CHELSEA will guarantee qualification for the Champions League knockout stages if they beat Lille in their final game.
The Blues left Valencia with a point from a pulsating 2-2 draw in a game that had everything but a red card.
Mateo Kovacic fired home his first goal in 141 games to delight Chelsea fansCredit: Getty
Mateo Kovacic saluted the fans and Chelsea bench after his special strikeCredit: Getty Images – Getty
But the result came at some cost for Frank Lampard – he saw star striker Tammy Abraham leave the field on a stretcher at the end of the first half.
The England striker suffered a heavy fall just minutes before the interval and was in clear pain as he was helped to the sideline.
Mateo Kovacic put the visitors to the Mestalla 1-0 up with his first goal for 141 games, but Carlos Soler equalised with a scrappy effort.
In-form Christian Pulisic then put Chelsea 2-1 up as he poked home Kurt Zouma’s knockdown – but that took five minutes to be given after VAR checked it out.
Tammy Abraham was in obvious pain in the hip area after a heavy fallCredit: AFP
The striker couldn’t even walk down the tunnel at half-time and had to be taken by stretcherCredit: Reuters
Just as it seemed Lampard’s troops would get three points that would all-but guarantee progression out of Group H, Daniel Wass curled in a fluke that left Kepa stranded.
It was harsh on the Chelsea stopper, who had earlier saved a Dani Parejo penalty with a stunning effort – with the dreaded VAR again causing no ends of delay.
Rodrigo’s glaring miss at the death could even have sealed Valencia’s place in the last 16, but a compelling, gritty game somehow ended even.
Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham in tears after nasty injury in Champions League against Valencia
Christian Pulisic poked home what he was hoping VAR would rule a goalCredit: Getty
Chelsea players stood around and waited for technology to do its thingCredit: BT Sport
And after around a five-minute wait the American was finally allowed to celebrate with his team-matesCredit: PA:Empics Sport
Victory here would have sent Chelsea into the knockout phase with a group game to spare, but now the Blues must wait to secure their passage into the last-16.
But the Blues will take a point from their trip across Europe that sets themselves up perfectly with a win against Lille securing progression.
Valencia, meanwhile, will be ruing a host of missed chances and must beat Ajax, in Holland, in their final game to guarantee qualification for the knockout stages.
Valencia were awarded a penalty and the chance to equalise – but Kepa denied them spectacularlyCredit: Getty
Valencia had their golden chance – but were denied by a fellow SpaniardCredit: Getty Images – Getty
But the Chelsea stopper was caught out by what looked like a fluke effort from WassCredit: Rex Features
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
