Blues through after Atletico draw

Sergio Aguero gave Atletico the lead in the 66th minute, but Didier Drogba - on his return to European action following suspension - netted twice in the last eight minutes to seemingly earn Chelsea the win.

But it was not to be as Aguero struck his second goal from a free-kick in injury-time to earn Atletico a draw, but Chelsea are still assured of a place in the knockout stages courtesy of Porto's win over Apoel Nicosia.

Drogba had an early sight of goal following a terrible defensive mistake but pulled his shot wide of the far post but it was mainly Atletico who looked the more likely scorers early on with Juanito and Diego Forlan not too far away, while Jose Antonio Reyes brought a diving one-handed save out of Petr Cech with a curling shot from outside the area.

That was the closest either side came to breaking the deadlock before the break, although Salomon Kalou and Frank Lampard had efforts that might have briefly concerned Sergio Asenjo in the home goal before both went wide.

Chelsea may not have been much of a threat in front of goal before the break, but they came within a whisker of taking the lead just five minutes after the re-start when Drogba struck the woodwork from a free-kick 25 yards out.

Cech had just minutes previously saved a Reyes free-kick low down by his post, but he could do nothing about the strike that put Atletico ahead in the 66th minute.

An Antonio Lopez cross from the left fell kindly to the unmarked Aguero after flicking off the head of John Terry, and the Argentinian slammed an unstoppable volley into the far top corner of the net as Chelsea's defence was finally breached in Europe.

But Drogba drew Chelsea level in the 82nd minute when he rose highest to head home Malouda's cross from the left, and then looked to have clinched a stunning comeback victory as he latched onto Ashley Cole's through-ball and slotted home at the second attempt after Asenjo had saved his initial effort.

That was in the 88th minute, but there was still a late twist as Atletico netted an injury-time equaliser when Aguero curled home a brilliant free-kick from 25 yards out to seal a draw for the hosts.