Chelsea will see many familiar faces and one club for the first time in Group C of the Champions League. If not for Atletico Madrid’s transfer ban, the Blues could have faced Diego Costa in the spite match of all time.
The Champions League draw did not produce a group of death, but Chelsea have a double-edged sword in facing Qarabag FK. The Azeri side are debuting in the Champions League and should be an easy, high goal-differential win for the Blues. The downside, obviously, is will be travelling to Baku, Azerbaijan, for the tie and then going straight to Liverpool for a Premier League fixture.
Everything about Qarabag will be a new experience. But the Blues’ other opponents are all too familiar. Atletico Madrid feature former Blues Felipe Luis and Fernando Torres. Thibaut Courtois and – obviously – Diego Costa went in the other direction.
This will be the third Champions League tie between the two team clubs, and the sixth overall meeting. Atletico won 3-1 on aggregate in 2014, with all the goals coming at Stamford Bridge in the second leg.
Must Read: Chelsea take on Everton: Form points to convincing win
Chelsea will face AS Roma for the first time since 2008, and Antonio Rudiger will face his former club after only a few months away. The two clubs met in the Champions League group stage, with Chelsea winning at home 1-0 and losing away 3-1. Prior to that, the last meeting was in 1965 when Carlo Cudicini’s father played for Roma.
Beyond former players that have swapped sides, Chelsea will also get to see what could have been. The Blues have several recent transfer targets at these clubs: Kostas Manolas and Radja Nainggolan at Roma and Jan Oblak at Atletico.
The most tantalizing prospect, though, is what this draw would mean if Atletico Madrid could have signed Diego Costa this summer. After everything that had transpired between Costa and Chelsea, Costa and Conte, Conte and the Champions League….. eternal damnation, Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Still, Chelsea can extract one final piece of spite. If the Blues somehow convince Diego Costa to return to Cobham, they can bundle him up on the team plane to Azerbaijan. All Antonio Conte would need to do is send Costa on for the final seconds of stoppage time against Qarabag, and Costa would be cup-tied for the rest of the tournament. Then, assuming Atletico Madrid joins Chelsea in advancing out of the group stages and Chelsea sell Costa to Atletico, Costa will be but a spectator for the rest of the Champions League. At most, he could run out onto the pitch to celebrate in full kit, John Terry-style.
Next: Antonio Conte is the manager Chelsea have wanted for 15 years
A decent plan, in theory. But good luck subbing on someone currently on a couch in his underwear in Brazil.