Since the 2009/10 season Chelsea and Atlético Madrid have met seven times including the Semi-finals of the Champions League and the final of the European Super Cup.
The teams’ are poised to meet yet again in the Round of 16 of the Champions League in what is sure to be a fiery goal fuelled tie judging by previous encounters. In this article, we’ll be looking at some of the sides’ previous meetings in Europe.
Chelsea demolish Atlético in sides first meeting – 2009/10 Champions League
The sides’ first meeting was a Champions League group stage tie in November 2009. A brace from Salmon Kalou and goals from Frank Lampard and an unfortunate Luis Amaranto Perea were enough to see the Londoners’ claim all three points.
An Atlético side that still contained the likes of Diego Forlan, Sergio Aguero and Raúl Garcia were no match for Carlo Ancelotti’s title winning side on that occasion.
Drogba and Aguero bag braces – 2009/10 Champions League
The subsequent rematch two weeks later in Madrid had the same number of goals but was a far more even affair.
Didier Drogba eqaualised in the 82nd minute and bagged and second with just two minutes of normal time left to put Chelsea on the verge of a perfect record against their Spanish counterparts.
Iconic Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero, in his younger Atletcio days, matched the Ivorian by grabbing his second in the 90th minute to again peg the tie back to a deadlock.
Aguero himself scored 46 goals across this season and the next before completing his move to the Etihad.
Falcao steals the show – 2012/13 European Super Cup
Three months after winning the club’s lone Champions League crown, Chelsea were representing Europe’s premier club competition in the 2012 Super Cup Final.
Atlético were one of the rising commodities in Europe by this point, having won the Europa League for the second time in three seasons under now manager Diego Simeone.
It was Colombian forward Radamel Falcao who was the difference-maker netting a first-half hat-trick en route to the Spaniards 4-1 win in Monaco. Gary Cahill grabbed what can only be described as a consolation goal late on as the West Londoners fell to a classic Atlético Madrid performance despite having over 60% possession.
Atlético silence Stamford Bridge to make Champions League Final – 2013/14 Champions League
The most iconic meeting between the sides’ came in the 2013-14 Semi-Finals of the Champions League.
A 0-0 result away in the Spanish capital left it all to be decided in London in José Mourinho’s first season back in the Stamford Bridge dugout.
Fernando Torres’s opener put Chelsea on the verge of meeting Real Madrid in Lisbon before three unanswered goals again stole the show for Atletico in their title winning season,
Diego Costa was on the scoresheet less than three months before he would join Chelsea, while Filipe Luis and the on-loan Thibaut Courtois were also poised to join the Blues in the near future.
Michy Batshuayi salvages late win for Chelsea – 2017/18 Champions League
The penultimate meeting between the sides’ to date was decided in the dying embers by Michy Batshuayi, one of only 25 goals for the club during his ongoing five-year stay in West London.
Alvaro Morata had levelled the scoring after Antoine Greizmann converted a spot-kick five minutes before the interval.
The Belgian forward was the hero for the blues though claiming all three points away in Madrid.
Chelsea are yet again poised to meet Atlético Madrid in the Round of 16 of the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League. The two ties will see Diego Simone, still in charge of Atlético pit himself against newly-appointed Chelsea gaffer Thomas Tuchel.
