Chelsea defeated Servette in the first leg of a Conference League playoff
Christopher Nkunku’s penalty played a crucial role in securing Enzo Maresca his first victory as Chelsea manager. The Blues established a two-goal lead over Servette in the first leg of their Conference League playoff, giving them a strong advantage going into the second leg.
A heavily rotated Chelsea squad struggled to break down their Swiss opponents until Christopher Nkunku was brought down by goalkeeper Jeremy Frick early in the second half. Nkunku, one of just two players remaining from the team that started Sunday’s 2-0 loss to Manchester City, calmly converted the resulting penalty, marking the first goal of the Enzo Maresca era.
The former Paris Saint-Germain forward celebrated in his usual style, pulling out a blue balloon and inflating it in front of the delighted Chelsea supporters.
Chelsea had an opportunity to double their lead shortly after when 18-year-old Marc Guiu pressured Frick into a mistake. However, the young Spanish forward lost his composure, allowing Frick to recover and make a crucial save.
Substitute Noni Madueke eventually secured the second goal with a powerful strike from a tight angle in the 72nd minute.
With a 2-0 advantage, Chelsea will be confident of advancing to the group stage of European football’s third-tier competition when they head to Geneva for the second leg on August 29.
Maresca admitted he was “worried” as Chelsea “played with fire” during the match
There was a sense of relief around Stamford Bridge at the final whistle, as Chelsea had to work hard for their win and navigate through some tense moments. Servette managed 22 attempts compared to Chelsea’s 14, with substitute Tiemoko Ouattara striking the crossbar with a deflected shot in the 86th minute.
Despite the challenges, Chelsea secured the victory, putting the disappointing opening loss to Manchester City behind them and giving Maresca a positive start to his tenure.
“I was a bit worried because in the last 10 minutes we played a little bit with fire,” Maresca admitted. “It was good that we didn’t concede, but we can learn from this.”
Maresca made nine changes from the weekend’s starting lineup, yet ended the match with five substitutes on the field, including Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez, and Malo Gusto.
Goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen and defender Tosin Adarabioyo made their debuts, while Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Marc Guiu, Renato Veiga, and Pedro Neto also received their first starts.
Neto, a £54 million acquisition from Wolves, put in an impressive performance, showcasing his explosive pace at times before being replaced by Madueke.
Chelsea, captained by Moises Caicedo—who, along with Nkunku, was one of the few players retained from Sunday’s league defeat—will face tougher challenges ahead. However, after a tumultuous summer marked by another managerial change and intense scrutiny of their transfer policy, the Blues were able to celebrate a much-needed victory.