Chelsea fans have something to smile about after a confident 3-0 win away at Legia Warsaw in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League quarter-final clash on Thursday night.
It took a while for the Blues to get going, but once they did, there was no looking back. After a cagey, goalless first half, Tyrique George opened the scoring with his first senior goal — a special moment for the youngster — and Noni Madueke added a brace to give Chelsea a strong grip on the tie heading into the return leg at Stamford Bridge.
Manager Enzo Maresca shuffled the squad for this one, making several changes, and it showed early on. The first half was flat, with only a moment of brilliance from Legia’s keeper Kacper Tobiasz, who pulled off a stunning save to deny Dewsbury-Hall, keeping things level.
But halftime changes made all the difference. Just four minutes into the second half, Reece James fired a shot that the keeper couldn’t hold, and George was there to tap it in — a big milestone for the academy product.
Madueke, who came on for Cole Palmer at the break, showed why he’s a key part of Chelsea’s attacking force. His first goal came from a well-worked move with Jadon Sancho, and despite Nkunku having a penalty saved later on, Madueke reacted fast to slot home Chelsea’s third just moments after.
Speaking after the game, Madueke said: “We should have done better in the first half, but in the second we did much better. It’s an amazing win.”
Chelsea have now won all eight of their Conference League games this season and look like strong favourites to go all the way — and maybe join Roma, West Ham, and Olympiakos as recent winners of the competition.
With a 3-0 cushion, the Blues head back to Stamford Bridge next week full of confidence, and barring a major upset, a place in the semi-finals is within reach.
Meanwhile, in the other fixtures, Real Betis face Jagiellonia Bialystok, Fiorentina take on Celje, and Rapid Vienna are on the road against Djurgarden.
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