As It Happened: Chelsea 3-3 Roma

Hello and welcome to Nigerianeye's live coverage of the match in the Champions League between Chelsea and Roma.


While Chelsea have struggled in the Premier League, head coach Antonio Conte has guided the Blues to two victories in Europe, including a 2-1 triumph away at Atletico Madrid on matchday two.

The West Londoners can move to the brink of qualification with a win at Stamford Bridge, but Roma will move to the top of Group C with three points on English soil.

Former Roma defender Antonio Rudiger could line up against his former club after signing for Chelsea during the summer.

OFFICIAL LINE-UPS

CHELSEA: Courtois; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Cahill; David Luiz, Zappacosta, Bakayoko, Fabregas, Alonso; Hazard, Morata
CHELSEA SUBSTITUTES: Caballero, Rudiger, Scott, Kenedy, Pedro, Willian, Batshuayi


ROMA: Alisson; Peres, Fazio, Jesus, Kolarov; Nainggolan, Gonalons, Strootman; Gerson, Dzeko, Perotti
ROMA SUBSTITUTES: Pellegrini, Moreno, De Rossi, Under, Florenzi, Skorupski, El Shaarawy

The full-time whistle goes at Stamford Bridge and it is a point apiece for Chelsea and Roma. Both teams will feel as though they could have won this game but in truth, neither can argue with a draw after a sensational encounter. Chelsea remain top of the group with seven points, while Roma have five ahead of the reverse fixture in Italy in two weeks time. Thanks for joining our live coverage of the match!

90+5 min FULL TIME: Chelsea 3-3 Roma

90+3 min Chelsea are doing the pressing but it is Roma who have the ball. Just a minute to go.

90+1 min CHANCE! Another headed chance - this time for Cahill - but the Blues captain heads over after meeting Fabregas's free kick.

90 min There will be four minutes of added-on time.

88 min SUBSTITUTION! A third Roma changes sees El Shaarawy come on for the impressive Perotti.

86 min Four minutes to go. Both teams are still pressing. There will be fewer better adverts for the Champions League than this game. It deserves a winner, but doesn't deserve a loser. If that makes sense.

84 min CHANCE! Fabregas finds Rudiger at the back post but the defender heads wide. It was a difficult chance, but he is certainly capable.

83 min SUBSTITUTION! Stroolman is being replaced by Di Francesco, with Florenzi being thrown into the action.

82 min CHANCE! Roma should have a fourth. Dzeko should have a hat-trick. The striker meets a cross from the right but his header from six yards goes wide.

80 min SUBSTITUTION! A third Chelsea alteration sees Hazard replaced by Willian.

79 min There is a bit of a lull in the action now. It was necessary. Even I am shattered! Both teams would take a point at this stage, but there's probably another goal in this match.

77 min SUBSTITUTION! Conte makes a second change, with Roma old boy Rudiger replacing Zappacosta.

75 min This is turning into the most brilliant football match. Chelsea are back on level terms through Hazard, who directs the deftest of headers into the far corner after meeting Pedro's cross.

75 min GOAL! Chelsea 3-3 Roma (Eden Hazard)

74 min SUBSTITUTION! It's time for Lorenzo Pellegrini, who replaces Gerson. Di Francesco is starting to tighten the ship.

72 min There's currently a break in play while Cahill and Jesus undergo some treatment. Chelsea need the breather. Conte needs to regroup.

70 min The comeback is complete. Kolarov's free kick finds the run of his former Manchester City teammate, who glances a header into the far corner of the net. It's all so easy.

70 min GOAL! Chelsea 2-3 Roma (Edin Dzeko)

69 min BOOKING! Bakayoko is the first man to go into the book after hauling down Perotti on the edge of the box.

67 min SHOT! Alonso looks to break the tension with a right-foot curler towards the far post but his effort is always going wide.

66 min Roma are favourites for this football match. They have been, by far, the better side. Chelsea will be happy with a draw from here. Conte needs to make a change.

64 min Wow. This is stupendous. Even the pass from Fazio is outrageous. The former Spurs defender plays a 50-yard pass to his teammate, who volleys the ball - with his weaker left foot - past Courtois from 14 yards out. It's Van Basten-esque, to a certain extent.

64 min GOAL! Chelsea 2-2 Roma (Edin Dzeko)

62 min SHOT! Perotti has been quiet during the second half, but he takes the opportunity to curl a shot on goal when receiving a pass on the left. However, his effort goes straight at Courtois.

60 min Roma really fancy this. How are they only in fifth place in Serie A? A period of sustained possession ends with Gerson flicking a header over the bar after getting ahead of a Chelsea defender.

59 min This game is turning into an end-to-end encounter. Something has got to give, surely. Pedro is playing in a more advanced position, with Fabregas dropping back alongside Bakayoko.

57 min SUBSTITUTION! That's the end of the night for Luiz, who is being replaced by Pedro. I'm assuming there is still an issue with his calf.

55 min Roma continue to press, and Chelsea survive when a Kolarov cross is prevented from reaching Dzeko after a fine touch from Courtois, who managed to stick out a leg.

53 min SHOT! It's Gerson turn to try his luck but the youngster's shot from around 20 yards is always rising over Courtois's bar.

51 min SHOT! It's a tad ambitious from Strootman but his long-range effort takes a deflection and earns a corner, which eventually comes to nothing.

50 min Roma are not taking a backwards step, even though a third Chelsea goal could prove too much to come back from. This has been a refreshing performance from Di Francesco's men, who had bee expected to place more emphasis on defending.

48 min SHOT! Luiz probably thinks he can justify taking a shot on goal from 25 yards on his left foot, but he can't here. The midfielder finds the top tier of the stand.

