Olivier Giroud was our Champions League hero away to Spanish opposition once again, settling the first leg of this round-of-16 tie with a sublime overhead kick worthy of the highest stage.
In what was a predictably tight encounter against Atletico Madrid, it was a piece of individual brilliance that proved the difference between the sides. Midway through the second half, the ball looped up in Giroud’s direction. A good 12 yards out and with his back to goal, he bicycle-kicked the ball into the ground and beyond Jan Oblak.
Initially disallowed for offside, VAR overturned the decision because the last touch had come off an Atleti defender. Just as in Seville two months ago, the classy Giroud was our matchwinner. It inflicted only a second home European defeat on Atletico in 30 games. The other team to beat them? Chelsea in 2017, of course!
The Blues will head into the second leg of this tie in three weeks full of confidence after a superb showing that married defensive grit, patience and that elite quality needed at this level. Atleti did not manage a shot on target as we largely kept them at arm’s length to maintain our excellent start to life under Thomas Tuchel.
He will be hoping for more of the same when Manchester United visit on Sunday, but for now he and his players can toast a famous European victory.
The Selection
Tuchel opted for a quartet of changes to the side that started at St Mary’s on Saturday. Jorginho replaced N’Golo Kante and was deployed in a deeper midfield position behind Mateo Kovacic and Mason Mount.
Tuchel stayed true to his word about Callum Hudson-Odoi’s fleeting appearance on Southampton, immediately putting it behind him by naming the 20-year-old in his starting XI. Our other changes were in central defence and up front, with Andreas Christensen and Giroud coming in for Kurt Zouma and Tammy Abraham respectively.
Christian Pulisic and Kai Havertz were back on the bench after injury. N’Golo Kante’s 200th Blues appearance would have to wait until the second half.
Atleti’s team bore three differences to the one that began their weekend loss to Levante. Felipe, Thomas Lemar and Joao Felix were the fresh faces.
Chelsea started nervously. Inside a minute Mason Mount had been booked, somewhat harshly, for stopping an Atleti break. He will miss the return leg. Then Edouard Mendy’s touch let him down in his own six-yard box, only for the pressing Joao Felix to miscontrol himself.
We gathered our composure and tested Atleti’s low block for the first time, winning a couple of early corners which came to nothing. Down the other end, we were almost our worst enemy once again when Toni Rudiger and Marcos Alonso had their pocket picked by Luis Suarez. His centre reached Lemar at the back post but with too much pace for the Frenchman to guide his effort on target.
Mount conjured up a similar opening on the quarter-hour mark, a vicious whipped cross from the right so close to receiving a clean contact from the stretching Timo Werner.
Tight and tense
Our ‘hosts’ were more than happy to sit with six defenders out of possession and invite us to break them down before springing forward whenever the opportunity arose. It is the sort of game management that has made Diego Simeone’s side such a feared one in Europe for the best part of a decade now, but the Blues too displayed assertiveness and assurance in possession.
Shortly before the half-hour Alonso tried his luck from range, saved by Jan Oblak, and then the Spaniard curled in a cross the diving Giroud met with his head, only for a red-and-white shirt to block its path goalwards.
Werner, more advanced than Mount tonight, burst to life on 39 minutes with a quick turn and fierce strike from 10 yards that stung Oblak’s palms. Mount had set that chance up but he couldn’t do similar at the end of a rare Chelsea break, volleying over.
Although Suarez had a sniff of goal before half-time, Atletico only registered a single shot in a high-tempo first 45 minutes in Bucharest, their lowest such number in nearly four years in the Champions League. They did not test Mendy once after the interval.
Our first attempt of the second period came from the left boot of Mount and was blocked by Felipe. Some magnificent skill on halfway then allowed our midfielder to release Werner, whose cross was cut out. A Mateo Kovacic dart opened up space for Alonso, but again the delivery met resistance.
Atleti’s twin attackers Suarez and Joao Felix were the next to try their luck to no avail, Christensen deserving of credit for blocking the Uruguayan’s strike.
Cynical fouls by Marcos Llorente and Jorginho were met by yellow cards, Werner the man denied a breaking chance for us. Like Mount, Jorginho will miss the return leg.
Special breakthrough
Midway through the second half, it looked like we had broken the deadlock, and in some style. A pass into Mount on the edge of the box looped up and was spectacularly bicycle kicked into the corner of the net by Giroud.
The celebrations were cut short by the assistant’s raised flag. But wait, a VAR check!
A full two minutes and 52 seconds later and word reached the referee the last touch had not come off Mount but rather Mario Hermoso. Beautiful indeed, and the goal stood!
Tuchel shuffled his pack for the first time on 74 minutes, bringing on Kante and Hakim Ziyech for Mount and Kovacic, the Frenchman reaching a landmark appearance. Reece James replaced Hudson-Odoi not long after.
On the break, Werner had a shot tipped wide by Oblak as we sought a second. Pulisic and Havertz got some minutes late on as the Blues defended diligently when required and looked a regular menace when counter-attacking.
Six minutes of stoppage time were safely negotiated and in the unusual surroundings of an empty National Arena in Bucharest, the Blues could celebrate a magnificent European away win.
Golden Giroud
It was a timeless effort from Giroud as he baletically took to the air before bulging the net with a brilliant bicycle kick. He now has six Champions League goals this season, all away from home, as he continues to display his worth to the team. It has been in Europe that the Frenchman has delivered some of his best moments in blue and this was no exception. It was truly one to savour.
What’s next?
The big games are coming thick and fast now. It’s Manchester United in the league on Sunday at Stamford Bridge and then a trip to Anfield to play Liverpool next Thursday.
Chelsea (3-4-2-1): Mendy; Azpilicueta (c), Christensen, Rudiger; Hudson-Odoi (James 80), Jorginho, Kovacic (Ziyech 74), Alonso; Mount (Kante 74), Werner (Pulisic 87); Giroud (Havertz 87).Unused subs Kepa, Caballero, Zouma, Emerson, Chilwell, Gilmour, Abraham.Booked Mount 1, Jorginho 64Scorer Giroud 68
Atletico Madrid: Oblak; Savic, Felipe, Hermoso (Vitolo 84); Koke (c); Llorente, Correa (Dembele 82), Saul (Torreira 82), Lemar; Joao Felix (Lodi 82), Suarez.Unused subs Grbic, San Roman, Kondogbia, Camello, Garcia, Sanchez.Booked Llorente 63, Lemar 90+3
Referee Felix Brych from Germany