Chelsea’s hopes of a direct path to the Champions League round of 16 suffered a blow as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Qarabag in Baku.
Leandro Andrade’s brilliant strike gave Qarabag an early lead, but Estêvão responded for Chelsea with a first-half goal.
The visitors then fell behind again when teenage defender Jorrel Hato’s handball allowed Marko Jankovic to convert a penalty.
Chelsea salvaged a point through substitute Alejandro Garnacho, who scored in the 52nd minute after a rebound fell to him. Despite late chances, including a stoppage-time effort from Garnacho, the Blues could not secure all three points.
The match was further disrupted when Romeo Lavia went off with a muscle injury within the first five minutes, forcing an early change.
Tyrique George and Andrey Santos also had chances but failed to convert.
Qarabag, often underestimated, proved much stronger than the team Chelsea beat 4-0 eight years ago.
With one loss already in the group, Chelsea now face a narrow margin for error if they want to finish in the top eight and avoid February’s play-off round.
