Chelsea slipped out of the automatic qualification places in the Champions League after they were defeated 2-1 by Atalanta.
Despite taking the lead through Joao Pedro, the Blues never really had control of the game, and were made to pay for sloppy defending in the second half.
Goalscorer Charles De Ketelaere was surprised how much time he had to move towards the Chelsea goal, and Robert Sanchez will be disappointed that he wasn’t able to keep his shot out.
Despite a perfect home record in the Champions League this season, Enzo Maresca’s side have picked up just one point on their travels this season in Europe.
Atalanta BC v Chelsea FC - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD6
Photo by Davide Casentini/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Chelsea are without an away win in the Champions League since 2022
This is likely to cost the Blues a place in the top eight of the Champions League, however the issue runs deeper than it looks on the eye.
Chelsea have not actually recorded a victory away from home in the competition since October 25, 2022, when they beat RB Salzburg in the group stages of the previous iteration of the competition.
Under Graham Potter and Frank Lampard, they were unable to win against Borussia Dortmund or Real Madrid away from home, and are currently winless against Bayern Munich, Qarabag and Atalanta this season.
With one away game left in the group stages against Napoli, Chelsea must beat Antonio Conte’s Napoli in Italy in order to stand any chance of automatically qualifying in the top eight.
Raffaele Palladino, Head Coach of Atalanta, and Enzo Maresca, Manager of Chelsea, interact
Photo by Chris Ricco – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
Chelsea’s poor away UCL form could cost Enzo Maresca his job
Enzo Maresca faced criticism for his in-game management against Atalanta. Chelsea fans fumed when Tosin Adarabioyo was subbed on late in the second half.
If the Blues manager cannot deliver an away win in the competition this season, their chances of reaching the latter stages are slim, and could be detrimental to his odds of keeping his job.
No top eight finish will result in a nightmare run of fixtures up until March where results are going to be far harder to come by in all competitions.
If Chelsea are still miles away from competing domestically, and dumped out early in the Champions League, it could be the final straw for Maresca at Stamford Bridge.
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