Chelsea took a massive step toward reaching the 2024/25 UEFA Europa Conference League final with a dominant 1-4 away win over Djugarden in the first leg of the semifinals, played in Stockholm. Even with a rotated squad, the English side showed overwhelming superiority. Only a collapse at Stamford Bridge next week would prevent them from booking their place in the final on May 28 in Wrocław, where Real Betis or Fiorentina await.

Chelsea's Second Unit Delivers a Statement

Under Enzo Maresca — the 2021 Champions League-winning coach — Chelsea started without regulars such as Cole Palmer, Moisés Caicedo, Nicolas Jackson, and Malo Gusto, who all began on the bench. Yet, that didn’t stop their dominance.

In the 12th minute, Jadon Sancho opened the scoring after a defensive lapse from the Swedish side. Before halftime, Noni Madueke doubled the lead (42’) with a composed finish following a clever assist from Enzo Fernández, one of Chelsea’s standout performers on the night.

Despite losing the second leg of their quarterfinal tie against Legia Warsaw (1-2), Chelsea had already sealed that tie with a 3-0 first-leg win — a pattern they seem to be repeating against a much weaker Djugarden, currently 11th in the Swedish league and making their debut at this stage of a European competition.

Nicolas Jackson Seals the Deal

In the second half, Maresca introduced key names like Palmer, Caicedo, and Jackson to maintain intensity. It paid off immediately.

• 59’ : Nicolas Jackson capitalized on a defensive error between Danielson and Rinne to score the 0-3
• 62’ : Jackson struck again, this time with a sharp left-footed finish to make it 0-4 — taking his season tally to 12 goals

Djugarden got a consolation goal in the 67th minute through Alewayehu Muguleta, who headed in the 1-4, but it did little to alter the overall narrative of the match.

As a final note, 16-year-old Reggie Walsh made his first-team debut for Chelsea in the closing minutes — another sign of the club’s confidence and squad depth.

All Goals from Djugarden vs Chelsea