Atletico Madrid 0-1 Chelsea: 5 talking points as Olivier Giroud's stunner hands Blues vital away win | UEFA Champions League 2020-21 

Olivier Giroud's second-half goal proved to be the difference between Chelsea and Atletico Madrid
Olivier Giroud's second-half goal proved to be the difference between Chelsea and Atletico Madrid

A 68th-minute bicycle kick from Olivier Giroud steered Chelsea to a historic 1-0 win against Atletico Madrid at Bucharest in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16.

The goal came on the back of a lengthy VAR check following an initial offside given by the officials. One could argue it was well-deserved, as the Blues maintained close to two-thirds of possession before the goal.

Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid were extremely passive as they decided to soak in the Chelsea pressure with five men at the back. They did fly out of their blocks after the goal but received a taste of their own medicine when a well-drilled Chelsea saw out the game masterfully.

The victory now means Thomas Tuchel is still without a defeat as Chelsea boss. The West Londoners have only shipped two goals under his tutelage thus far.

On that note, we discuss the five major talking points from Chelsea's well-crafted win over Atletico Madrid.


#1 Nervy, cynical Chelsea take time to settle

It was a tough start for Chelsea early on
It was a tough start for Chelsea early on

It almost seemed as if Chelsea were too late to arrive into the game. They started on an extremely nervous note, losing the ball in key areas and succumbing to the Atletico Madrid.

Edouard Mendy suffered the initial hiccups after he almost surrendered a goal when closed down by Saul Niguez. Time and time again in the opening exchanges of the game, the Chelsea midfielders were closing down Atletico's most creative outlet - Marcos Llorente.

In another instance, a loose ball that should have been cleared by either Rudiger or Alonso was instead handed to a lively Luis Suarez, who squared it to Thomas Lemar. The winger, chased well by Callum Hudson-Odoi, could not apply the finishing touches.

Chelsea, however, settled into the game and imposed their influence on the Spanish giants.


#2 Aggressive Chelsea tear into Atletico Madrid's sturdy defense

Chelsea's counter-pressing resulted in threatening turnover of possession for them
Chelsea's counter-pressing resulted in threatening turnover of possession for them

The Blues grew into the game after the quarter-hour mark, enjoying plenty of the ball and testing the opposition defense with a variety of chances.

The players, Mason Mount and Hudson-Odoi in particular, interchanged passes and created an overload on the right-hand side due to a relatively advanced Cesar Azpilicueta.

Mount's proactivity, coupled with the pressing orchestrated by Kovacic and the rest of the midfielders, ensured Chelsea won the ball back high up the pitch. A wonderful one-two played between Timo Werner and Olivier Giroud carved open a chance for the former, who shifted to his left and shot straight at Jan Oblak.

Having said that, Chelsea still did not manage to breach the resolute backline of Atletico, who set themselves up purely on the counter.

#3 Atletico Madrid's counter-attack threatens Chelsea

Joao Felix's trickery on the ball caused problems to Chelsea during counters
Joao Felix's trickery on the ball caused problems to Chelsea during counters

Despite staying behind the ball for the majority of 90 minutes, Atletico Madrid's quality on the diagonal threatened Chelsea's goal.

In the 58th minute, it only took a handful of passes for Angel Correa to find space and then set up Suarez. The Uruguayan's effort was blocked by Andreas Christensen, who mopped up every possible instance of danger with his shrewd positioning.

A few moments later, Joao Felix let fly a fine-tuned bicycle kick over the bar. They won corners and found space to run into with slicker, quicker exchanges in wider areas.

Felix, in particular, was creative, and it was surprising to see him subbed off when Atletico were chasing.


#4 Olivier Giroud breaks the deadlock with a worldie

Proceedings pause as Olivier Giroud launches a bicycle kick
Proceedings pause as Olivier Giroud launches a bicycle kick

Just when it seemed like the game would open up between Chelsea's sustained possession and Atletico Madrid's counter-attacking football, Olivier Giroud pulled a rabbit out of the hat to score a world-class bicycle kick.

Once again, the striker proved why experience is key. Besides the four goals he netted earlier in the group stages, he found the back of the net in the last moment against Rennes. Today, he scored the decisive away goal.

It was a loose ball inside the box that looped in the air awkwardly. Giroud, known for his acrobatics, released the perfectly-timed kick over his head and found the corner, leaving Oblak with no chance whatsoever.

Chelsea gained advantage through a truly special moment and smartly saw Atleti out with disciplined defending.


#5 Decision-making the key for Chelsea ahead of second leg

Chelsea must be more clinical in the final third if they are to progress
Chelsea must be more clinical in the final third if they are to progress

The scoreline, statistics and the sheer number of chances created indicate an authoritative performance from Chelsea.

If one reads between the lines, however, the Blues could have and should have been more brutal in the final third. They outwitted Atletico with the quality and weight on the final ball, but it could have been better.

Kovacic and Mount often broke through the stacked midfield of their opponents and played it out wide. The likes of Alonso and Werner could have applied themselves better with the final ball.

It's that bit of decision-making, ruthlessness and decisiveness in the box that separates Chelsea from Europe's deadliest outfits. Of course, the players are bound to gradually understand Tuchel's system and improve under his stewardship.

But if they are to upstage a hungry Atletico Madrid side in the second leg, they will have to defend with the ball and take their chances instead of sitting back.

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Edited by Rachel Syiemlieh