Chelsea is on the verge of reaching the UEFA Conference League (UECL) final after a dominant 4-1 victory against Djurgarden in Sweden. This win extends Chelsea’s impressive European away record, having lost only one of their last 15 matches.
In their quest to become the first club to win all of UEFA’s major competitions, Chelsea faced Djurgarden, who were encountering Premier League opposition for the first time. Despite also competing for a Champions League spot, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca fielded a rotated starting lineup, which did not hinder their dominance in the first half.
Chelsea took an early lead in the 14th minute when Marcus Danielsson deflected Jadon Sancho’s shot into his own net. Noni Madueke came close to doubling the lead around the half-hour mark, but Djurgarden’s goalkeeper, Jacob Rinne, made a spectacular save. However, Madueke found the net shortly before halftime, slotting home from close range. Djurgarden offered little threat in the first half, though Filip Jorgensen was called into action to save Tokmac Nguen’s deflected shot.
After the break, Djurgarden intensified their attack, attempting to reduce the deficit. August Priske’s long-range shot went narrowly wide, and Jorgensen made a crucial save to deny Adam Stahl’s header.
However, Chelsea seized control with two goals in quick succession. Substitute Nicolas Jackson, who was introduced at halftime along with Cole Palmer, scored both goals. First, he capitalized on a defensive mix-up between Stahl and Rinne to tap into an empty net. Then, Jackson scored again shortly after with a powerful shot into the top corner from the edge of the box.
Djurgarden managed to pull one back through Isak Alemayehu’s header at the far post and pressed for more goals, but Chelsea’s three-goal lead proved insurmountable.
Chelsea maintained their unbeaten record against Swedish opposition. Djurgarden now faces a daunting task at Stamford Bridge next week to prevent Chelsea from advancing to the final.
