With just 10 minutes remaining at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, Chelsea were on course to open their title defence with a victory after two goals from Brazil midfielder Oscar gave them a 2-1 lead over the Italian champions.
But Mikel carelessly surrendered possession with a wayward pass and Chelsea’s defenders failed to respond as Claudio Marchisio played Fabio Quagliarella into space for the equaliser.
“If I want to make up an excuse, I can,” Mikel said. “But, for me, I gave the ball away. I put my hands up, we move on.
It could have been even worse for Chelsea as Quagliarella hit the crossbar with a looping shot just after his equaliser.
Blues boss Roberto Di Matteo was frustrated with the way his team lost control after taking a two-goal lead, but he could at least take heart from Oscar’s virtuoso display on his first start for his new club.
Oscar arrived from Internacional for £25 million in the close-season and he underlined his vast potential with a sublime second goal on Wednesday that saw him turn away from two Juventus markers with a sublime flick before unleashing a curling shot that flashed past Gianluigi Buffon.
It was an early contender for goal of the season and Oscar, 21, admitted he was delighted to have made such a big impact in his first Champions League appearance.
“The first one, the ball deflected, so I was a bit lucky. But I was playing very well, so I could score this beautiful goal and I’m very happy with this debut.”
PM News
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