Three things we learned from Chelsea loss as Champions League qualifcation hopes damaged | OneFootball

Chelsea youngster Josh Acheampong impressed for Enzo Maresca’s side as Joao Pedro opened his account in the Champions League

Second-half strikes from ex-West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca and from the Belgian international Charles De Ketelaere turned the game on its head, though, and left the Blues wondering how they might have better managed the game and contained their hosts.

Chelsea damage automatic qualification hopes

The top eight of the 36 teams after matchday eight all avoid a play-off round and skip straight to the last 16 under the new Champions League format debuted last season.

There is a very real possibility that if Chelsea qualify for the play-off round but not for the top eight, they will have only one free midweek without a fixture between now and the end of March. That would be an exhausting schedule to have to navigate.

Charles De Ketelaere scored the winner for Atalanta against Chelsea

AFP via Getty Images

Last season it took 16 points to make the top eight but defeat to Atalanta on ten, meaning they face an uphill battle to squeeze in and are likely to need to beat both Pafos at home and away to Napoli in January — no easy task.

Atalanta, meanwhile, climbed to third place. Chelsea could have occupied that sort of area if they had shown more fortitude and held on.

Josh Acheampong presses his case

One positive on the night was the performance of Josh Acheampong.

The 19-year-old academy graduate was blooded in their Conference League campaign last season and began this term with a fine performance and clean-sheet in the Premier League opener against Crystal Palace.

But game time has been hard to come by for the versatile defender of late, and he came into the game having played just eight minutes across Chelsea’s last eight matches.

Josh Acheampong impressed in Bergamo

Getty Images

Handed a rare opportunity, he barely put a foot wrong on the occasion of his first Champions League start. Trevoh Chalobah stayed at centre-back and Acheampong operated at right-back.

This felt encouraging for Maresca, who has found it difficult to manage Reece James’s minutes this season. But having Acheampong available to deputise on the right for Malo Gusto may allow Maresca to more often hand James the initiative in midfield, where the Chelsea captain invariably provides a physical and composed presence and did again.

One sensational last-man slide tackle on Atalanta danger man Ademola Lookman by Acheampong prompted congratulations from Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo. Chelsea were defeated, but Acheampong — who Maresca admitted he regretted not starting at Leeds — stood tall.

Positive signs for Joao Pedro

Chelsea lost in the Champions League for the first time since the opening game of their campaign against Bayern Munich but opened the scoring for their fifth straight game in the competition.

That goal came courtesy of Joao Pedro, who was in the right place at the right time to convert from James’s marvellous low cross midway through the first half. The Brazilian wheeled away to celebrate his very first Champions League goal.

Joao Pedro has opened his account in the Champions League

Getty Images

Plenty of questions have been asked of Joao Pedro for some subdued performance of late — including in these pages — but the 24-year-old, who joined from Brighton for £60million midway through the Club World Cup, was livelier than he has been recently and did well to peel free and prod the ball into the net.

Though isolated for long periods, when the striker did drop in and receive with his back to goal he was more reliable at turning his touch-tight marker or laying off.

Just like Acheampong, Joao Pedro will have been pleased with his individual showing, even if this was a defeat that may well bring unwelcome consequences for Chelsea further down the line.