Chelsea secure Europa Conference League group stage spot despite shock loss to Servette

Premier League giants Chelsea narrowly advanced to the group stage of the UEFA Europa Conference League, despite suffering a surprising 2-1 defeat in the second leg of their play-off against Swiss side Servette.

The Blues managed to progress on a 3-2 aggregate, having secured a 2-0 victory in the first leg at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea entered the match with a comfortable 2-0 lead from the first leg, but their night in Switzerland was far from smooth. Christopher Nkunku gave Chelsea an early boost, converting a penalty to put the Blues 1-0 up and seemingly in control with a 3-0 aggregate lead.

However, Servette refused to back down. Jeremy Guillemenot pulled one back for the Swiss side before halftime, setting the stage for a tense second half. Enzo Crivelli then headed in a goal with 20 minutes remaining, turning the tie on its head and bringing Servette within one goal of forcing extra time.

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Chelsea faced intense pressure in the closing stages as Servette pushed for an equalizer that would have taken the match into extra time. The Blues had chances to extend their aggregate lead, with Nicolas Jackson having a goal disallowed for offside and Cole Palmer hitting the crossbar.

Despite these near misses, Chelsea managed to hold on, securing their place in the group stage of the Europa Conference League.

While Chelsea’s performance in Switzerland was far from convincing, they will be relieved to have secured their spot in the group stage. The Blues will need to improve if they are to make a deep run in the competition, but for now, they can breathe a sigh of relief after narrowly avoiding an upset.

Chelsea’s focus will now shift back to the Premier League, where they will look to build on their European progress and climb the table in the coming weeks.