Charles De Ketelaere unleashed a thunderbolt into the top right corner with seven minutes remaining, completing Atalanta's stunning comeback as the hosts secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Chelsea at the Gewiss Stadium. The Belgian's perfectly-placed strike from the center of the box sent the Bergamo faithful into raptures and lifted 10th-placed Atalanta level on points with their seventh-placed opponents in the Champions League standings.
The drama unfolded in waves across a pulsating evening in northern Italy. João Pedro had given Chelsea the perfect start in the 25th minute, prodding home from close range after Reece James delivered a pinpoint cross following a corner, with VAR confirming the goal after a brief review. Atalanta's response came ten minutes into the second half when Gianluca Scamacca powered home a header from point-blank range, meeting De Ketelaere's whipped cross with predatory instincts that left Robert Sánchez helpless.
The tactical battle raged fiercely in midfield, where Marten de Roon and Éderson gradually wrestled control from Chelsea's Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo. Ademola Lookman tormented the Chelsea defense down the left flank, while Pedro Neto and Jamie Gittens provided pace and trickery for the visitors. Marco Carnesecchi emerged as Atalanta's hero between the posts, producing crucial saves to deny Alejandro Garnacho and João Pedro in the frantic final moments.
Despite Chelsea edging possession at 50.6%, Atalanta proved more clinical when it mattered most. The hosts registered 14 shots to Chelsea's 10, with both sides managing four efforts on target each. Carnesecchi's five saves proved decisive, particularly his stunning stop from Garnacho's curling effort in the 90th minute and his point-blank denial of João Pedro in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
The turning point arrived with De Ketelaere's moment of magic, as the former AC Milan playmaker collected de Roon's clever pass and unleashed an unstoppable drive that nestled perfectly in the top corner. The Gewiss Stadium erupted as Atalanta completed their remarkable turnaround, with the Belgian wheeling away in celebration as Chelsea's heads dropped.
The nervy final ten minutes saw Chelsea throw everything forward in search of an equalizer, but Carnesecchi stood firm to preserve Atalanta's precious advantage. Atalanta will look to build on this momentum when they travel to face Cagliari on December 13, while Chelsea must regroup quickly before hosting Roma on December 10 in what promises to be another crucial European encounter.