By Amar Azam

Chelsea 1 Atletico Madrid 3

The irony would not have been lost on Chelsea supporters as they streamed away from Stamford Bridge after this humbling defeat by Atletico Madrid.

Against Liverpool on the weekend, their side were the victors after rolling out a game plan that could not be matched. Here, as the vanquished, they were a distant second to the Spanish side, who ran out easy winners. Not one Chelsea supporter could say that their side had been hard done by in any way.

Although the loss came about due to defensive errors, the visitors, coached by the former Argentina midfielder Diego Simeone, showed ruthless opportunism as they systematically dismantled Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea.

Not only did they claw their way back into the match after falling behind when Fernando Torres put Chelsea ahead, they seized upon the nerves amongst Chelsea’s unusually fragile back-line. Every time an opportunity came their way, they took it. It was all beautifully simple but devastatingly effective. Chelsea saw their shortcomings on the night exposed and Mourinho acknowledged this.

"I can't be critical with a group of players that from day one is giving everything, trying everything," he said.

"With problems with injuries, suspensions, with players that cannot play in the Champions League, I'm proud of them.

He added: "Obviously it's disappointing to lose a semi-final second leg, especially at home but I am proud of them. I prefer to say we did everything that was possible for us.

"We tried with honour and professionalism and we gave everything but Atletico were mature and professional and they were in complete control."

Simeone’s men go on, deservedly, to the showdown against Real Madrid in Lisbon, on 24 May, after setting up the Champions League’s first same-city final.

The Chelsea goal owed much to the quick thinking Cesar Azpilicueta, the full-back who was deployed as a winger on the night.

The Chelsea player spent the first half running down the flank. In one move, he ran beyond Willian and into the penalty area. Azpilicueta collected the pass and delivered a low cross to Torres, who beat his marker to the ball. The former Atletico striker stabbed the ball goalwards, which clipped off the foot off midfielder Mario Suarez and past goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

However, the complexion of the match changed two minutes before the interval when the visitors equalised. Juanfran got in behind Eden Hazard and pulled the ball back for Adrian Lopez, who scrambled the ball in.

The visitors were further ahead after the interval, on 60 minutes, when Diego Costa put away a spot kick after Samuel Eto’o took down the player.

Arda Turan put away a third, on 72 minutes, but by then, they were well in control.