Copenhagen 1 Chelsea 2
Chelsea’s bid to set a record their European rivals will never want to match just about remained on track in Copenhagen, but there was more frustration for Cole Palmer.
Palmer played his first Conference League minutes of the season in this last-16 tie, as the forward aims to recapture his best form.
There were bright moments and some good defending in the first half, but Palmer could not break his goal drought, which now stands at eight games, and could not muster any magic.
Fortunately, it did not matter for head coach Enzo Maresca in terms of this match and the tie overall but he will be desperately hoping Palmer can get his mojo back against Leicester City on Sunday in the Premier League.
Chelsea can beat the likes of Copenhagen and Leicester without Palmer firing on all cylinders, but tougher tests await and there are still question marks over how Maresca’s team will cope against teams such as Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur if their star man is not quite at the races.
Second-half goals from Reece James and substitute Enzo Fernandez against Copenhagen kept Chelsea on course to add the Conference League to their list of European honours.
Chelsea were among five clubs to have won every European competition before the creation of the Conference League, along with Manchester United, Juventus, Ajax and Bayern Munich.
The Blues fans will once again be able to sing ‘we’ve won it all’ if they go all the way in this tournament. Juventus, Ajax and Bayern will no doubt hope they are never in a position to try to match the London club. United would take anything they can get right now, but will be setting their ambitions higher than the Conference League in future.
Maresca’s team should have taken a bigger advantage into next week’s second leg at Stamford Bridge, having taken a two-goal lead but allowed Gabriel Pereira to head a goal back for the hosts.
Palmer was given 72 minutes to try to break his duck, but twice failed to hit the target with speculative shots and left the pitch looking disappointed.
Other than Palmer’s blank, Maresca would have been concerned by the injury Malo Gusto suffered that forced him off after just 25 minutes and a first-half performance that saw Chelsea fail to register a single shot on goal.
Striker Shim Mheuka became Chelsea’s youngest-ever starter in a major European competition at 17 years and 137 days, but was replaced at half-time.
Match details
Copenhagen (4-2-3-1): Ramaj 5; Diks 6, Pereira 7, Hatzidiakos 6, Meling 6 (Lopez, 70, 6); Clem 6, Froholdt 6; Gocholeishvili 6 (Huescas, 70, 6), Claesson 6 (Mattsson, 65, 6), Achouri 7 (Robert, 65, 6); Chiakha 6.
Subs not used: Falk, Garan’aga, Trott, Nemeth, Runarsson.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez 6; Chalobah 6, Tosin 6, Badiashile 6 (Colwill, 46, 5), Gusto 6 (Cucurella, 25, 7); Caicedo 7 (Fernandez, 46, 7), James 7; George 7, Palmer 6 (Sancho, 72, 6), Dewsbury-Hall 6; Mheuka 6 (Nkunku, 46, 6).
Subs not used: Jorgensen, Bergstrom, Acheampong, Amougou, Neto.
07:39 PM GMT
Full time: Copenhagen 1 Chelsea 2
Copenhagen finishing strongly as they chase an equaliser.
Hatzidiakos puts in a cross from deep but Sanchez comes out to collect and the referee blows the whistle.
Chelsea win 2-1.
07:37 PM GMT
90+2 minutes: Copenhagen 1 Chelsea 2
Lopez and Hatzidiakos have been booked for Copenhagen as the clock ticks down.
07:35 PM GMT
90 minutes: Copenhagen 1 Chelsea 2
Copenhagen win the first corner of the contest. Sancho is first to it with his head which sets Chelsea off on an attack.
James gets hold of the ball and is brought down. Free-kick Chelsea as the fourth official signals for four additional minutes.
07:33 PM GMT
88 minutes: Copenhagen 1 Chelsea 2
Free-kick comes to nothing but not before Enzo and Chiakha also receive yellow cards for pushing and shoving.
07:31 PM GMT
85 minutes: Copenhagen 1 Chelsea 2
Cucurella receives a yellow card for a handball as Copenhagen win a free-kick.
07:29 PM GMT
84 minutes: Copenhagen 1 Chelsea 2
Copenhagen progress the ball up the field as they search for an equaliser.
Huescas delivers a cross into the box from the right but Sanchez gratefully collects.
07:26 PM GMT
81 minutes: Copenhagen 1 Chelsea 2
Game has a different complexion now after that goal which Copenhagen deserve.
George is now down which could spell trouble for Chelsea as they have used all of their substitutions.
Teenager looks like he will soldier on.
07:24 PM GMT
GOOOOOALLL... Gabriel Pereira!
Gabriel Pereira scores for Copenhagen with a bullet header past Sanchez in the Chelsea goal.
07:23 PM GMT
78 minutes: Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 2
Chalobah concedes a foul as Kevin Diks goes down and looks unable to continue.
On comes Munashe Garananga.
07:21 PM GMT
74 minutes: Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 2
Copenhagen holding possession in midfield as they look to build an attack down the left.
Colwill puts a stop to that though with a an interception and a brilliant switch-pass to get Chelsea on the attack down the right.
