Chelsea progressed to the Champions League quarter-finals, beating Atletico Madrid 2-0 on Wednesday to complete a 3-0 aggregate win in the last-16 second leg at Stamford Bridge.
Olivier Giroud’s spectacular overhead kick separated the sides in Bucharest three weeks ago, giving Chelsea a valuable one-goal advantage that was added to by Hakim Ziyech (34) during the opening half.
Stefan Savic was dismissed for violent conduct (81) after elbowing Antonio Rudiger as Emerson Palmieri came off the bench in stoppage time and scored with his very first touch to complete a professional job by the hosts.
It is the first time Chelsea have reached the Champions League last eight in seven years and they are yet to lose in 13 matches under Thomas Tuchel in all competitions, making this now the longest unbeaten start to a tenure by any manager in the club’s history, overtaking Luiz Felipe Scolari’s 12 games in 2008.
CHL 2-0 ATM (FT) – No quiso o no pudo en el partido de ida? Esa era la duda y hoy ya tenemos la respuesta: ejercicio de impotencia absoluta del Atlético de Madrid en esta eliminatoria. El Chelsea (del general Kanté) ha hecho lo que ha querido con el líder de La Liga.
— MisterChip (Alexis) (@2010MisterChip) March 17, 2021
Rio Ferdinand warned that Atletico Madrid are a team you ‘can’t ever write off completely’ but backed Chelsea to edge into the Champions League quarter-finals.
— Frank Khalid (@FrankKhalidUK) March 17, 2021
