Chelsea narrowly scraped through to the group stage of the Europa Conference League after a tense second-leg qualifier against FC Servette. Heading into the match with a 2-0 aggregate lead, Christopher Nkunku gave Chelsea an early advantage by converting a penalty in the 14th minute. However, Servette quickly responded with Jeremy Guilleme’s goal in the 32nd minute, injecting new life into their bid to overturn the deficit. Enzo Crivelli then scored a stunning header in the 72nd minute, putting Servette in a 2-1 lead and intensifying the pressure on Chelsea. Thankfully for the Blues, they managed to hold firm and avoid conceding a third goal that would have resulted in an embarrassing exit.
Analyzing the performances of Enzo Maresca’s team, Filip Jorgensen had little to do in goal but made routine saves and commanded his box well. On the defensive end, Axel Disasi was generally solid but allowed Dereck Kutesa to easily bypass him in the build-up to Guilleme’s goal. Despite the defensive lapses, Benoit Badiashile showcased better positional awareness since his return from injury. In midfield, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall struggled to assert himself, while Renato Veiga anchored the midfield effectively and displayed positional soundness. Enzo Fernandez forced a fine save from the Servette keeper but was also at fault for allowing Kutesa to slip past him in the lead-up to Servette’s first goal. Noni Madueke found himself in dangerous positions but was let down by poor first touches.
Christopher Nkunku was a standout performer for Chelsea, posing a constant threat with his intelligent runs in behind the defense. He confidently converted the penalty but missed an opportunity to double his and Chelsea’s tally later in the match. Mykhailo Mudryk won the first-half penalty and scored an average finish after a neat breakaway but was largely anonymous throughout the game. Marc Guiu had limited involvement but maintained possession effectively.
In terms of substitutions, Nicolas Jackson thought he had brought Chelsea level shortly after Crivelli’s goal, but he was offside, continuing a recurring issue in his Chelsea career. Moises Caicedo was brought on to strengthen the midfield but failed to provide the defensive shield Maresca had hoped for. Tyrique George struggled to make an impact in the limited time given to him. Cole Palmer, however, showcased quality when he came on in the second half and came close to equalizing in the 82nd minute, hitting the crossbar.
Overall, Chelsea’s performance was far from convincing, with defensive lapses and missed opportunities in front of goal. While they managed to avoid an embarrassing exit, they will need to improve significantly in the group stage of the Europa Conference League to compete against stronger opposition.