Chelsea vs Atlético: UEFA Champions League background, form guide, previous meetings

Chelsea hold a slender but crucial advantage ahead of their second leg against Atlético de Madrid thanks to Olivier Giroud's acrobatic goal in Bucharest.

• The Frenchman scored the only goal at the Arena Naţională with a spectacular overhead kick in the 68th minute, marking Thomas Tuchel's European debut as Chelsea coach with a win that leaves his new side well placed to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2013/14.

• Both teams have been knockout regulars in recent seasons; this is the sixth time Chelsea have reached this stage in the last eight campaigns, although they have advanced no further since 2013/14. That campaign was ended by Atlético, who are making a seventh appearance in the UEFA Champions League last 16 in the last eight years.

• The London club have enjoyed a straightforward campaign this season, remaining unbeaten to finish first in Group E ahead of Atlético's domestic rivals Sevilla. Atleti, meanwhile, suffered their joint heaviest European defeat on Matchday 1 and have won only two of their seven matches in the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League, victory at Salzburg in their final group fixture securing second place in Group A behind holders Bayern München.

• Chelsea have changed head coach since the group stage, replacing Frank Lampard with Tuchel at the end of January.

Previous meetings
• All eight of the clubs' fixtures have come since 2009 and there has been little between them overall; Chelsea now have three victories to Atlético's two and have scored 12 goals, one more than the Spanish club.

• Atlético and Chelsea were paired together in the 2017/18 group stage, the English club winning 2-1 in Spain before a 1-1 draw in London.

• The teams had previously met in the 2013/14 semi-finals, when the first game in Spain finished goalless.

• The following week at Stamford Bridge, José Mourinho's Chelsea looked on course for the final when Fernando Torres, who had two spells at Atlético, gave them a 36th-minute lead. However, Adrián López levelled a minute before half-time, then Diego Costa (60pen) – who joined Chelsea three months later – and Arda Turan (72) gave the visitors victory.

• These sides also met in the 2012 UEFA Super Cup when Radamel Falcao's first-half hat-trick earned Atlético a 4-1 success in Monaco and their second triumph in the competition in three years. Gary Cahill got Chelsea's consolation after Miranda had made it 4-0 on the hour.

• The teams' other meetings came in the 2009/10 UEFA Champions League group stage when Chelsea collected four points from their Spanish rivals to finish top of Group D. Atlético came third and transferred to the maiden edition of the UEFA Europa League, which they eventually won, beating Chelsea's local rivals Fulham in the final.

• Carlo Ancelotti's Chelsea prevailed 4-0 at Stamford Bridge, Salomon Kalou scoring twice (41, 52) before Lampard (69) added another and Luis Perea (90+1) headed a Florent Malouda free-kick into his own net. The defeat prompted the departure of Atlético coach Abel Resino, Quique Sánchez Flores taking over.

• The game in Spain two weeks later ended 2-2, confirming Chelsea's knockout place and ending Atlético's hopes. Substitute Sergio Agüero (66, 90+1) earned a point despite Didier Drogba's double (82, 88).

Form guide

Chelsea
• Chelsea made smooth progress through Group E, winning all three away fixtures and dropping points only in their first and last fixtures, at home to Sevilla (0-0) and Krasnodar (1-1) respectively. Rennes were beaten 3-0 at Stamford Bridge before the English club picked up maximum points at Krasnodar (4-0), Rennes (2-1) and Sevilla (4-0); the latter result made sure of first place in the section, Giroud becoming the first Chelsea player to score four times in a European Cup match – and at 34 years 63 days the oldest hat-trick scorer in UEFA Champions League history.

• Fourth in the Premier League in 2019/20, this is Chelsea's 17th venture into the UEFA Champions League and a third in four years. The exception came in 2018/19, when they won the UEFA Europa League under Maurizio Sarri.

• Last season Lampard's side recovered from a Matchday 1 defeat at home to Valencia (0-1) to progress as Group H runners-up with 11 points, finishing behind the Spanish side on head-to-head record, before losing to eventual champions Bayern (0-3 h, 1-4 a) in the last 16.

• Chelsea's record in the round of 16 is W8 L6. They have lost their last four contests at this stage.

• Chelsea have won only two of their last eight European matches at Stamford Bridge (D4 L2).

• Despite their five victories this season, the Blues have won only six of their last 12 UEFA Champions League matches (D4 L2).

• European champions in 2012 having been runners-up four years earlier, Chelsea have now won their UEFA Champions League group 12 times, although they were runners-up in their section on each of their previous two participations before this season.

