Chelsea advanced to the UEFA Conference League semi-finals on Thursday evening despite suffering a 2-1 defeat to Legia Warsaw at Stamford Bridge, securing a 4-2 aggregate victory.
The match began with a challenging start for Chelsea when Legia Warsaw was awarded a penalty in the 10th minute, which was confidently converted by Czech forward Tomas Pekhart to give the visitors an early lead. However, Chelsea responded with a strong equalizer in the 33rd minute. Marc Cucurella found the back of the net with a close-range shot, leveling the score at 1-1.
Despite Chelsea’s efforts, the second half saw Legia Warsaw reclaim the lead in the 53rd minute. French defender Steve Kapuadi scored what would turn out to be the decisive goal, giving Legia a 2-1 advantage. Despite several attempts to break through, Chelsea could not find another goal.
The atmosphere at Stamford Bridge was electric, with around 1,000 enthusiastic Legia supporters waving flares and chanting throughout the match. Their joy was evident as they celebrated their team’s spirited performance.
Chelsea’s impressive 3-0 victory in Poland the previous week, however, ensured they advanced to the semi-finals on aggregate. They will now face Djurgardens from Sweden in the next stage, who secured their place with a 4-1 extra-time win against Rapid Vienna in their second-leg match.
Although Chelsea managed to progress, the manner in which they were defeated at home by a team sitting fifth in the Polish Ekstraklasa raised concerns. Coach Enzo Maresca’s side has struggled recently, and their challenges in securing a top-five Premier League finish remain apparent.
Nonetheless, Chelsea remains one of the favorites to lift the third-tier European competition, alongside teams like Roma, West Ham, and Olympiakos.
In other Conference League action, Fiorentina, twice runners-up in this competition, played out a dramatic 2-2 draw with Slovenia’s Celje.
The match saw Fiorentina take a 1-0 lead before falling behind 2-1, with Moise Keane’s goal proving decisive in a 4-3 aggregate win. Fiorentina will now face Real Betis in the semi-finals, after Betis secured a 3-1 aggregate victory over Jagiellonia Bialystok of Poland following a 1-1 draw at home.
