Chelsea return to Stamford Bridge on Thursday night to host Djurgardens IF in the second leg of their Europa Conference League semi-final.
Enzo Maresca’s side are firmly in control of the tie and look booked for the final after their commanding 4-1 win in Sweden last week.
Barring any upsets of historic proportions, Chelsea fans will buy their Europa Conference League final tickets from Seatsnet.com as the Blues look set to march into the Wroclaw showpiece later this month.
Maresca’s troops will then be preparing to face either Real Betis or Fiorentina in the final.
Chelsea’s recent form suggests they’re ready for the challenge, with fans now dreaming of lifting European silverware to cap off a topsy-turvy campaign under new leadership.
Match Preview
Chelsea all but sealed their place in the final after the first leg in Sweden.
First-half goals from Jadon Sancho and Noni Madueke gave the Blues a solid platform, before substitute Nicolas Jackson came off the bench to add two more after the break.
Although Isak Alemayehu pulled one back for the hosts, it was little more than a consolation on a night that firmly belonged to the visitors.
This scenario will feel familiar to Chelsea fans. Just last month, the Blues returned to West London with a three-goal advantage after their quarter-final first leg against Legia Warsaw.
While they did lose the second leg at home, it wasn’t enough to derail their overall progress.
A similar outcome now seems likely, although Chelsea will be keen to come out on top in this second leg.
Maresca’s troops are heading into the return leg in fine form and brimming with confidence. The Blues are currently enjoying a purple patch, having strung together four consecutive wins.
Some would argue that the most important one came at home to the champions.
The Blues dispatched Liverpool 3-1 to tighten their grip on a top-five finish and bolster their prospects of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Maresca has found a rhythm with his side, and his players are responding with composed, effective performances at both ends of the pitch.
With a top-five six-pointer against Newcastle United coming up, Maresca is likely to rotate his squad for the second leg.
The objective will be to manage the game sensibly and avoid any unnecessary drama.
History is on their side too – Chelsea have won their last three home games against Swedish opposition without conceding a goal.
As for Djurgardens, they find themselves in a difficult spot. While they will be hoping to deliver a performance full of pride at the Bridge, their recent form paints a challenging picture.
Manager Jani Honkavaara is likely to view the match as an opportunity to regain some confidence, especially with his side struggling domestically in the Allsvenskan.
Djurgardens’ European campaign has been a bright spot in an otherwise underwhelming start to the season.
No Swedish side has ever recorded 11 victories in a single European campaign, and reaching that milestone would be historic.
But with just eight points from their first six league games, including a 1-1 draw with AIK last weekend, Honkavaara has more pressing concerns.
Their involvement in Europe has clearly affected their league form. In fact, Djurgardens have failed to win any of the three domestic fixtures that followed European games this season.
While another shock turnaround is always possible in football, it would take something extraordinary to prevent Chelsea from marching on.
All signs point toward Chelsea comfortably finishing the job at home and turning their attention back to the Premier League, where their top-five ambitions remain very much alive.
Team News
Maresca is in the same boat as he was heading into the second leg against Legia.
Against Legia, Josh Acheampong was the only youngster to start, but Maresca could hand opportunities to more academy talents in this fixture.
Tyrique George is expected to be involved from the beginning, while Shumaira Mheuka and Mathis Amougou are also pushing for minutes after being on the bench previously.
Meanwhile, Christopher Nkunku has joined Wesley Fofana in the infirmary, but Marc Guiu could feature in some capacity after returning from a lengthy lay-off.
Romeo Lavia is also back from injury but is ineligible for European competition, so he will be saved for the weekend’s crunch Premier League contest at St James’ Park.
Djurgarden face a selection crisis. First-choice goalkeeper Filip Manojlovic isn’t registered for European fixtures, and backup Malkolm Nilsson is out with an elbow injury.
That leaves Jacob Rinne to retain the gloves once again.
Honkavaara also cannot call on Zakaria Sawo, promising teenager Matias Siltanen, or veteran midfielder Albin Ekdal — none of whom are registered to play in Europe.
Further injuries have reduced Djurgarden’s depth significantly. Last week, they were able to name only seven substitutes, well short of the permitted 12.
Patric Aslund, Oskar Fallenius, Nino Zugelj, Rasmus Schuller, and Piotr Johansson remain unavailable, meaning the Swedish side could be missing over ten senior players for this trip to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea potential starting line-up:
(4-2-3-1): Filip Jorgensen; Josh Acheampong, Benoit Badiashile, Tosin Adarabioyo, Malo Gusto; Reece James, Mathis Amougou, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall; Jadon Sancho, Shim Mheuka, Tyrique George.
Djurgardens IF potential starting line-up:
(4-3-3): Jacob Rinne; Adam Stahl, Jacob Une Larsson, Marcus Danielson, Keita Kosugi; Hampus Finndell, Daniel Stensson, Tobias Fjeld Gulliksen; Santeri Haarala, Tokmac Nguen, August Priske.
Prediction
Chelsea are hitting a purple patch at the right time.
Sales of Europa Conference League tickets may not be through the roof, considering the job is all but done, but Chelsea fans will patronise Seatsnet.com to cheer Maresca’s side to victory.
Their win against Liverpool over the weekend put them in a strong position to qualify for the Champions League, although it may count for nothing if they don’t build on it at St James’ Park.
At the moment, they’ll be focused on seeing off Djurgardens. Maresca’s troops are overwhelming favourites but will be wary of complacency, especially after their second leg fiasco against Legia.
Coming this far is already a monumental achievement for Djurgardens, but this will be where their continental journey ends.
For all their heart and bravery, it’ll be shocking if Chelsea don’t claim another comfortable win, although there could be goals at both ends.
Chelsea 3-1 Djurgardens IF
