Chelsea vs Qarabag was under the hot lights of Baku and not many expected the Azerbaijan team to bother the billion pound Blues. However, what unfolded was a almost-historic drama which witnessed Enzo Maresca and his men claw a 2-2 draw courtesy of an equaliser hero struck by Alejandro Garnacho. It served to remind us that in football, reputations do not count much when one is determined and opportunity is presented..
Electricity dispersed in the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium. The crowd of more than 32,000 and some shoulder to shoulder outside the given seats gave the crowd a screaming belief atmosphere. Qarabag, whom people love to call underdogs in the whole of Europe was prepared to prove history wrong in an oppressive battle against a heavyweight of the Premier League.
Chelsea opened goals through the young 18 year old Estevao Willian. He neatly interconnected with other Brazilians Joao Pedro and Andrey Santos in cutting inside and lowly shooting on Mateusz Kochalski in the 16th minute. The initial objective ought to have put the visitors at bay, however, it gave Qarabag a fresh start.
It was persistence that created the equaliser of the hosts. Striker Camilo Duran threatened and harassed the teenage defender of Chelsea Jorrel Hato whose shot crashed against the post with the quickest reaction recording Leandro Andrade, which volleyed him over the net and Sanchez, Robert.
An hour or so later there came Qarabag. The evening turned to be even worse, when Hato was hit by a cross by Leandro Andrade, which hit his arm in a box. Marko Jankovic volunteered and systematically delivered Sanchez to the offside to the penalty spot. Belief in the stadium as the home crowd burst out, Qarabag had put Chelsea up 2-1.
To put in perspective Qarabag lost all the seven games it had played before against English teams. The two previous fixtures they had with Chelsea had been a totalled defeat of 10-0. But this was a new chapter. Their star players the Azeri champions who are worth only 22 million against 1.5 billion team at Chelsea are doing better against their star visitors.
What it brought was not only a draw to Qarabag but was a sign of the improvement. The refugee club was formed in 1951 and forced to leave their home in Agdam by war and this club has since acted as a source of hope. Their manager Gurban Gurbanov of 17 years in the position has developed a side that is fearless regardless of the financial and logistic constraints.
Having already defeated Benfica and Copenhagen in this season, the spirit but not the resources has been the hallmark of the Qarabag campaign in the champions league. Their tie with Chelsea solidifies such a reputation and gives a much-needed wakeup call that the heart of football still beats most in its stories of underdogs.
The evening provided deep concerns on rotation and consistency to Chelsea. It is now 85 changes in a season, made by the side of Maresca in only 16 games a record of any other team in the Premier League. Although rotation makes the squad fresh in four competitions, it creates a break in rhythm and chemistry.
The teenagers such as Hato, George and Gittens are experiencing, and at that point, errors are very expensive. Estevao can be the exception of the rule, a young star who is able to flourish amid the pressure. However, without such important contributors as Fernandez and Garnacho, the dynamic in Chelsea is killed.
Wounds create an additional worry. The fact that Lavia pulled out early, presumably with a quads problem, is further continuation of his troubled debut at Stamford Bridge after 55 million transfer at Southampton.
A draw two goals to two in the game between Chelsea and Qarabag was a wake up call. It showed the weaknesses of defense, the dangers of excessive rotation and the vagaries of European football. In the case of Qarabag, it was a night of confirmation evidence that through perseverance and adaptive discipline one can oppose even the most wealthy clubs.
Chelsea will face a significant challenge of regaining its momentum to the new league phase of the Champions League as the two teams look ahead, with Qarabag developing some confidence they will bring to their next battles.
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