Chelsea lost 2-1 to Legia Warsaw at Stamford Bridge, but their 4-2 win on aggregate was enough to book a place in the UEFA Conference League semi-finals.
Despite holding a 3-0 lead from the first leg and sitting just one point off the Premier League’s fifth spot , fans were feeling frustrated after a 2-2 draw with Ipswich and other recent poor results. As a result, Enzo Maresca chose a stronger line-up than expected, including Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Marc Cucurella, and Reece James.
Chelsea started brightly, with Palmer shooting wide and Legia’s goalkeeper Vladan Kovačević saving twice in quick succession from Nkunku and Palmer. But the Polish side soon got into the game and were awarded a penalty inside 10 minutes after Tomáš Pekhart was brought down by Filip Jörgensen. The striker stepped up and scored, with Jörgensen getting a touch but unable to stop it.
That goal gave Legia confidence, and they nearly made it two when Ryoya Morishita shot just wide. Chelsea responded and equalised just after the half-hour mark when Cucurella tapped in. He thought he’d scored again moments later, but it was ruled offside.
After the break, Legia came out strong again. Jörgensen saved from Claude Gonçalves, but couldn’t stop Steve Kapuadi’s close-range header from a corner, putting the visitors 2-1 up. Chelsea pushed back, with Sancho testing the keeper and substitutes Noni Madueke and Tyrique George seeing efforts cleared off the line.
Despite the loss on the night, Maresca’s side are still in the hunt for a trophy and have a chance to become the first club to win all three current UEFA club competitions. Legia may be out, but they can be proud of their efforts – this was their first-ever win on English soil.
