Fresh legs killed off Atletico Madrid as Chelsea super subs Christian Pulisic and Emerson Palmieri teamed up for a stoppage-time goal at Stamford Bridge.
The USMNT star subbed into the game with 15 minutes to play and led three rushes for Chelsea, having one dribbled denied and second cheeky pass not quite followed by his flanking attacker.
[ MORE: Three things we learned ]
The third one was a beauty though, as Pulisic led an 80-yard dribble through the heart of the field before laying off for Emerson’s driven finish.
That’s good news for Pulisic, who made his 31st appearance in the Champions League and collected his sixth assist to go with three goals.
The mildly bad news is that Kai Havertz, Timo Werner, and especially Hakim Ziyech were very good as Chelsea’s attacking triumvirate prior to the American’s entry into the game, though the trio’s failure to turn a controlling and dangerous day into more than one goal may vex Thomas Tuchel a bit.
Pulisic sets up Emerson who scores 30 seconds after coming on. 💥 pic.twitter.com/AybxXkf1Nq
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 17, 2021