Chelsea avoided becoming the first English club to fall against Qarabag after substitute Alejandro Garnacho rescued a 2-2 draw in Azerbaijan. The visiting side trailed at halftime despite taking an early advantage through 18-year-old Estevao Willian, who connected with Brazilian teammates Joao Pedro and Andrey Santos before firing past the goalkeeper during the 16th minute. Leandro Andrade leveled for the hosts by converting a rebound volley, then Marko Jankovic converted from the penalty spot after Jorrel Hato handled a cross. Manager Enzo Maresca responded by introducing three substitutes at the break, and Garnacho equalized seven minutes into the second period by exploiting a defensive error from Kevin Medina.
The result prevented a shocking upset at Tofiq Bahramov Stadium, where Qarabag entered with a squad valued at 22 million pounds compared to the 1.5 billion pound Chelsea roster. The Azerbaijani outfit had previously lost all seven encounters against English opponents and suffered a 10-0 aggregate defeat against these same Blues during their last Champions League appearance. Both teams created late opportunities through substitutes Danny Bolt and Garnacho, but neither could break the deadlock. The draw left each side with seven points after four matches in the league phase.
The result prevented a shocking upset at Tofiq Bahramov Stadium, where Qarabag entered with a squad valued at 22 million pounds compared to the 1.5 billion pound Chelsea roster. The Azerbaijani outfit had previously lost all seven encounters against English opponents and suffered a 10-0 aggregate defeat against these same Blues during their last Champions League appearance. Both teams created late opportunities through substitutes Danny Bolt and Garnacho, but neither could break the deadlock. The draw left each side with seven points after four matches in the league phase.
