Lookman Brilliant as Atalanta’s Comeback Win Deals Chelsea Blow

*Osimhen fires blanks in Galatasaray loss to Balogun inspired Monaco

Duro Ikhazuagbe

Ademola Lookman was in action for 87 minutes as Atalanta came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 in Bergamo on Tuesday night.

While the Italian Serie A side climbed to third on the log with 13 points from six matches, the Blues dropped out of the Top 8 to 11th  on 10 points. Chelsea’s hope of automatic qualification now depends on how the London club handle the two remaining games in the league phase.

Both sides went into this game with identical records in the league phase of this year’s tournament, having won three, drawn one and lost one to sit on 10 points. For large parts there was little to separate them in this game, too, although Chelsea got their noses in front in the first half when Joao Pedro turned in Reece James’ cross.

But Atalanta always looked a threat going forwards, with former Charlton and Everton attacker Ademola Lookman causing problems.

In the second half, Atalanta upped the pressure and deservedly levelled when ex-West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca headed in a cross. Alejandro Garnacho drove a strong effort straight at the goalkeeper but Atalanta got the winner late on when the Blues defence backed off only for Charles de Ketelaere to take full advantage with a driven strike.

Elsewhere, Victor Osimhen’s hope of extending his terrific run of scoring in eight successive major European games was halted as he fired blanks in Galatasaray’s 1-0 away loss at AS Monaco last night. American-born player with Nigerian ancestry, Folarin Balogun scored the lone winner for the French team.

In Milan, Dominik Szoboszlai’s 88th-minute penalty gave Liverpool a crucial win against Inter Milan in the Champions League.

Much of the build-up to the clash was dominated by the exclusion of Mohamed Salah from the Reds squad after he claimed the club had “thrown him under the bus” and his relationship with manager Arne Slot had broken down.

And with the Egypt forward left back in Liverpool, Szoboszlai stepped up to take the decisive late spot-kick after Alessandro Bastoni was adjudged, following a video assistant referee (VAR) check, to have tugged at the shirt of Florian Wirtz in the box.

Inter keeper Yann Sommer dived the right way, but the power of the penalty proved too much and Liverpool held on for a welcome three points after a turbulent few days at the club.

RESULTS

K’Almaty 0-1 Olympiacos

B’Munich 3-1 Sporting

Atalanta 2-1 Chelsea

Barcelona 2-1 Frankfurt

Inter Milan 0-1 Liverpool

Monaco 1-0 Galatasaray

PSV 2-3 Atlético

Royale USG 2-3 Marseille

Tottenham 3-0 S’Prague

TODAY

Qarabag v Ajax

Villarreal v Copenhagen

Ath Bilbao v PSG

Leverkusen v Newcastle

Benfica v Napoli

Brugge v Arsenal

Dortmund v Bodo

Juventus v Pafos

R’Madrid v Man City