Champions League draw results: Atlético paired with Chelsea

Atlético Madrid are heading back to England to partake in the Champions League’s round of 16.

Just nine months ago, Atlético knocked out then-European Cup holders and future Premier League champions Liverpool at Anfield. On Monday afternoon, UEFA confirmed Atlético would take on Chelsea next spring as part of a draw that also pitted Real Madrid with Atalanta and Barcelona against Paris Saint-Germain (yet again).

Atlético will host Chelsea on Feb. 23, and the return leg will take place at Stamford Bridge on March 17.

These will be Atleti’s first contests against Chelsea since 2017, when the two played in that season’s Champions League Group C. The Blues stunned Los Colchoneros with a 2-1 win on the Wanda Metropolitano’s first European night, and held them to a 1-1 draw in west London to go through in second place.

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Atlético eliminated Chelsea at the semifinal stage in 2014 via a 3-1 win in London, while Radamel Falcao’s hat trick delivered Atleti a European Super Cup at the then-Champions League winners’ expense in 2012.

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Frank Lampard’s men retooled over the summer, and new arrival Timo Werner has scored seven times between the Premier League and the Champions League. In all, thirteen different Blues have scored at least once in domestic action. They sit fifth in the table right now but have the second-largest goal difference in the division and waltzed to top spot in their group this year, drawing against Sevilla at home to start it and against Krasnodar to finish it, winning all four games in between.

Diego Simeone’s Atlético have won all four previous two-legged ties with English teams. In addition to downing Chelsea in 2014 and Liverpool last season, Atlético defeated Leicester City in the quarterfinals in 2017 and Arsenal in the Europa League semifinals in 2018.