Reece James once again proved crucial for Chelsea, scoring a goal that would grace any major competition.
James, the team captain, broke the scoreless tie with a fantastic strike from 25 yards out. His goal lifted Chelsea as they initially struggled to find their rhythm in the Conference League.
Chelsea’s most experienced player was moved to midfield by manager Enzo Maresca in a tactical move. James scored just one minute into the second half, marking only his second goal this season.
Earlier in January, he secured a draw for Chelsea with a last-minute goal against Bournemouth, highlighting his importance to Maresca’s team when needed most.
The manager made three substitutions at halftime to energize the team and gain a slight advantage, aiming to make the second leg of the round of 16 next week in London more comfortable.
By the end of the match, Chelsea’s lineup had a more familiar appearance with Marc Cucurella, Levi Colwill, Jadon Sancho, and Enzo Fernandez all on the field.
Enzo Fernandez increased Chelsea’s lead with 25 minutes remaining, placing a precise shot across the goal from inside the penalty area.
Chelsea seemed set for a comfortable win, but the game became tense in the final ten minutes. Copenhagen, the leaders of the Danish league, scored from a set piece. Gabriel Pereira headed the ball in, capitalizing on poor marking at the far post.
Reece James’s playing time is carefully managed due to recent hamstring injuries.
Despite playing out of his usual position in midfield as part of Maresca’s lineup adjustments, the experienced full-back performed well.
Credit should also be given to Cucurella, who had to come on earlier than planned when Malo Gusto was injured after 24 minutes.
The Spanish player was a strong attacking presence on the left side, assisting James’s opening goal and providing the crucial pass to Tyrique George, which led to Fernandez’s winning goal.
Cucurella delivered a clever cut-back pass to James, who then unleashed a powerful shot into the net from outside the box early in the second half.
From that point, a more confident Chelsea pressed their advantage. Young winger George made a short pass from the touchline, allowing Fernandez to accurately place his shot from inside the six-yard box.
With an eye on Sunday’s Premier League game against his former team Leicester, Maresca adjusted his lineup and also substituted Cole Palmer early to conserve energy for the weekend match.
Young striker Shumaira Mheuka became Chelsea’s youngest starter in a major European competition at 17 years and 137 days old, but he was replaced at halftime.