• Last season's home loss to Valencia was one of only four defeats in the Blues' last 27 matches against Spanish opponents, home and away (W9 D14). They are without a win in their last five games against Spanish clubs at Stamford Bridge (D3 L2), since a 1-0 victory against Barcelona in the 2011/12 UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg.

• However, despite the victories in Seville and Bucharest this season, Chelsea have still won only three of their last 13 fixtures against Liga clubs, home and away (D6 L4), the other that 2017 win at Atlético.

• Chelsea have played 11 two-legged knockout ties against Spanish clubs (W4 L7), most recently in the 2017/18 UEFA Champions League round of 16 when they lost 3-0 at Barcelona in the second leg to go down 4-1 overall.

• Tuchel is unbeaten as a head coach against Spanish clubs (W2 D3).

• The London club were unbeaten in their first five home knockout games against Spanish teams in UEFA competition (W4 D1) but that 2012 victory against Barcelona is their only success in the six subsequent matches (D3 L2).

• Chelsea have never been eliminated from UEFA competition after recording an away first-leg win, winning 12 ties out of 12. The most recent came in the quarter-finals of their victorious UEFA Europa League campaign in 2018/19, a 1-0 win away to Slavia Praha preceding a 4-3 success at Stamford Bridge. That was the fifth tie in which they won the away first leg 1-0.

• Chelsea's record in six UEFA penalty shoot-outs is W2 L4:
1-4 v Liverpool, 2006/07 UEFA Champions League semi-final
5-6 v Manchester United, 2007/08 UEFA Champions League final
4-3 v Bayern München, 2011/12 UEFA Champions League final
4-5 v Bayern München, 2013 UEFA Super Cup
4-3 v Eintracht Frankfurt, 2018/19 UEFA Europa League semi-final
4-5 v Liverpool, 2019 UEFA Super Cup

Atlético
• The Rojiblancos responded to a record-equalling 4-0 opening loss at Bayern with a 3-2 home win against Salzburg. They drew their next three matches, away (1-1) and home (0-0) against Lokomotiv Moskva and 1-1 against Bayern, ending the holders' competition-record winning streak at 15, before ensuring they would join the Munich club in the round of 16 with a 2-0 win at Salzburg on Matchday 6.

• Third in Spain in 2019/20, this is Atlético's 11th UEFA Champions League campaign and eighth in a row; they are in the knockout stages for the ninth time.

• Last season, Diego Simeone's side finished second in their section behind Juventus, picking up ten points. Atlético then ousted holders Liverpool in impressive style in the round of 16 (1-0 h, 3-2 a aet) but came up short against Leipzig in the quarter-finals in Lisbon, going down 2-1.

• Atlético have lost only eight of their last 38 European matches (W21 D9), although five of those defeats have come in their last 13.

• Three of Atleti's last six away European matches have ended in defeat, the exceptions last season's win at Liverpool and the draw at Lokomotiv and victory at Salzburg in the current campaign.

• Atlético have won five of their seven round of 16 ties. Last season's 3-2 second-leg win at Liverpool was only Atlético's second victory in their last ten away matches in the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds (D2 L6).

• Atleti have been victorious in nine of their 11 two-legged knockout contests against English teams, including the last five; only Derby County (1974/75 UEFA Cup) and Bolton Wanderers (2007/08 UEFA Cup) have eliminated them.

• The victory at Liverpool in 2019/20 was just Atlético's third win in 14 away games against English clubs, with four defeats. The Madrid side are unbeaten in their last five visits to England, however (W2 D3).

• The Madrid club have reached the quarter-finals or better in five of their last seven UEFA Champions League campaigns – all under Simeone.

• The Rojiblancos have reached two UEFA Champions League and three UEFA Europa League finals in the last 11 seasons.

• Atlético have lost all seven UEFA competition ties in which they were beaten in the home first leg, most recently against Rubin Kazan in the 2012/13 UEFA Europa League round of 32 (0-2 h, 1-0 a). Their sole 1-0 first-leg home loss came against Lazio in the 1997/98 UEFA Cup semi-finals (0-0 a).

