Chelsea Reach Conference League Final After Beating Djurgarden
Chelsea have booked their place in the UEFA Conference League final after easing past Swedish side Djurgarden at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues made 10 changes to the team that beat Premier League champions Liverpool on Sunday, including giving 16-year-old Reggie Walsh his first senior start. Despite the changes, they comfortably secured a 5-1 win on aggregate.
Chelsea will now face either Fiorentina or Real Betis in the final, which will take place in Wroclaw, Poland, on 28 May.
After winning the first leg 4-1 in Sweden, Enzo Maresca’s side extended their lead when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored with a low shot into the corner after a pass from Tyrique George.
Djurgarden’s away fans sang loudly throughout the match, but Chelsea controlled the game and held on for a 1-0 win on the night. In the second half, Maresca brought on two 17-year-olds, Shim Mheuka and Genesis Antwi, as the team saw out the result.
This will be Chelsea’s eighth European final and their first since winning the Champions League in 2021 under then-manager Thomas Tuchel.
For Maresca, it is a big opportunity to win his first trophy with Chelsea – and the club’s first since the end of the Roman Abramovich era.
