Match ends, Atlético de Madrid 0, Chelsea 1.
Olivier Giroud's spectacular overhead kick gave Chelsea an outstanding victory against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last 16 first leg in Bucharest.
Giroud's superb moment of improvisation not only delivered the win and a vital away goal but also continued new manager Thomas Tuchel's unbeaten start at Chelsea and put them in pole position to reach the quarter-finals.
In a tie played in Romania instead of Spain because of Covid-19 restrictions, Giroud demonstrated athleticism and technique to send an acrobatic effort beyond Atletico keeper Jan Oblak in the 68th minute. The goal was originally ruled out for offside before a video assistant referee review revealed the ball had bounced off Atletico defender Mario Hermoso.
It was reward for Chelsea's more progressive style in the face of the usual attritional approach from Diego Simeone's Atletico. They rarely troubled Tuchel's side who comfortably kept the in-form but increasingly frustrated Luis Suarez at bay.
Chelsea have now gone eight matches unbeaten since Tuchel succeeded Frank Lampard while Giroud is emerging as their Champions League talisman after scoring all four goals in the group-phase victory against Sevilla and a last-minute winner away to Rennes.
Tuchel was quick to praise the impact of 34-year-old World Cup winner Giroud and said: "If you see him on a daily basis, you cannot be surprised. He is totally fit, his body is in shape and his physicality is on top level.
"He trains like a 20-year-old, like a 24-year-old. He is a guy who has a good mixture of serious and joy in training. He is always positive and it is a big factor for the group."
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Tuchel's biggest statement yet
Tuchel's Chelsea have been efficient rather than spectacular since the German coach was appointed following Lampard's departure in January - but there will be no complaints after the most impressive result of his brief time in charge.
Chelsea were regarded as underdogs in this last-16 tie against the La Liga leaders but apart from a couple of early scares - keeper Edouard Mendy miscontrolled early in the game before Suarez flashed the ball across the face of goal - they were in charge.
They showed more ambition than a strangely lethargic and even more cautious than usual Atletico.
It will increase Chelsea's confidence that they have appointed a coach who is comfortable operating at the highest levels after reaching the Champions League final with Paris St-Germain last season and impressing at Borussia Dortmund.
And once again Giroud proved what an intelligent and talented player he is with a piece of ingenuity that settled a tight game to give Chelsea high hopes going into the second leg.
Giroud has proved time and again he is invaluable to Chelsea's cause, demonstrating what a bargain buy he was at ÂŁ18m from Arsenal in January 2018.
It was also a good night for young England forward Callum Hudson-Odoi, who performed creditably after the debate surrounding his substitution after coming on as a substitute in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Southampton.
Hudson-Odoi was replaced again after 79 minutes in Bucharest but this was after a performance full of energy and hard work that will have delighted taskmaster Tuchel on a highly satisfying night for Chelsea.
Atletico still pose a threat - but this was poor
This was a dismal showing from an Atletico Madrid side who have been excellent domestically in heading Real Madrid, Sevilla and Barcelona.
Atletico adopted a more conservative approach than Chelsea despite this being their 'home' leg, albeit on neutral territory, and the old streetfighter Suarez was reduced to familiar moments of gamesmanship in a bid to unsettle his opponents. It was all to no avail as the Premier League side held firm.
It was a game that pointed to Chelsea building the platform for progress in the second leg but Atletico's resilience, ability to fight the odds and love of being the underdog still makes them a threat.
Simeone will need to inspire a big performance from his players in the second leg but they can never be written off, as Liverpool - rampant in the Premier League at the time - painfully discovered when they were eliminated by Atletico over two legs at this stage last season, completed by a 3-2 win at Anfield after coming from 2-0 down.
Chelsea achieved a superb result and their destiny is now in their own hands but Tuchel will not, and cannot, allow for any complacency against an Atletico team who may just revel in the task facing them in the second leg.
Another Champions League goal for Giroud - the stats
- Thomas Tuchel became the third Chelsea manager to win his first Champions League game in charge when the game took place in the knockout stage after Roberto Di Matteo and Guus Hiddink.
- Atletico Madrid failed to have a shot on target against Chelsea - the first time they had failed to register a shot on target in a Champions League game since March 2019 v Juventus.
- Chelsea's Olivier Giroud has scored six Champions League goals this season, his best return in a single campaign in the competition.
- Giroud (34 years and 146 days) became the oldest player to score a Champions League knockout goal for Chelsea.
- Chelsea's Edouard Mendy has kept more clean sheets than any other goalkeeper in the Champions League this season (five).
- Mason Mount's yellow card after 55 seconds was the quickest card shown in the Champions League this season.
- Thomas Tuchel (Chelsea and PSG) became only the second manager in the history of the Champions League to manage two different clubs in the competition within a single season after Ronald Koeman in 2007-08 (PSV and Valencia).
'A big reward' - what they said
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel told BT Sport: "Fantastic result, fantastic goal. Well deserved.
"We wanted to dominate in the opponents' half, to never lose concentration, not to do any easy mistakes and always be aware of quick counter-attacks for all their quality.
"It was a very disciplined performance - a deserved shut-out. This is the hard work, a team effort - the basis for a big win.
