Chelsea have a 2-1 lead in the Conference League round of 16 after beating Copenhagen in Denmark, with a much better second-half performance at the Parken Stadium.
At just 17 years and 4 months, Shim Mheuka made his full debut for Chelsea, having impressed with a late appearance against Southampton last week. However, he didn’t have many chances to show his skills, with little action around him.
The first half was very slow, with Chelsea having plenty of possession but struggling to attack quickly. However, just after the break, Chelsea scored the crucial first goal.
Marc Cucurella did well on the left wing and passed the ball to Reece James, who struck it first time into the bottom corner. Copenhagen nearly equalised immediately, but Viktor Claesson’s shot hit the inside of the post.
Around 20 minutes later, Chelsea made it 2-0. Enzo Fernandez, who came on at half-time, placed the ball into the far corner to give Chelsea a two-goal lead. Gabriel Pereira pulled one back for Copenhagen with a header 10 minutes before the end, making it 2-1.
The match ended 2-1, giving Chelsea the advantage going into next week’s second leg at Stamford Bridge.
