Football: Chelsea beat Atletico Madrid to reach Champions League quarters

Chelsea's Hakim Ziyech (front right) celebrates scoring the 1-0 lead with teammates. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

LONDON (REUTERS) - Chelsea beat Atletico Madrid 2-0 on Wednesday (March 17) to reach the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2014 as Hakim Ziyech and Emerson Palmieri were on target to give coach Thomas Tuchel's rejuvenated team a 3-0 aggregate win.

Ziyech squeezed the ball under Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak in the 34th minute of the last-16 second leg as he connected with a cross from Timo Werner who had raced down the left after being fed by fellow German Kai Havertz.

Substitute Emerson made sure of the victory with a 94th-minute strike for Chelsea's second goal.

Atletico were left to rue referee Daniele Orsato's decision not to give a penalty when, with the score at 0-0, Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta underhit a back pass and put his arm around Yannick Carrasco who went down in the box.

The visitors finished the game with 10 men after Stefan Savic was shown a red card in the 82nd minute for elbowing Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger in the chest at a corner.

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