Chelsea have marched into the UEFA Conference League final after dispatching Sweden’s Djurgarden 5-1 on aggregate, sealing the deal with a 1-0 second-leg win at Stamford Bridge.
Despite making 10 changes from their previous Premier League victory over champions Liverpool and handing a senior debut to 16-year-old Reggie Walsh, the Blues barely broke a sweat.
Enzo Maresca’s men, already cruising from a 4-1 away win in the first leg, put the tie beyond doubt when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner after being slipped in by Tyrique George.
Even with Djurgarden’s away fans in full voice, the London side calmly managed the game, introducing 17-year-olds Shim Mheuka and Genesis Antwi in the second half—an exciting nod to the club’s promising youth.
Chelsea will now face Real Betis in the final on May 28 in Wroclaw, Poland. The Spanish side edged past last season’s finalists Fiorentina 4-3 after extra time in their own semi-final, setting up a thrilling encounter against the Blues.
This will be Chelsea’s eighth European final and their first since lifting the Champions League trophy in 2021.
For Maresca, it represents not just a chance to win his first piece of silverware as Chelsea boss, but also the club’s first trophy in the post-Abramovich era.
