Chelsea claimed a 2-1 away win against Copenhagen in the first leg of their Conference League round of 16 matchup, putting them in a favorable position heading into the return leg at Stamford Bridge.
Reece James opened the scoring for the Blues early in the second half with a fantastic strike from outside the penalty area. Enzo Fernandez extended Chelsea’s lead in the 65th minute with a powerful shot.
Copenhagen managed to pull a goal back through Gabriel Pereira’s header, but Chelsea’s defense held firm, ensuring they returned to London with a valuable lead.
Match Highlights:
- Match Result: Copenhagen 1-2 Chelsea
- Copenhagen Team: Ramaj, Diks, Gabriel, Hatzidiakos, Claesson, Froholdt, Chisakha, Gocholeishvili, Meling, Achouri, Clem
- Chelsea Team: Sanchez, Chalobah, Tosin, Badiashile, Gusto, James, Dewsbury-Hall, Palmer, George, Mheuka
Despite a late goal from the home side, Chelsea demonstrated enough quality to suggest they should progress to the Conference League quarter-finals. However, the match became tense in the final minutes as Copenhagen pushed for an equalizer.
Chelsea’s manager, Enzo Maresca, made several changes to the team which perhaps contributed to a somewhat disjointed performance. Nevertheless, Reece James’s contribution from midfield proved decisive in securing the victory.
Cole Palmer reacted with amusement to Enzo Fernandez’s goal, highlighting the team spirit despite the pressure of the competition.
Chelsea ultimately achieved their objective in Denmark. Second-half goals from James and Fernandez provided a comfortable cushion before Pereira’s header narrowed the scoreline. Chelsea will now look to capitalize on this lead at Stamford Bridge next week.
At full time, the score remained Copenhagen 1-2 Chelsea, giving the English side a crucial advantage in the tie.
Four minutes of added time were played, but Copenhagen could not find another goal.
A Copenhagen player, Lopez, will be suspended for the second leg.
As the clock ticked down, Chelsea maintained their lead, securing the victory.
Copenhagen found a route back into the match in the 80th minute. A well-delivered free-kick into the box was met by Gabriel Pereira, who headed past Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
With about 15 minutes remaining, Chelsea appeared to be in control, leading 2-0 thanks to goals from Reece James and Enzo Fernandez.
Palmer was substituted in the 71st minute, extending his goalless streak to eight games across all competitions. Jadon Sancho replaced Cole Palmer in the Chelsea lineup.
An analyst noted that Chelsea seemed more in control after the injury to Malo Gusto in the first half. Marc Cucurella, who came on as a substitute, played a key role on the left flank, assisting James’s goal and providing the pass that led to Fernandez’s strike.
Enzo Fernandez’s goal resulted from excellent vision by Tyrique George. Following good pressing from Nkunku and Cucurella to regain possession, Nkunku found George in the box. George then passed to Enzo Fernandez, who finished confidently past the Copenhagen goalkeeper Ramaj.
Palmer tested Ramaj with a long-range shot, but it went just wide, continuing Palmer’s longest spell without a goal for Chelsea.
Cucurella came close to scoring with a header from an Enzo Fernandez through ball, but the effort was offside.
Copenhagen had a half-chance when Achouri shot from the edge of the box, but his attempt went wide.
The second half began with more open play compared to the first half.
Copenhagen nearly equalized when Claesson’s shot hit the post and was collected by Sanchez.
Reece James’s goal was described as a beautiful finish from the edge of the box. Cucurella passed to James, who placed the ball into the bottom corner.
At the start of the second half, Chelsea made three substitutions: Christopher Nkunku, Enzo Fernandez, and Levi Colwill replaced Shumaria Mheuka, Moises Caicedo, and Benoit Badiashile.
An analyst commented at halftime that Chelsea’s first-half performance was sluggish, with no shots on target. Palmer’s volley was their only real attempt. Defender Tosin Adarabioyo reportedly expressed frustration with his teammates’ defensive lapses. The analyst suggested that manager Enzo Maresca needed to inject more energy into the team to avoid a potential upset in the first leg.
