Chelsea took a major step toward the UEFA Europa Conference League final with a commanding 4-1 victory over Swedish side Djurgarden in Thursday’s semi-final first leg in Stockholm.
First-half goals from Jadon Sancho and Noni Madueke put the Premier League side firmly in control before Nicolas Jackson bagged a second-half brace to effectively seal the win. The result leaves Enzo Maresca’s men with one foot in the May 28 final in Wroclaw, Poland.
“It was (a perfect night), an important semi-final,” Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca told TNT Sports.
“It’s a good result, but we have the experience from the Legia Warsaw game, where we won 3-0 away and struggled at home, so we need to stay focused.”
Chelsea wasted little time asserting their dominance. Sancho opened the scoring in the 12th minute after latching onto a lofted pass and calmly finishing past the goalkeeper. The ball deflected off defender Marcus Danielson and into the net, compounding the hosts’ misfortune.
The visitors adapted well to the artificial pitch and took full control of the match, with Madueke doubling the lead two minutes before the break. The winger feinted a shot before slotting home a clinical finish at the near post.
Djurgarden, weakened by a depleted squad with only 14 senior players available, struggled to contain Chelsea’s pace and movement after the break. Jackson capitalised with a well-taken brace, punishing defensive lapses to extend the advantage.
The Swedes did manage a late consolation goal, but the tie looks all but over heading into the second leg at Stamford Bridge.
While Djurgarden became the first Swedish club to reach a European semi-final since the 1986/87 season, their inexperience and lack of depth were exposed by Chelsea’s superior quality.
Should the Blues progress, they’ll look to add the Conference League to an already impressive European trophy cabinet that includes two Champions League titles, two Europa Leagues, and two Cup Winners’ Cups.
