Chelsea drew 2-2 with Qarabag, Maresca pays the price for his youth.
Estevao Willian opened the scoring, but two mistakes from Jorrel Hato put Chelsea back behind; Romeo Lavia left the field after eight minutes due to injury before Garnacho equalized 2-2 in Baku.
Chelsea left Baku with only one point after a 2-2 draw against Qarabag in the Champions League qualifying round. Estevao Willian opened the scoring with a beautiful finish, but two mistakes by Jorrel Hato allowed the Blues to fall behind, before Alejandro Garnacho equalized in the second half. Behind that result was a clear lesson about the risks of an inexperienced defense and the depth of the midfield depleted by Romeo Lavia's injury.
Two mistakes by Jorrel Hato shaped the pace of the game.
Nineteen-year-old center-back Jorrel Hato, a £37 million signing from Ajax, was directly responsible for both goals conceded. In the first instance, Hato lost possession to Camilo Duran, allowing Leandro Andrade to score. Shortly after, he lost the ball near the penalty area and was penalized for a handball, leading to the second goal. Despite this, manager Enzo Maresca did not substitute Hato in the second half, avoiding damaging the confidence of a young player.
The central defensive pairing of Hato and Tosin Adarabioyo failed to provide the necessary security, and that's the price of placing too much faith in an inexperienced defensive structure. Garnacho salvaged a point with an equalizer, but the shaky feeling in the defense perfectly reflects the period of maturity Chelsea is going through.
Average age of 23+ squad: energy and risk.
Chelsea fielded a team with an average age of just over 23 – the second youngest English team in the Champions League. Youth brings speed, intensity, and desire, but also individual errors and moments of composure. In Baku, those errors became a turning point.
Romeo Lavia leaves the field after 8 minutes: a gap in the midfield.
Just eight minutes into kick-off, Romeo Lavia was forced off the pitch due to a muscle injury – the earliest departure in Chelsea's Champions League history. Since joining for £53 million from Southampton in 2023, Lavia has only made 30 appearances, while the team has played 130 matches. His prolonged absence has left the midfield unstable and has been a major disappointment, despite his highly-rated abilities.
Attacking highlights: Estevao leads the way, Garnacho secures a point.
At 18 years old, Estevao Willian – a player valued at over £100 million – continued to show confidence and skill in the opening goal, thus consolidating his position as the team's top scorer this season. When the game slowed down due to defensive errors, Garnacho's equalizer prevented Chelsea from leaving empty-handed. However, the 2-2 draw was still below expectations considering The Blues had traveled 5,000 miles for this away game.
Referee and match control
Chelsea had reason to be unhappy with referee Sebastian Gishamer's performance, who was criticized for allowing Qarabag to waste time. But that cannot be used as an excuse to drop points; individual mistakes and tactical maturity were the key issues.
The significance for the next leg: a wake-up call before facing Barcelona.
The result in Baku was a disappointing setback, and a wake-up call for Maresca about the fine line between development and the risks of youth rejuvenation. With their potential and squad quality, Chelsea need more focus and composure in crucial moments. Ahead of the match against Barcelona later this month, the biggest lesson remains: to progress far in the Champions League, experience is sometimes just as important as talent.