07:17 PM GMT
70 minutes: Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 2
More substitutions for Copenhagen, Gocholeishvili makes way for Rodrigo Huescas and Meling comes off for Marcos Lopez.
It is also the end of Palmer’s night as he makes way for Jadon Sancho.
07:15 PM GMT
68 minutes: Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 2
Chelsea are starting to show their class now and look clinical in attack.
Nkunku seeing a lot of the ball as he continues to drift out wide.
07:11 PM GMT
GOOOOOALLL... Enzo Fernandez!
Fernandez puts the visitors 2-0 ahead after a great move!
Tyrique George with the assist.
07:10 PM GMT
64 minutes: Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 1
Copenhagen substitutes are on. Robert on for Achouri and Magnus Mattsson on for captain Claesson.
07:08 PM GMT
61 minutes: Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 1
Chelsea happy to play the ball between their defenders as Copenhagen get ready to make some substitutions of their own but not before Palmer halts an attack with a brilliant tackle on the edge of the Chelsea box
07:04 PM GMT
58 minutes: Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 1
Nice move started by substitute Fernandez comes to nothing after Cucurella bravely puts his head in as Ramaj comes charging out.
The linesman eventually flags for offside.
07:01 PM GMT
56 minutes: Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 1
Copenhagen give away two quick free-kicks in the Chelsea half as the visitors play the ball up the pitch.
Back it comes though, as Adarabioyo, Colwill and Chalobah share a few one-touch passes before Dewsbury-Hall launches the ball forward.
06:59 PM GMT
52 minutes: Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 1
Chelsea look to regain control of the game and the tempo in the midfield as Palmer wins a free-kick near the centre circle.
James looks like he has a pep in his step after his goal.
06:54 PM GMT
49 minutes: Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 1
Copenhagen were looking rattled before Claesson sees his shot hit the post after beating Sanchez in the Chelsea goal.
Game has all of a sudden ignited!
06:51 PM GMT
GOOOOOALLL... Reece James!
Reece James scores with Chelsea first attempt on target 56 seconds after the restart!
06:50 PM GMT
Chelsea substitutions
Chelsea make three changes at half-time: Levi Colwill on for Badiashile. Enzo Fernandez on for Caicedo and Christopher Nkunku on for Mheuka.
06:36 PM GMT
Dreary first half
That was a very dreary first half from Chelsea, who did not manage a single shot on target during the opening 45 minutes. Malo Gusto’s injury will be a concern, but Maresca’s biggest worry will be over his team’s slow and predictable attacks.
06:35 PM GMT
45 minutes: Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 0
Two additional minutes added on as Chelsea look to close out the first half in a similar fashion to the way they started.
Cucurella makes a move on the left but is not given any room to manoeuvre as the referee blows for half-time after George’s header sails past Ramaj’s post.
Chelsea need to up their level in the second half.
06:30 PM GMT
43 minutes: Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 0
Tyrique George wins a free-kick for Chelsea after using his pace to track back.
06:28 PM GMT
41 minutes: Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 0
Chelsea regain possession in the centre of midfield as captain Reece James looks to try and thread a ball through to Palmer which is cut out.
More patient build-up play comes to nothing as Copenhagen snuff out another attack.
06:25 PM GMT
37 minutes: Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 0
Victor Froholdt is having a good time on the left flank for Copenhagen. The 19-year-old winger is testing Trevoh Chalobah every time on Chelsea’s right wing.
06:22 PM GMT
35 minutes: Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 0
Chelsea have had 60 per cent possession to Copenhagen’s 40, but it does not feel like that which is a compliment to the Danish side.
The visitors are yet to trouble Ramaj in the Copenhagen goal.
06:19 PM GMT
32 minutes: Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 0
William Clem sees a shot sail over the crossbar as the flag goes up for offside. Good attacking intent from the home side.
06:17 PM GMT
30 minutes: Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 0
Copenhagen have settled into the game now as they win a free-kick near the half-way line.
06:15 PM GMT
27 minutes: Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 0
Adarabioyo, playing in the centre of Chelsea’s back three, steps out and plays the ball into midfield.
Amin Chiakha intercepts before Caceido wins the ball back with a clean tackle which is applauded by the travelling Chelsea supporters.
06:10 PM GMT
24 minutes: Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 0
Chelsea change... on comes Marc Cucurella for Gusto.
06:09 PM GMT
22 minutes: Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 0
Gocholeishvili attempts to cross which is blocked by Gusto who goes down and signals to be substituted.
06:08 PM GMT
21 minutes: Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 0
Chelsea hold possession again in midfield as Mheuka gets involved for the first time this evening.
The 17-year-old is bumped off the ball as Copenhagen look to go on an attack of their own.
06:06 PM GMT
18 minutes: Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 0
Elias Achouri is the danger man for Copenhagen.
The Tunisian has looked bright whenever he has got on the ball and tried to make something happen.
06:04 PM GMT
15 minutes: Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 0
Palmer sees a volley skid past Ramaj’s post in the Copenhagen goal.
