MICHY THE LAST GASP HERO
Super sub snatches it for Chelsea after Luiz penalty howler
Michy Batshuayi planted the ball in the net and the next thing anyone in the Wanda Metropolitano stadium knew, the atletico Madrid club anthem was emerging through the speakers and it was time to go home.
yes, that late. yes, that much of a killer. this was a huge victory for chelsea, a milestone for English football, too. No English club had won away to atletico Madrid, and their coach Diego simeone had been unbeaten by the English. chelsea also became the first visiting club to score at Madrid’s new home, and therefore also the first to win. all things considered, then, group stage or not, this was a greatly impressive three points, all the more so for coming from behind, and most of all for being thoroughly deserved.
chelsea were the better team and could have had the game done before half-time had Eden hazard and alvaro Morata taken several chances. they could be a force in the champions League this season, too. Even the 6-0 cakewalk against Qarabag has been put into perspective by Roma’s slender 2-1 win in azerbaijan yesterday.
Watching from the stand, meanwhile, Diego costa would have been only too aware of the changing of the guard. he may have got the move his heart desired but, professionally, it is no upgrade. he has left the stronger team of the two and chelsea have moved swiftly on without him.
Not only is Morata an outstanding replacement, but Batshuayi is developing into quite the understudy — a scorer of vital goals, like the one that clinched the title against West Bromwich last season. his winner here looked simple enough, but wasn’t, chelsea still applying late pressure four minutes into injury time after David Luiz was fouled, and finally getting the breakthrough from a low cross by Marcos alonso.
Batshuayi turned it home from inside the six-yard box and in an instant the final credits were rolling. at first it seemed the atletico anthem was a forlorn attempt at a rallying cry, then as the players began shaking hands it became apparent it was all over. Batshuayi had truly delivered the last kick of the game, and atletico were feeling the soft spot where it landed.
as for the man Batshuayi replaced after 82 minutes in chelsea’s front line, what more can be said? Low maintenance, but high scoring. if only all strikers were crafted as efficiently as Morata. he alone might not have delivered the win, but he scored the first away goal here and played a huge part in victory over one of European football’s toughest opponents. atletico may have to wait on costa’s first appearance in January, but they are not short of class in his absence.
he was back in black in the stand, genial now he has got his way, and his former team-mates showed there were no hard feelings when their paths crossed in the tunnel.
On the pitch, meanwhile, Morata continues to demonstrate why costa may not be as missed as many imagine. this was his seventh goal in as many games for chelsea this season, another one showcasing his impressive aerial ability. What a weapon he is when given good service. it was perfect for him here — a quite lovely cross from the outstanding hazard, directed past goalkeeper Jan Oblak with delightful ease.
that is Morata’s talent, making it look easy when plainly it is not. costa, it has to be said, was rarely this understated. Everything was aggro, everything was conflict. Morata merely ran off to celebrate his equalising goal with chelsea’s bench, leading a procession of teammates, only too happy to now present a united front. in one game he now has 50 per cent of costa’s champions League total for chelsea — he scored just two goals in 15 matches. Batshuayi’s goal was his second for chelsea in Europe, equalling costa’s total.
the goal will have meant a little more to Morata, too, having suffered a barrage of jeers and whistles throughout, his punishment for being a former Real Madrid man. the barracking when he was substitutedstituted withh eight minutes to go was one of thehe loudest noises the home crowdwd generated all night. if only theyy knew what his replacement would uld get up to they would have cheeredered for him to stay on.
so justice was done. chelsea dominated domed the bulk of the first half, enjoya enjoying a sustained 20 minutes of pressure as impressivempressive as any spell enjoyed by an English side against elite opposition in thishis competition in years. yet, somehow,somew, they went in at half-time behind by a goal, and it could have been two had atletico not squandered the last chancence of the half.
thehe blame for this deficit had to go to Luiz. z. hailed as the man who made conchelsea conte’s chelsea click a year ago, his start to the 2017-18 season could not have been more e different. he has been sent off for a rashash tackle and here was another costlytly moment of madness, turning the gameme on its head in the 39th minute.
chelsea helsea were in control until that point. nt. it had taken atletico until the 37thh minute to mount a threat to goal, whenn a deflected shot earned a corner and as the ball came in Luiz needlessly manhandlednhandled Lucas hernandez to the floor, r, tugging at his shirt in a most obvifashion. obvious fashion. Referee cuneyt cakir branhed brandished a yellow card for Luiz and siged signalled the penalty atletico’s play — if not Luiz’s lunacy — scarcely deserved.
antoinentoine Griezmann took it, old school, a powerful owerful shot past thibaut courtois, who spent three years on loan here and is still ill a crowd favourite. he nearly did them m a favour, too, his parry from a shot t by Koke with seconds to go before half-time -time only pushing the ball out to saul l Niguez, whose low shot was fierce, but narrowly wide. ATLETICO MADRID (4-3-3): Oblak 6.5; Juanfran 6, Godin 6, Hernandez 6, Luis 6; Koke 6.5, Partey 5.5 (Gimenez 77min), Saul 6; Carrasco 5.5 (Torres 69, 5.5), Griezmann 6, Correa 5.5 (Gaitan 71, 5.5). Subs not used: Moya, Gabi, Savic, Vietto. Scorer: Griezmann 40 pen. Booked: Partey, Griezmann. Manager: Diego Simeone 6. CHELSEA (3-4-2-1): Courtois 6; Azpilicueta 6.5, Luiz 5, Cahill 6; Moses 6.5, Kante 7, Bakayoko 6.5, Alonso 7; Fabregas 6 (Christensen 86), HAZARD 8 (Willian 82), Morata 7.5 (Batshuayi 82). Subs not used: Caballero, Rudiger, Pedro, Zappacosta. Scorers: Morata 59, Batshuayi 90+4. Booked: Luiz. Manager: Antonio Conte 8. Referee: Cuneyt Cakir (Turkey) 7. Attendance: 60,643.