47 min It takes Roma less than a minute to earn a corner and the ball eventually finds Nainggolan on the edge of the area, with a Chelsea defender being forced to make a brave block to stop the Belgian's shot getting through to Courtois.

46 min KICKOFF! Roma get us back underway. There have been no changes for either side.


The half-time whistle goes at Stamford Bridge and what a game we have had. Chelsea lead thanks to goals from Luiz and Hazard, but Kolarov's effort has deservedly halved the deficit. Roma have been far and away the better side at Stamford Bridge, but there is work to do for Di Francesco's men.


45+1 min HALF TIME: Chelsea 2-1 Roma

45 min There will be one minute of added-on time. Chelsea would have been 3-1 up had Fazio not just blocked Bakayoko's volley from a Bakayoko cross.

44 min Chelsea are rallying during the closing seconds of this first half. There are no signs of wanting to see the game out until the break. Zappacosta is getting more space down the right.

42 min It could, and probably should, be 2-2. Perotti whips in an inswinging cross towards the back post and Gerson should score, only for Alonso to see the ball out for a goal kick.

40 min Game on. Kolarov plays the ball around Azpilicueta before sending a deflected shot into the roof of the net. Courtois had no chance. Roma have the goal they deserve.

40 min GOAL! Chelsea 2-1 Roma (Aleksandar Kolarov)

39 min Chelsea are buzzing again now. This has been a strange old performance. I have no idea how Roma are losing this game, never mind 2-0.

37 min Just like that, Chelsea double their advantage. Hazard and Morata finds themselves up against three Roma defenders but they work it perfectly. They need a bit of luck - Morata's shot is deflected into the path of Hazard at the back post - but the Belgian makes no mistake on the half volley for his first goal of the season.

37 min GOAL! Chelsea 2-0 Roma (Eden Hazard)

37 minChelsea certainly aren't playing with the same aura of last season. They look nervous, tentative and don't know how to work a way back into this match. It sounds strange to say given that the home side are leading but Roma are bossing this game.

35 min CHANCE! Yet another chance for Roma. Dzeko megs Morata and tees up Perotti on the left. The winger bides his time before curling a shot far too close to Courtois.

33 min Roma are doing a Conte on Conte. They are playing the Italian way and Chelsea are getting frustrated. Chelsea are still ahead, however, but that could change if the Blues don't improve.

31 min CHANCE! Chelsea are very much second best now. Nainggolan should score after being found on the right-hand side of the penalty area but his low shot towards the near post is superbly blocked by Courtois.

30 min SHOT! I have already mentioned about Perotti looking to get inside onto his right foot. Well, this time, we was there waiting for the pass, only to curl his shot straight at Courtois.

28 min Luiz has just flown into another tackle with Nainggolan. Maybe it is a tactic to try to rile the Belgian. That said, Luiz is very close to a yellow. No more chances to speak of over the past few minutes.

26 min Luiz is staying on but he is flying into tackles. This is madness! Twice in the space of about 30 seconds. The referee has had a word. Conte probably should too.

25 min Luiz has picked up a calf injury and he is limping. I'm not so sure it would be wise to keep him on. Conte has a decision to make here. The goalscorer is going to continue, for now at least.

23 min Perotti has looked very good for Roma and is comfortably the most threatening player for the visitors. He is constantly drifting inside from the left and Zappacosta isn't going with him. Chelsea need to sort that.

21 min SHOT! On more than one occasion, Chelsea have stole the ball on the halfway line and broke rapidly. This time, it was Hazard and it's him and Morata versus two Roma players. The Belgian goes on his own but drags a low shot wide from 20 yards.

19 min Roma have regained the rhythm of the early stages, with Kolarov giving Zappacosta the once over down the left. The Serbian wins a corner which is played low to the edge of the box, and Chelsea clear.

17 min SHOT! It's no more than a speculative effort but Stroolman volleys well over the crossbar from distance. It keeps Courtois honest, anyway.

15 min Morata adds so much to this Chelsea frontline. The Spaniard is all over the place, hustling the Roma defence. It highlights what Chelsea miss when he doesn't play.

13 min It's been a while since Chelsea have been leading a big match at Stamford Bridge and the fans are appreciating it. This game is warming up very nicely.

11 min Now this is one of the benefits of being able to include Luiz in midfield. The Brazilian capitalises on a poor block by a Roma defender and uses it to curl the ball into the corner from 25 yards out. It's a stunner. Chelsea are ahead.

11 min GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Roma (David Luiz)

10 min Morata is already having an impact on this match and the forward does well on the edge of the box before being fouled by Gerson. It's a chance for Fabregas to cross...

8 min SHOT! Big let-off for Chelsea. Perotti slaloms his way inside onto his right foot before drilling a great effort towards the top corner, only for it to go a few feet over the bar.

7 min The last few minutes have been better from Chelsea but Roma already look assured on the ball. That's half the battle when playing at Stamford Bridge.

5 min CHANCE! In a flash, Chelsea break and the Blues should be ahead. Bakayoko wins the ball, passes to Hazard who in turn tees up Morata. However, the Spaniard curls straight at Alisson from 14 yards.

5 min Chelsea are trying to pass the ball about at the back but Roma are pressing high and it is already forcing mistakes. The visitors have a stranglehold of this game.

3 min There's plenty of early pressure from Roma, with Kolarov and Perotti linking up down the left and delivering a couple of testing crosses. Chelsea don't look comfortable so far.

2 min Stamford Bridge is rocking but it is Roma who are dominating possession in these early stages. There has been nothing in either penalty though.

1 min KICKOFF! Chelsea get us underway at Stamford Bridge.