The hosts stormed into a three-goal lead inside 58 minutes thanks to Christian Panucci and two goals from Mirko Vucinic.

Chelsea reduced the deficit through captain John Terry in the 75th minute but it was not enough to save them from a humiliating defeat, their worst in Europe since their 5-1 extra-time thrashing by Barcelona in 2000.

Their miserable night ended in more woe with Deco dismissed for a second bookable offence in the 80th minute.

Steven Gerrard drove home a controversial penalty four minutes into injury time to salvage a dramatic Champions League point for Liverpool.

Atletico will believe they were robbed of a place in the last 16 by referee Martin Hansson's hotly disputed penalty award for a debatable foul on Gerrard by Mariano Pernia.

They had led from the 37th minute following a cleverly constructed Maxi Rodriguez goal and frustrated Liverpool at every turn.

But Gerrard never gave up and his penalty eventually spared Liverpool's blushes and both sides should advance to the last 16.

Fernando Torres failed to even make the bench, missing his sixth match since picking up a hamstring injury while on international duty last month.

He cut a disconsolate figure in the directors' box having also missed the chance to play at his former club a fortnight ago.

UEFA Champions League

Group A
CFR Cluj-Napoca 1
(Dani 9)
Bordeaux 2
(Gourcuff 6, Wendel 38)

Roma 3
(Panucci 34, Vucinic 48, 58)
Chelsea 1
(Terry 75)

Group B
Anorthosis Famagusta 3
(Bardon 31, Panagi 45, Frousos 50)
Inter Milan 3
(Balotelli 13, Materazzi 44, Cruz 80)

Werder Bremen 0
Panathinaikos 3
(Mantzios, Karagounis 70, Tziolis 83)

Group C
Barcelona 1
(Messi 62)
FC Basel 1
(Derdiyok 81)

Sporting Lisbon 1
(Derlei 73)
Shakhtar Donetsk 0

Group D
Liverpool 1
(Gerrard p. 90)
Atletico Madrid 1
(Rodriguez 37)

Marseille 3
(Kone 30, Niang 63, 71)
PSV Eindhoven 0