Sporting Life
Mateo Kovacic: Chelsea midfielder celebrates his first goal for the club, against Valencia in the Champions League
Mateo Kovacic: Chelsea midfielder celebrates his first goal for the club, against Valencia in the Champions League

Valencia 2-2 Chelsea: Frank Lampard's side grind out Mestalla point in Champions League

By Sporting Life
Football
Wed November 27, 2019 · 5y ago

Chelsea saw safe passage to the Champions League knockout stages slip agonisingly away as Daniel Wass' fluke stole Valencia a 2-2 draw at the Mestalla.

England striker Tammy Abraham was taken to hospital after a nasty-looking fall on a night where the Blues thought Christian Pulisic's nudged finish would sneak them into the European top tier's last 16.

Abraham suffered a suspected internal injury after falling awkwardly on his hip, no doubt adding to boss Frank Lampard's frustrations as Valencia gained the greater boost in Group H from the draw.

Mateo Kovacic fired his first Chelsea goal on his 71st Blues appearance, cancelling out Carlos Soler's opener.

Jorginho was lucky to escape a second yellow card and a dismissal for the foul on Jose Gaya that gifted Valencia a second-half penalty. Captain Dani Parejo stepped up for the spot-kick only to see Kepa Arrizabalaga pull off a fine save.

Valencia 2-2 Chelsea: Goals, a penalty miss and VAR drama - the Champions League clash had it all

Maxi Gomez missed a hat-trick of first-half sitters as Valencia paid the price for shocking profligacy, but just when Chelsea started to home in on victory up popped Wass.

The Denmark midfielder's lofted cross drifted away from his intended target but instead over Kepa and into the net, stealing Valencia a draw to thwart Chelsea at the last.

Rodrigo's glaring miss at the death could even have sealed Valencia's place in the last 16, but a compelling, gritty game somehow ended even.

Victory here would have sent Chelsea into the knockout phase with a group game to spare, but now the Blues must wait to secure their passage into the last-16.

Highlights

Valencia vs Chelsea(2-2) | UEFA Champions League Highlights

Reaction

  • Frank Lampard

"I wouldn't say I feel fortunate, but I didn't really love the match. Both teams had incredible chances, we had numerous ones in the first-half.

"But there haven't been very many times this season where I've had to say 'we kind of got away with that'. It could have been five-all or six-six, it was one of those games. We should be better defensively than we were today.

"I'm happy to a degree, you come here to win but you respect the opponent, the Champions League and how tough it is. It was a really tough match for us but it does keep it (qualification for the last 16) in our hands."

  • Cesar Azpilicueta
"You're never happy when you don't win" César Azpilicueta reacts to Chelsea's 2-2 draw in Valencia

Opta statistics

  • Chelsea have played more UEFA Champions League away games against Valencia without losing than any against any other opponent in the competition (W2 D2).
  • Valencia have won just one of their eight UEFA Champions League matches against Chelsea (W1 D4 L3), winning 1-0 at Stamford Bridge in the reverse fixture in September.
  • Chelsea have lost just one of their last 12 away UEFA Champions League matches in Spain, although eight of these contests have ended level (W3 D8 L1).
  • Carlos Soler’s goal was Valencia’s 100th in the Champions League on home soil, joining Real Madrid and Barcelona as the three Spanish teams to have done so. Indeed, only England (4) has more sides to reach this landmark in the competition.
  • Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic has scored as many goals in his last seven matches in all competitions as he managed in the previous 36 beforehand (6 goals – Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea).
  • Since the start of last season, no Valencia player has scored more goals (three) or registered more assists (four) in European competition than Rodrigo Moreno.
  • Valencia’s Daniel Parejo has been directly involved in three goals in five Champions League appearances this season (1 goal, 2 assists). Before this campaign, he had neither scored or assisted in the competition (19 apps).
  • Mateo Kovacic has scored his first goal in 122 appearances across all club competitions, netting his first goal for Chelsea on his 71st appearance, and with his 45th shot.

Follow Sporting Life on social media - find us on Facebook here or tweet @SportingLifeFC

Related Champions League links