By the interval, Maresca had seen enough. The Italian rang the changes, making three substitutions. Among those introduced was Alejandro Garnacho, and the Argentine made an instant impact. Just 12 minutes into the second half, Garnacho took matters into his own hands, driving into the box and unleashing a thunderous left-footed strike that arrowed into the bottom corner, making it 2-2. But rather than building on the equaliser, Chelsea again drifted into sloppiness. The match became wide open, paving the way to a chaotic end-to-end battle that bore no resemblance to the slick, organised football Maresca preaches.
After the match, Qarabag boss Gurbanov couldn’t hide his pride for his own player.
"First of all, I would like to congratulate our supporters," he began. "It was a magnificent day, with Victory Day (a public holiday) in several days. My players struggled and are fighters. My team showed determination until the final minutes against the champions of the world. My team were not afraid and demonstrated Azerbaijani character. They earned their first point against an English team. Of course, this result boosts confidence and our profile. This is what makes our supporters love football. Maybe Chelsea players were inattentive and didn't expect us to attack."
Chelsea's starting XI, with an average age of just 23 years and 97 days, was the second youngest ever fielded by an English club in a Champions League away match. And the inexperience almost cost them the match. Maresca tried to keep his cool in the post-match press conference, but there was no hiding his frustration.
"The big difference today for me was inside the box," he said. "The goal we conceded, they are silly goals for me. In their box, for the amount of times that we arrived, we have not been clinical enough. So this is the big difference for me."
Maresca also gave credit to Qarabag, adding: "They are a good team, I said already a few days ago, they are a good team, they are doing well. And especially at home, it's difficult."
Level on points with Qarabag - seven from four games - the Blues are in real danger of being forced into a knockout play-off instead of automatic progression to the Champions League last 16. They are currently 12th in the standings with the top eight assured of a last-16 berth. And tougher tests are on the horizon. Barcelona visit Stamford Bridge later this month, while away trips to Atalanta and Napoli loom ominously.
