Chelsea toiled to a 4-2 aggregate victory on a humbling night when they looked anything but Champions League material in waiting. Holding a 3-0 advantage from the first leg, they were never seriously in danger of failing to reach the last four of this year’s Uefa Conference League but an insipid display did little to enthuse fans already feeling a little disenchanted after the limp 2-2 draw with Ipswich at the weekend. There were boos at full time.
Here are the main takeaways.
THE LINE-UPS
Chelsea: Jorgensen, Acheampong, Tosin, Badiashile, Cucurella (Gusto 58), James, Dewsbury-Hall, Nkunku, Palmer (Madueke 58), Sancho (Pedro Neto 82), Jackson (George h/t)) Subs not used: Sanchez, Bergstrom, Amougou, Rak-Sakyi, Antwi, Emenalo, Mheuka, Walsh
Legia: Kovacevic, Pankov, Ziolkowski (Jedrzejczyk (86), Kapuadi, Ruben Vinagre, Oyedele, Elitim (Augustyniak 77), Goncalves (Bichakhchyan 86), Morishita, Pekhart (Chodyna 67) Luquinhas (Szczepaniak 77). Subs not used: Tobiasz, Mendes, Kun, Mozie, Olewinski
SNAPSHOT OF THE GAME
This was a tie that looked like it would only have one direction of travel when Chelsea were quick out of the blocks to carve Legia apart and fashion openers, but the visitors got some encouragement when Jorgensen upended Warsaw skipper Tomas Peckart to concede a penalty after 10 minutes, which he put away despite Chelsea’s keeper getting a hand to the ball.
Ryoya Morishita might have doubled the lead with a breakaway charge that with the Japanese winger missing the target by inches but the Blues drew level when Jadon Sancho crossed for Marc Cucurella to steal in for a simple tap-in on 33 minutes for his sixth of the season.
Legia regained the lead when defender Steve Kapaudi got his head to a corner knocked back into the danger zone by Claude Goncalves on 53 minutes and although they were unable to inflict more embarrassment, they held on to claim this consolation victory.
TACTICAL APPROACH
With a tough run of league fixtures coming up and a top five place to fight for, and a 3-0 lead from the first leg, Enzo Marseca could afford to make changes. It was by no means a shadow starting XI, though, and plenty of A-listers around as well as a raft of the subs who were on the bench at the weekend.
Tyrique George, who scored in the first leg, came on for a quiet Nicolas Jackson at the interval. Jorgensen replaced Robert Sanchez and there were rare starts for Josh Acheampong and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
With Chelsea making heavy weather of things after going 2-1 down on the night, the Blues boss sent on Noni Madueke, Malo Gusto and Pedro Neto to try and find the missing spark. Unfortunately for Maresca and home fans, they failed.
STAR MAN
Marc Cucurella. Scored one and had another chalked off for offside. Keeps looking the most dangerous attacker for Chelsea these days. He seemed to have the urgency others lacked. It was once again hard to make a case for anyone else being truly outstanding for the Blues on a night when they muddled through without any great conviction.
BEST MOMENT
A bit rude, but a chant of ‘get your …. out for the lads’ when the away fans almost to a man stripped to the waist in celebration of their early goal injected a bit of humour to proceedings. The away fans never stopped chanting throughout, even though the cause looked hopeless. Hats off to them for the energy they provided.
MOAN OF THE MATCH
The heavy handed security. Home fans trying to reach the East Stand were forced to schlepp right around the stadium’s cramped concourses to reach their destination, jostling with West Stand and Matthew Harding Stand ticket holders. The police presence for the Poles was as big as anyone could remember and felt a bit over the top.
TALKING POINTS DOWN THE PUB
Have you booked your flight to Wroclaw yet? That should have been the topic, along with the trading of notes about Air BnB venues. There has been a meme doing the round for months showing a grown adult in the front row of a classroom surrounded by kids. But if a place in this year’s Conference final has looked inevitable since the first ball was kicked, tonight took some of that enthusiasm and certainty away. That said, only Rapid Vienna or Djurgarden now stand in the way.
WHAT THE BOSS HAD TO SAY
Enzo Maresca’s comments to follow.
Pictured top: Noisy fans let of flares and added plenty of colour to the occasion (Picture: Alamy)
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