Gusto went down and looked in some discomfort before taking off one of his boots. The Frenchman is back on the pitch now and looks ok.
05:59 PM GMT
12 minutes: Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 0
Palmer seeing a lot of the ball for Chelsea, as is Dewsbury-Hall as visitors look to play through Copenhagen’s midfield.
Gusto sees another attempted cross go out for a throw down Chelsea’s left flank.
05:56 PM GMT
Chelsea co-owner Eghbali in attendance
Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali is in Copenhagen to watch Maresca’s team tonight. That would indicate that the Conference League is important to the hierarchy, even though it very much may be the little brother of European competition.
05:55 PM GMT
8 minutes: Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 0
Chelsea regain possession again as they look to pass between midfield and defence.
Maresca’s side are making good use of Gusto and George in the wing-back positions.
05:52 PM GMT
5 minutes: Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 0
Copenhagen win the ball in midfield and immediately commit bodies forward.
Sanchez is forced to make the first save of the game after Elias Achouri has on effort on goal from just inside the box.
05:49 PM GMT
3 minutes: Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 0
All Chelsea in the opening stages as Malo Gusto wins a free-kick on the left flank.
Visitors play it short and hold possession before the ball goes out of play for a Chelsea throw.
05:46 PM GMT
Kick off!
Chelsea wearing all black get the game started.
05:35 PM GMT
‘Tracksuit manager’ Maresca
Enzo Maresca is sporting a Chelsea hoodie in his pre-match interview duties. He’s very much a “tracksuit manager”, but will Maresca stick with his hoodie for kick-off?
05:31 PM GMT
Sanchez sporting a fresh hair cut
05:24 PM GMT
Chelsea do not lose in March
Here’s an encouraging statistic for Chelsea fans. The Blues have not lost a game in March in any competition for nearly six years. Since losing to Everton at Goodison Park in March 2019, Chelsea have won 18 games and drawn four during the month.
05:22 PM GMT
Mheuka overtakes Kitamirike in history books
Forward Shim Mheuka will become Chelsea’s youngest-ever starter in a major European competition at 17 years and 137 days, beating Joel Kitamirike who was 17 years and 196 days when he played in the Uefa Cup in 2001.
What happened to Kitamirike I hear you ask? Well, he moved to Brentford on loan and then bounced around a number of clubs before finishing his career at Chelmsford City in 2008.
05:02 PM GMT
Teams in black and white
Copenhagen XI Ramaj, Diks, Gabriel Pereira, Hatzidiakos, Meling, Clem, Froholdt, Gocholeishvili, Claesson, Achouri, Chiakha.
Subs Trott, Runarsson, Garananga, Mattsson, Huescas, Lopez, Robert, Jensen, Nemeth.
Chelsea XI Sanchez, Adarabioyo, Badiashile, Chalobah, Gusto, Dewsbury-Hall, Caicedo, James, Palmer, Mheuka, George.
Subs Jorgensen, Bergstrom, Cucurella, Colwill, Pedro Neto, Fernandez, Nkunku, Sancho, Acheampong, Amougou.
Referee Georgi Kabakov (Bulgaria).
04:53 PM GMT
Copenhagen team news
04:51 PM GMT
Teenager to spearhead the Chelsea attack
Shim Mheuka is handed his full debut and will spearhead the Chelsea attack tonight.
04:47 PM GMT
Sanchez, Chalobah, Dewsbury-Hall, George, Palmer and Mheuka all start
As expected Cole Palmer makes his first start for Chelsea in a European game since August.
Robert Sanchez starts in goal while Trevoh Chalobah, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Tyrique George and 17-year-old Shim Mheuka also get the nod from the start.
04:37 PM GMT
Chelsea team news
04:33 PM GMT
Palmer returns for European knockout phase
Good evening and welcome to coverage of the Uefa Conference League last-16 clash between Copenhagen and Chelsea.
Copenhagen, who eliminated Heidenheim in the play-off round, are top of the Danish Superliga and have lost just twice in 20 league games.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is expecting a difficult challenge. “They play nice football so it will be a tough game,” said Maresca.
“You can see they are a team that always try to control the game. I watched the Conference League games, their games in the league, they don’t change the way. They play their style and they want to control and try to dominate the game every time. You can see the clear idea.”
Chelsea finished top of the Conference League table after winning all six of their games in the group stage. Maresca’s side scored an impressive 26 goals and conceded five which saw them secure first place with a goal difference of 21.
Maresca’s young squad have fared evenly in the Premier League this season. They have been as high as second behind league leaders Liverpool and currently sit in fifth place and are well and truly involved in the hunt to secure Champions League football next season.
Cole Palmer is set to feature for Chelsea in Europe for the first time since August. The 22-year-old forward played in the qualifying round but was left out of the squad for the group stage and his manager said his return for the knockout phase was always planned.
“It was planned at the beginning of the season,” explained Maresca. “For the first six months, we tried to give him more rest. It was the same for Wes [Fofana] and Romeo [Lavia]. Unfortunately, the other two have had injuries, but the plan was exactly this plan.”
Team news to come.
