March 14, (THEWILL) – Chelsea advanced to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa Conference League following a 1-0 victory against Copenhagen at Stamford Bridge on Thursday, completing a 3-1 aggregate win in the tie. The London club entered the match with a 2-1 advantage from the first leg, courtesy of goals from Reece James and Enzo Fernandez.
The first half provided minimal entertainment for the home supporters, with neither team creating meaningful opportunities. Pedro Neto made a penalty claim that officials dismissed, representing the only notable incident before half-time. Chelsea’s Enzo Maresca responded by introducing Marc Cucurella and Cole Palmer at the interval.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall broke the deadlock in the 55th minute with a goal of individual brilliance. The midfielder intercepted the ball in the centre of the pitch, dribbled past several defenders, and finished expertly into the bottom-right corner with his left foot. This strike proved sufficient to settle the contest.
The remainder of the match passed without significant incident, allowing Maresca to rotate his squad further. Young talent Genesis Antwi, aged 17, made his debut for Chelsea in the closing stages. The win sets up a quarter-final meeting with either Molde or Legia Warsaw in the next round of the competition.
Chelsea maintained their defensive discipline throughout the match, limiting Copenhagen to few attacking opportunities. The victory extends their European campaign into the spring, with the team now matches away from claiming continental silverware in 2025.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
