Chelsea escaped suffering a historic defeat through substitute Alejandro Garnacho's second-half equaliser, avoiding the embarrassment of becoming the first English team to lose to Azerbaijani side Qarabag.
2025/2026 UEFA Champions League
2-2
Match Report
Garnacho equalised having come on as one of three half-time substitutes with his side 2-1 down through goals from Leandro Andrade and Marko Jankovic, after Estevao Willian had put the Blues ahead early on.
Qarabag had lost all seven of their previous matches against English opposition. The last time they were in the Champions League, they faced Chelsea and lost both matches by an aggregate score of 10-0 and secured just two points from six matches.
However, they gave Enzo Maresca's side a real scare at the packed 32,000-seater Tofiq Bahramov Stadium, with a squad worth just £22m compared to that of Chelsea - valued at £1.5bn, according to figures by Transfermarkt.
And it was Chelsea who initially took the lead. Estevao, 18, cut inside and shot low into the near post after linking well with his Brazilian team-mates Joao Pedro and Andrey Santos in the 16th minute.
Yet Chelsea struggled defensively having made seven changes to the team that beat Tottenham on Saturday, with Jorrel Hato, 19, partly at fault for both first-half goals.
Qarabag striker Camilo Duran overpowered the Dutch defender when competing for a long ball, hit his shot against the post, but winger Leandro Andrade brilliantly volleyed the rebound into the goal to equalise.
Midfielder Marko Jankovic then sent Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez the wrong way from the penalty spot to give Qarabag an unlikely lead - the penalty given after Hato handled Andrade's cross.
Maresca had already taken off injured midfielder Romeo Lavia after six minutes, replacing him with Moises Caicedo, and made three further changes at half-time, bringing on Garnacho, Enzo Fernandez and Liam Delap for young trio Andrey Santos, Jamie Gittens and Tyrique George.
And it was Garnacho who levelled seven minutes into the half, latching on to Delap's long ball, capitalising on a mistake from Kevin Medina and then shooting across goalkeeper Mateusz Kochalski and into the corner.
Both sides had further chances, with substitute Nariman Akhundzade shooting from range for the hosts, and Fernandez and Estevao having several attempts to win the game for Chelsea, along with the final substitute Facundo Buonanotte.
In added time, both sides had chances to win it through substitutes - Danny Bolt and Garnacho both seeing shots from inside the area saved.
The points shared leave the sides level on seven points in the 36-team league phase of the Champions League after four matches.
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
6' Caicedo is on for injured Lavia
11' Andrey Santos' effort just misses the left post
13' Camilo Duran goes down under a challenge in the box, but no penalty
16' GOAL! Estêvão makes no mistake with a lovely finish! Qarabag FK 0-1 Chelsea
30' GOAL! Leandro Andrade fires the rebound into the corner! Qarabag FK 1-1 Chelsea
39' Penalty Goal! Marko Jankovic puts hosts in lead! Qarabag FK 2-1 Chelsea
46' Enzo, Garnacho and and Delap on, Santos, Gittens and George off
52' GOAL! Garnacho equalizes for Blues! Qarabag FK 2-2 Chelsea
54' Enzo sends a shot to the top right corner of the goal, but is denied
57' Fine effort by Delap but he is ruled offside
77' Garnacho's effort lacks accuracy and flies miles past the left post
85' Buonanotte releases a rocket of a shot but his effort goes just wide
Line-ups
Qarabag FK XI: Jankovic, Abdellah Zoubir, Bahlul Mustafazada, Kevin Medina, Kady Borges, Matheus Silva, Elvin Cafarquliyev, Mateusz Kochalski, Leandro Andrade, Pedro Bicalho, Camilo Durán
Subs: Badavi Hüseynov, Fabijan Buntic, Shahrudin Mahammadaliyev, Abbas Hüseynov, Samy Mmaee, Oleksiy Kashchuk, Toral Bayramov, Dani Bolt, Chriso, Emmanuel Addai, Nariman Akhundzada, Hikmat Cabrayilzada
Chelsea XI: Adarabioyo, Cucurella, Reece James, Robert Sánchez, João Pedro, Gittens, Lavia, Jorrel Hato, Andrey Santos, Tyrique George, Estêvão
Subs: Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana, Jørgensen, Enzo, Caicedo, Gusto, Garnacho, Liam Delap, Facundo Buonanotte, Josh Acheampong, Max Merrick, Guiu