Chelsea saw safe passage to the knockout stages slip agonisingly away as Daniel Wass' fluke stole a 2-2 draw at the Mestalla. England striker Tammy Abraham was taken to hospital after a nasty-looking fall on a night where the Blues thought Christian Pulisic's nudged finish would sneak them into the European top tier's last 16.
Abraham suffered a suspected internal injury after falling awkwardly on his hip, no doubt adding to boss Frank Lampard's frustrations as Valencia gained the greater boost in Group H from the draw.
Mateo Kovacic fired his first Chelsea goal on his 71st Blues appearance, cancelling out Carlos Soler's opener. Jorginho was lucky to escape a second yellow card and a dismissal for the foul on Jose Gaya that gifted Valencia a second-half penalty. Captain Dani Parejo stepped up for the spot-kick only to see Kepa Arrizabalaga pull off a fine save.
Maxi Gomez missed a hat-trick of first-half sitters as Valencia paid the price for shocking profligacy, but just when Chelsea started to home in on victory up popped Wass.
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From the archives
Valencia 1-2 Chelsea (October 10, 2007)
Photo: AFP
It was the quarter-finals of the Champions League and Chelsea's progress was in doubt after drawing 1-1 at Stamford Bridge in the first leg.
Indeed, when Fernando Morientes struck the opener at the Mestalla, Chelsea - under Jose Mourinho - had it all to do. But Andriy Shevchenko's strike just after half time levelled the tie on away goals with the match heading to extra-time.
But in the 90th minute, Michael Essien bombed it forward on the counter attack and the Ghanaian struck a ferocious effort from 25 yards which snuck past Santiago Canizares at the front post to send the Blues through.
Previous meeting: Chelsea 0-1 Valencia
Frank Lampard won't want to dwell on his first Champions League too much, given the frustration the 41-year-old must have felt in September when his Chelsea side faced Valencia.
An early injury to Mason Mount, a generally strange performance lacking in creativity and sloppy defending that allowed Rodrigo to fire home the winner.
And then there was Ross Barkley. After grabbing the ball for the penalty following a handball from Daniel Wass, the England international struck against the crossbar and it's fair to say things haven't gone great for him since.
It was Chelsea's first home defeat in Europe for three years and, while Barkley won't be around to make amends for his miss, a much-improved Blues squad go to Valencia in search for redemption and, of course, qualification.
Key battles
Rodrigo v Zouma
Kurt Zouma had left the field just before Rodrigo found space to score in Valencia’s 1-0 win at the Bridge and he must help Chelsea avoid such lapses in concentration against the 28-year-old.
Coquelin v Jorginho
Francis Coquelin has not played since October 30 due to a hamstring problem, but the former Arsenal midfielder is expected to start in place of Geoffrey Kondogbia. Coquelin kicked Mason Mount in the reverse game with a tough early tackle, so the Blues have been warned.
Pulisic v Wass
Christian Pulisic, who failed to score in his first nine games for Chelsea this term, is a man transformed. Last weekend’s defeat at Manchester City was the first Premier League game in four without a goal for the 21-year-old.
Abraham ready for 'biggest game of his career'
Tammy Abraham has admitted Chelsea's pivotal Champions League at Valencia is the biggest game of his fledgling career, writes PA Sport's Nick Purewal.
The 22-year-old striker admitted playing in Europe's top-tier club competition is "a dream come true", but insisted he now has to treat it like his day job in order to thrive.
Abraham revealed he scours Youtube for clips of the world's top strikers to steal elements of their play in a bid to reach his peak, ahead of Wednesday's vital Mestalla showdown.
Chelsea can secure safe passage to the knockout stages with a victory in Spain, but Valencia can do exactly the same - leaving Abraham well aware the pressure is on.
JOSE JORDAN/AFP via Getty Images
Asked if this is the biggest game of his career, Abraham replied: "I would say so, definitely, I would say so.
"It will be the biggest test of our nerves so far. We know coming here isn't going to be easy. But we've got to stick together and leave it all out there.
"Before the first game against Valencia, Mason (Mount), Fikayo (Tomori) and I were warming up together and it didn't feel real at that point, that we were all in the Champions League together.
"Hearing the Champions League music in the background; we were all in the Championship the season before. So it is a dream come true for us.
"I guess you have to take major strides. In my spare time I go on Youtube and watch all the best strikers in the world play in this competition, stealing their ideas and adding it to my game.
"I watch so many. Harry Kane, Aguero, Firmino, they are Premier League strikers obviously, but then there's guys like Lewandowski and all sorts of players who have played in this competition before."
Here's the Valencia squad for tonight
How Chelsea could line up
Lampard relishing three-way battle for last 16
Chelsea are locked in a three-way battle with Valencia and Ajax on seven points and know they can qualify with victory at the Mestalla due to their head-to-head record against the other two sides.
“The loss in the first game put us in this position," the Chelsea boss said.
Getty Images
"I don’t think the Ajax draw did, it was losing a game at home on day one, when we should have got a result for sure.
"So what we’ve done really is bring that knockout football slightly earlier in the competition. That’s no big problem.
"Obviously it will be a problem if we lose but the reality is at this level you’re going to come to that kind of conundrum at some point where it will be like this, so that is a big test for us.”
Lampard backs Barkley but warns over 'lack of professionalism'
Chelsea head coach Frank Lampard admits Ross Barkley “lacked professionalism” once again after being pictured on a night out for the second time this season but insists he will continue to support the midfielder.
Although Barkley’s trip to Dubai during the international break earlier this month was sanctioned by the club, Lampard has taken a dim view of topless pictures emerging of the 25-year-old in a nightclub.
Barkley was not part of the squad which travelled to Spain for tonight’s vital Champions League Group H clash against Valencia and Lampard that decision was a consequence of Barkley’s poor judgement – following an incident in September when he was photographed in an altercation with a Liverpool taxi driver - and a lack of fitness having not played since October 19 due to an ankle problem.
AFP via Getty Images
“I think there are two separate issues,” he said. “One is the headlines this week, Ross knows how I felt about the first headline.
"I backed him then, I still back him now but he showed a moment of a lack of professionalism as far as I’m concerned.
“And it’s not something that I want to be a pure dictator on and come down hard because I also understand that all my players are humans and have lives and I don’t police every moment of their life.
“So I don’t think it’s a terrible thing that he’s done but all Ross needs to do now, he’s had an injury and he’s still kind of carrying the injury – he still gets a bit of pain on shooting – so he just has to work his way back in.
“In terms of the fitness thing, he trained well and I certainly don’t hold anything against my players. I like Ross, he’s firmly one of my players and I think it was something he needs to show all his reactions on the pitch.”
What Chelsea need to qualify
Ajax, Chelsea and Valencia are all locked on seven points at the top of Group H with two matches to go.
Chelsea will go through if they defeat Valencia in Spain due to their superior head-to-head records against the other two teams. Anything less would take the group to the final matchday.
Valencia will advance with victory at the Mestalla due to their stronger record against Frank Lampard's side, while Ajax cannot be eliminated regardless of their result against Lille
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