Champions League 2025-26: Garnacho earns Chelsea a point against Qarabag; Villarreal and Marseille lose

Alejandro Garnacho ensured Chelsea returned from Azerbaijan with a point when he came off the bench to equalize in the 2-2 draw against Qarabag in the Champions League on Wednesday.

The former Manchester United striker fired a sweet left-foot shot into the net after 53 minutes of an enthralling match that had slipped from Chelsea’s grasp.

Brazilian teenager Estevao put the visitors ahead with a neat finish in the 16th minute, but after a slow start Qarabag came alive at the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium.

Leandro Andrade sent home a rebound in the 29th minute to cancel out Chelsea’s lead, and things went from bad to worse for the London side before half-time when Marko Jankovic converted a penalty awarded for a Jorrel Hato handball.

Garnacho leveled with Chelsea’s first strike of the second period, with both sides coming close to a winner as the action alternated from start to finish.

READ ALSO | Champions League 2025-26: Barcelona held on to a thrilling 3-3 draw against Club Brugge

Both teams have seven points after four games.

Villarreal stunned by Pafos

Villarreal suffered a humiliating 1-0 defeat to Pafos as their dismal Champions League campaign continued after Derrick Luckassen scored to give the Cypriot side their first win of the competition.

Although the Spanish club is high in third place in La Liga, it remains at one point in Europe, while Pafos moves up to five points.

Villarreal were dealt a blow in the first minute after half-time when Pafos won a corner and unmarked defender Luckassen fired a header into the net.

Villarreal’s search for an equalizer lacked any real conviction to keep the home fans celebrating a famous win.

Meanwhile, Olympique de Marseille’s chances of qualifying for the knockout stages suffered a major blow when they agonizingly fell to a last-gasp 1-0 draw at home to Atalanta.

Lazar Samardzic scored the only goal in the last minute with a brilliant strike from outside the penalty area at the end of a counter-attack, as Marseille’s players shouted for a penalty due to an Ederson handball.

The result left Roberto de Zerbi’s side with three points from four matches in the elimination zone at 25th place in the 36-team competition, while Atalanta moved up to 16th with seven points.

Published on November 6, 2025