• Atlético's record in six UEFA penalty shoot-outs is W2 L4:
6-7 v Derby, 1974/75 UEFA Cup second round
1-3 v Fiorentina, 1989/90 UEFA Cup first round
1-3 v Villarreal, 2004 UEFA Intertoto Cup final
3-2 v Bayer Leverkusen, 2014/15 UEFA Champions League round of 16
8-7 v PSV Eindhoven, 2015/16 UEFA Champions League round of 16
3-5 v Real Madrid, 2015/16 UEFA Champions League final

Links and trivia
• Have played in England:
Kieran Trippier (Manchester City 1999–2012, Barnsley 2010, 2010/11 loan, Burnley 2011–15, Tottenham 2015–19)
Stefan Savić (Manchester City 2011–12)
Lucas Torreira (Arsenal 2018–20)

• Have played in Spain:
Kepa (Athletic Club 2014–18, Ponferradina 2015 loan, Valladolid 2015/16 loan)
César Azpilicueta (Osasuna 2001–10)
Marcos Alonso (Real Madrid 1999–2010)
Mateo Kovačić (Real Madrid 2015–18)
Willy Caballero (Elche 2004–11, Málaga 2011–14)

• Have played together:
Marcos Alonso & Stefan Savić (Fiorentina 2013–15)

• International team-mates:
Reece James, Ben Chilwell, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham & Kieran Trippier (England)
Mateo Kovačić & Šime Vrsaljko (Croatia)
Kepa, Marcos Alonso & Koke, Saúl Ñíguez, Marcos Llorente, Mario Hermoso, Vitolo (Spain)
Kurt Zouma, N'Golo Kanté, Olivier Giroud & Thomas Lemar (France)
Thiago Silva & Renan Lodi, Felipe (Brazil)

Latest news

Chelsea
• UEFA Champions League squad changes
In: None
Out: Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan, loan)

• The Blues are on a 13-match unbeaten run in all competitions (W9 D4); they drew 0-0 at Leeds in the Premier League on Saturday.

• Chelsea have kept five successive clean sheets; they have conceded only two goals in their last 12 games in all competitions, keeping ten clean sheets.

• Thomas Tuchel's record since succeeding Frank Lampard as head coach on 26 January is W8 D4. That 12-match unbeaten start has equalled Luiz Felipe Scolari's club record.

• Tuchel is the first manager in Premier League history whose side have kept a clean sheet in each of his first five home league games.

• The Matchday 6 draw at home to Krasnodar extended Chelsea's unbeaten run to 17 games in all competitions (W10 D7); they lost five of their next nine fixtures (W3 D1) before the current 13-match run without defeat.

• Jorginho's penalty in a 2-0 home win against Everton on 8 March was his sixth goal in this season's Premier League, all from the spot; only Liverpool's James Milner, with seven in 2016/17, has scored more goals exclusively from penalties in a Premier League campaign.

• On 15 February Timo Werner scored his first Premier League goal since 7 November in a 2-0 defeat of Newcastle at Stamford Bridge – his first goal in exactly 1,000 minutes of league football.

• Edouard Mendy has kept 20 clean sheets in his 31 Chelsea appearances in all competitions including ten in his last 12 appearances.

• Chelsea have reached the FA Cup quarter-finals with wins at home to Morecambe (4-0) and Luton (3-1) and at Barnsley (1-0). They will play Sheffield United at Stamford Bridge in the last eight on 21 March.

• Tammy Abraham has been out since 2 March with an ankle problem.

• Thiago Silva has not played since limping off in the first half of the 1-0 Premier League win at Tottenham on 4 February with a muscle injury, although he was an unused substitute against Everton.

Atlético
• UEFA Champions League squad changes
In: Moussa Dembélé (Lyon, loan), Álvaro García, Geoffrey Kondogbia
Out: Borja Garcés, Diego Costa (released), Ismael Gutiérrez, Manu Sánchez (Osasuna, loan), Juan Sanabria (Zaragoza, loan), Ivan Šaponjić (Cádiz, loan), Germán Valera

• Atlético have won two and drawn two since the first leg against Chelsea. The Liga leaders were held 0-0 at Getafe on Saturday.

• Diego Simeone's side have lost only two of their 27 Liga matches this season (W19 D6), both 2-0 – away to local rivals Real Madrid on 12 December and at home to Levante on 20 February.

• However, Atleti have recorded only three victories in their last eight league fixtures (D4 L1).

• Marcos Llorente's tally of ten goals in all competitions this season represents the best of his career, surpassing his previous highest of five in 2019/20.

• Luis Suárez is the Liga's second highest scorer this season with 18 goals, ten of them coming in 2021.

• Héctor Herrera has not played since 31 January; he was absent through illness until returning to the squad for the 2-0 victory at Villarreal on 28 February. He was an unused substitute at Getafe on Saturday.

• José María Giménez played 90 minutes at the weekend, his first appearance since 20 February due to an adductor issue.