Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s second-half strike secured a 1-0 victory for Chelsea over Copenhagen at Stamford Bridge, sealing a 3-1 aggregate win and progression to the UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-finals. The match, however, was far from a convincing performance from the Premier League side.
Dewsbury-Hall’s decisive goal came in the 55th minute. He showed quick feet on the edge of the box, bundled through two challenges, and finished clinically across the goalkeeper into the bottom corner.
Chelsea, holding a 2-1 lead from the first leg, were second-best for much of the first half, prompting boos from some sections of the home crowd at the halftime whistle. The hosts failed to register a single shot in the opening 45 minutes.
Copenhagen, full of energy and attacking intent, lacked the final quality to translate their positive play into goals.
The introduction of Cole Palmer at halftime, after missing training sessions earlier in the week due to illness, provided a significant boost for Chelsea. The team’s tempo increased, and their passing became sharper.
After Dewsbury-Hall’s goal, Palmer came close to ending his 10-game goal drought, driving forward and narrowly missing the target.
Copenhagen attempted to find a way back into the tie, but their only clear chance of note came in stoppage time, when Rodrigo Huescas fired over the bar from inside the box.
Chelsea will now face Polish side Legia Warsaw in the quarter-finals.
Palmer’s Impact, But Goal Drought Continues
Despite the victory, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca would likely have hoped for a more convincing display. “This club always won trophies in the past and we need to do our best to achieve our target this season,” Maresca told TNT Sports. “We have to give to the fans and the club a title.”
While Chelsea controlled the second half, their first-half performance was lackluster. Youngsters Tyrique George and Joshua Acheampong (who was substituted at halftime) showed glimpses of quality.
Palmer’s introduction undoubtedly improved Chelsea’s attacking play. He was central to their improved tempo, interchanging passes and creating space. However, his goal drought continued, and his increasing desperation for a goal was evident in some late attempts when passing might have been the better option.
“It’s important to reach the quarter-finals,” Maresca added. “Now the target is the next step which is the semi-finals. We deserved it over two legs. We changed and adjusted in the second half and we were much better. You need patience.”
Midfielder, Dewsbury-Hall told TNT Sports, “Chelsea has won the Champions League, the Europa League, it would be stupid of us to say we can’t win this,”. “It’s not arrogant from us but we just know the quality that we have in the squad.”
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.