Chelsea advanced to the UEFA Europa Conference League semi-finals on Thursday night, despite suffering a 2-1 defeat at home to Legia Warsaw. The London club progressed 4-2 on aggregate thanks to their commanding 3-0 win in the first leg in Poland.
At Stamford Bridge, it was Legia who struck first through a 10th-minute penalty converted by Czech striker Tomas Pekhart, giving the visitors early hope of a comeback. Chelsea responded midway through the first half when Marc Cucurella pounced from close range to level the score on the night, easing any early nerves for the home side.
Despite the cushion provided by their first-leg performance, Chelsea’s second-half display raised concerns. Just eight minutes after the break, French defender Steve Kapuadi restored Legia’s lead with a close-range finish, making it 2-1 on the night and giving the Polish side a brief glimmer of hope. Moments later, Cucurella thought he had netted a second, but the goal was chalked off by VAR for an offside in the build-up.
While Legia’s efforts were spirited and their support inside Stamford Bridge vocal featuring around 1,000 shirtless, chanting fans who lit flares the Polish outfit ultimately fell short of overturning the aggregate deficit. Their performance, however, earned praise and underlined their competitiveness, especially against a Premier League side on their own turf.
Chelsea’s overall passage to the semi-finals was comfortable, but the loss at home has done little to lift the pressure on head coach Enzo Maresca. Despite progressing in Europe, questions remain about Chelsea’s consistency, especially with their push for a Premier League top-five finish still in the balance.
Awaiting Chelsea in the semi-finals is Swedish outfit Djurgardens, who completed an impressive turnaround against Rapid Vienna. After a 2-1 first-leg defeat, Djurgardens triumphed 4-1 after extra time in the return leg in Vienna, taking the tie 5-3 on aggregate. Reduced to 10 men, Rapid couldn’t hold out, and the Swedes punished them with a flurry of goals in the added period to secure their place in the final four.
Elsewhere in the competition, Fiorentina also booked their semi-final spot after a dramatic 2-2 draw against Slovenian side Celje. The Italian club, twice runners-up in this competition, opened the scoring in the first half but were pegged back and eventually fell behind 2-1. Moise Kean then stepped up with a vital equaliser to seal a 4-3 aggregate victory and keep the Tuscan club’s hopes alive.
Fiorentina’s next opponents will be Real Betis, who managed a 1-1 draw at home to Polish side Jagiellonia Bialystok. The Spanish side’s 2-0 win in the first leg proved decisive, and they advanced 3-1 on aggregate. In-form and dangerous in transition, Betis will provide a stern test for Fiorentina in the semi-finals.
As the Conference League enters its final stages, Chelsea, Roma, West Ham, and Olympiakos remain the heavyweights in the race to lift the trophy. However, the resilience of sides like Djurgardens and Legia serves as a reminder that no opponent can be taken lightly at this stage of the competition. For Chelsea, the semi-final will offer another opportunity to balance European progress with domestic ambitions, though they’ll need to sharpen up if they are to go all the way.