"We knew they were ready to suffer with eight people in the box. The intention was to keep the intensity high. This is what we did very good. We never let them breathe or come out for counter-attacks. We have a big reward with this result.
"This is one of the toughest challenges to open a defence like Atletico."
Player of the match
GiroudOlivier Giroud
Atlético Madrid
Avg
- Squad number13Player nameOblakAverage rating
5.34
- Squad number15Player nameSavicAverage rating
5.00
- Squad number7Player nameJoĂŁo FĂ©lixAverage rating
4.84
- Squad number18Player nameFelipeAverage rating
4.84
- Squad number6Player nameKokeAverage rating
4.77
- Squad number8Player nameSaĂșlAverage rating
4.76
- Squad number14Player nameMarcos LlorenteAverage rating
4.75
- Squad number10Player nameCorreaAverage rating
4.74
- Squad number11Player nameLemarAverage rating
4.67
- Squad number22Player nameHermosoAverage rating
4.64
- Squad number9Player nameSuĂĄrezAverage rating
4.31
- Squad number19Player nameDembeleAverage rating
4.24
- Squad number20Player nameVitoloAverage rating
4.12
- Squad number12Player nameRenan LodiAverage rating
4.03
- Squad number5Player nameTorreiraAverage rating
4.01
Chelsea
Avg
- Squad number18Player nameGiroudAverage rating
8.64
- Squad number19Player nameMountAverage rating
8.16
- Squad number7Player nameKantéAverage rating
7.45
- Squad number28Player nameAzpilicuetaAverage rating
7.44
- Squad number11Player nameWernerAverage rating
7.43
- Squad number20Player nameHudson-OdoiAverage rating
7.42
- Squad number4Player nameChristensenAverage rating
7.22
- Squad number3Player nameAlonsoAverage rating
7.21
- Squad number17Player nameKovacicAverage rating
7.19
- Squad number2Player nameRĂŒdigerAverage rating
7.19
- Squad number5Player nameJorginhoAverage rating
7.05
- Squad number24Player nameJamesAverage rating
7.02
- Squad number10Player namePulisicAverage rating
6.91
- Squad number16Player nameMendyAverage rating
6.80
- Squad number22Player nameZiyechAverage rating
6.74
- Squad number29Player nameHavertzAverage rating
6.70
Line-ups
Atl Madrid
Formation 3-4-2-1
- 13Oblak
- 15Savic
- 18Felipe
- 22HermosoSubstituted forMachĂn PĂ©rezat 84'minutes
- 14LlorenteBooked at 63mins
- 6Koke
- 8SaĂșlSubstituted forTorreiraat 82'minutes
- 11LemarBooked at 90mins
- 10CorreaSubstituted forDembeleat 82'minutes
- 7JoĂŁo FĂ©lixSubstituted forLodiat 82'minutes
- 9SuĂĄrez
Substitutes
- 1Grbic
- 4Kondogbia
- 5Torreira
- 12Lodi
- 19Dembele
- 20MachĂn PĂ©rez
- 27Camello
- 28GarcĂa
- 29SĂĄnchez
- 31San RomĂĄn
Chelsea
Formation 3-4-1-2
- 16Mendy
- 28Azpilicueta
- 4Christensen
- 2RĂŒdiger
- 20Hudson-OdoiSubstituted forJamesat 80'minutes
- 5JorginhoBooked at 64mins
- 17KovacicSubstituted forZiyechat 74'minutes
- 3Alonso
- 19MountBooked at 1minsSubstituted forKantéat 74'minutes
- 18GiroudSubstituted forHavertzat 87'minutes
- 11WernerSubstituted forPulisicat 87'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Arrizabalaga
- 7Kanté
- 9Abraham
- 10Pulisic
- 13Caballero
- 15Zouma
- 21Chilwell
- 22Ziyech
- 23Gilmour
- 24James
- 29Havertz
- 33Emerson
- Referee:
- Dr. Felix Brych
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home37%
- Away63%
- Shots
- Home6
- Away11
- Shots on Target
- Home0
- Away5
- Corners
- Home5
- Away6
- Fouls
- Home9
- Away21
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Atlético de Madrid 0, Chelsea 1.
Post update
Reece James (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Vitolo (Atlético de Madrid).
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Foul by Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea).
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Lucas Torreira (Atlético de Madrid) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Booking
Thomas Lemar (Atlético de Madrid) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Christian Pulisic (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Thomas Lemar (Atlético de Madrid).
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Foul by Kai Havertz (Chelsea).
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Koke (Atlético de Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Andreas Christensen (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Luis Suårez (Atlético de Madrid).
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Foul by Kai Havertz (Chelsea).
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Renan Lodi (Atlético de Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Chelsea. Christian Pulisic replaces Timo Werner.
Substitution
Substitution, Chelsea. Kai Havertz replaces Olivier Giroud.
Post update
Foul by Reece James (Chelsea).
Post update
Renan Lodi (Atlético de Madrid) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Foul by Olivier Giroud (Chelsea).
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Comments
Join the conversation
Very well played.
Great goal from Giroud đ
If he were English his name would be Diego Bruce- Allardyce.
Madrid were shocking wouldn't like to watch them every week.
They will scratch, claw and cheat just like their manager until the last breath.
I hope Chelsea get a strong referee at home.
Right decision. Dont know why it took so long but well done Chelsea.