Chelsea took a strong step toward the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League with a commanding 3-0 win over Legia Warsaw in the first leg of their quarter-final on Thursday.
Noted for their dominance in European competitions, Chelsea showed their quality early on, despite the match starting with a goalless first half. After a tough initial 45 minutes, the Premier League giants found their rhythm after the break, leading to a comfortable victory.
The first half was a tight affair, with Legia Warsaw’s goalkeeper, Kacper Tobiasz, standing out with a remarkable save. He denied Chelsea’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall a certain goal just before the 30-minute mark.
However, Chelsea’s breakthrough finally came in the 49th minute. Reece James fired a powerful shot, which Tobiasz fumbled, allowing Tyrique George to pounce and score the opening goal for the visitors.
Chelsea’s momentum continued in the second half, with manager Enzo Maresca making key changes at halftime. Noni Madueke was introduced in place of Cole Palmer, and he wasted no time in making an impact.
Just 12 minutes into the second half, Madueke doubled Chelsea’s lead. He was set up by Jadon Sancho and finished calmly past Tobiasz, making it 2-0 in the 57th minute.
Although Chelsea had a chance to extend their lead even further when Christopher Nkunku won a penalty in the 70th minute, Legia’s goalkeeper came to the rescue again.
Tobiasz saved Nkunku’s spot kick, keeping his side in the game. However, just moments later, Madueke was at it again. Barely 30 seconds after the penalty miss, he tapped in a third goal for Chelsea to seal the victory.
With a 3-0 lead, Chelsea now head back to Stamford Bridge for the return leg, confident of securing a place in the next round. Chelsea’s impressive form in the competition this season continues, as they remain unbeaten, having won all eight of their Conference League matches.
Meanwhile, other quarter-final matches also took place across Europe. In La Liga, Real Betis are set to face Jagiellonia Bialystok from Poland, while Italian side Fiorentina travel to Slovenia to take on Celje. Rapid Vienna will also play away at Djurgarden in Sweden.
