Rarely can qualifying for the Champions League quarter-finals have ever been such an anti-climax as Chelsea succumbed to their first-ever home defeat in Europe amid a brutal warning of the challenges which now lie ahead of them.

Their place in the last eight secured, the Blues needed only a draw against Lazio to top their group and therefore avoid the might of Manchester United, Bayern Munich or Barcelona in the next round.

But after taking the lead against the run of play through Gustavo Poyet at the end of a fiercely-contested first-half - and even after playing against 10 men for the final seven minutes - Old Trafford, the Nou Camp and the Olympic Stadium now await.

Lazio capitalised on the absence of Dennis Wise from the Chelsea side to secure victory through a Simone Inzaghi goal and sensational free-kick by defender Sinisa Mihajlovic.

And when Paolo Negro somehow cleared off the line from Dan Petrescu in the dying minutes, the Italian side's place at the top of the group was assured - - with Frank Leboeuf's booking also meaning that he will miss the first leg of the quarter-finals.

Lazio therefore became the first side to win at Stamford Bridge in Europe, breaking a proud record which had stood since January 1958 and encompassed 33 games.

They also became only the second Continental team to score twice against the Blues on their home turf.

The pride of Italy was also restored by the second-placed side in Serie A, who defeated United in the Super Cup earlier this season.

Chelsea meanwhile patently missed the authority and presence of Wise, who was injured but would have been rested anyway, as they fielded an entirely overseas starting line-up for the third occasion this season - but the first time ever in Europe.

Despite the fears of Feyenoord, who were eliminated as a result of Lazio's win, there was no question of the Blues playing negatively for a draw though as the match simply exploded into action from the kick-off and continued at a breathless pace from then on.

Lazio were technically employing a 4-5-1 formation but Pavel Nedved and Dejan Stankovic were advancing down the flanks and the Czech delivered a pinpoint cross for Inzaghi after just two minutes only to be denied by keeper Ed de Goey's reactions.

The Dutchman also had to tip around the post a shot from the roaming figure of Juan Veron, who was stamping his class on central midfield, around the post, while Stankovic headed just over the top.

While Chelsea were being over-run in midfield, at least they remained dangerous intermittently on the counter-attack, with a half-volley by Gianfranco Zola being well saved by keeper Luca Marchegiani, while Tore Andre Flo back-flicked just wide.

It was enthralling end-to-end entertainment but the good was almost inevitably soon followed by the bad and the ugly.

The bad was Chelsea's increasing desperation in defence, while the ugly was a series of badly-timed challenges and, especially, dives by the Lazio contingent.

Fernando Couto and Tore Andre Flo, who also clashed in Rome, were the first to get involved and then Matias Almeyda aimed a sly arm into the Norwegian's head on the ground.

Apart from one caution for Roberto Di Matteo, referee Vitor Manuel Nelo Pereira seemed strangely reluctant to act decisively until he finally cautioned Couto - who was later sent off - for pushing Frank Leboeuf and the Frenchman for a theatrical over-reaction.

Leboeuf further enraged Lazio by playing on while Stankovic was writhing on the ground after being tripped but, amid all the amateur dramatics, at least the goalmouth action continued apace.

First Inzaghi missed his kick under severe pressure from Leboeuf after de Goey had spilled Mihajlovic's free-kick, then he missed the target completely with a clear header.

But after Flo's header had been acrobatically clawed away by Marchegiani, Chelsea - so often the masters of missing countless chances themselves - gave their opponents an object lesson in finishing.

It still took a slightly-deflected thunderbolt strike from Poyet to break the deadlock as the Uruguay international let fly from 25 yards out after Didier Deschamps had finally made an impact by dispossessing Nedved.

With Feyenoord drawing in Marseilles at half-time, the Italians were roused to appear at least two minutes early for the second period with another striker, Alen Boksic, now on for Stankovic.

The Croat soon escaped the attentions of Marcel Desailly - only to fire into the side-netting - while Nedved also shot weakly wide.

But finally Lazio scored the equaliser which their inventive and determined attacking play had merited.

Nedved's control let him down so badly inside the penalty area that he was forced to cross into the six-yard area - but there was Inzaghi sliding in with Desailly to bundle the ball across the goal-line on 54 minutes.

Leboeuf was soon replaced by Jes Hogh but Lazio still went ahead when Mihajlovic struck a brilliant free-kick from the tightest of angles and the ball flew over the packed penalty area and dipped under the bar just inside the far post.

After Petrescu had been denied by Marchegiani Vialli threw on two Englishmen - but neither of them was striker Chris Sutton as Jody Morris and Jon Harley instead replaced Babayaro and Di Matteo.

After the Portuguese referee had turned down appeals for handball against Diego Simeone, he did hand the Blues a lifeline by dismissing Couto for his second bookable offence - a foul on Flo.

Chelsea pressed forward with increasing desperation from then on only for Petrescu's shot to be cleared off the line by the sliding figure of Negro, while a header by Morris was saved.

Lazio therefore celebrated a famous victory - even if the Chelsea stewards manhandled several of their players away from their attempts to throw their shirts to the crowd.

The Blues, meanwhile, were left to contemplate a quarter-final against either arch domestic rivals and European champions United, last year's losing finalists Bayern or many people's current favourites, Barcelona.