorrel Hato, Andrey Santos, Facundo Buonanotte, Tyrique George, Max Merrick, Estêvão, Guiu