Chelsea Claims First Win Under Coach Enzo Maresca with 2-0 Victory Over Servette
Chelsea marked their first victory under new head coach Enzo Maresca with a commanding 2-0 win against Servette in the first leg of the Conference League play-off round on Thursday.
The match, held at Stamford Bridge, saw Chelsea struggle to penetrate their opponents’ defense during the first half. However, they broke the deadlock when Christopher Nkunku converted a penalty in the 50th minute, marking only his fourth goal for the club.
Despite a close call when Marc Guiu missed an open goal shortly after, Noni Madueke ensured Chelsea’s advantage by netting a second goal from an assist by Enzo Fernandez, putting them one step closer to securing a spot in the group stages ahead of the upcoming second leg.
Servette nearly struck back late in the game when Tiemoko Ouattara’s deflected shot struck the crossbar, highlighting the Swiss side’s resilience.
This victory comes as a much-needed boost for Chelsea following a disappointing 2-0 defeat in Maresca’s debut against Manchester City over the weekend. The Blues are looking to make a strong return to European competition after finishing sixth in the Premier League last season.
Maresca expressed optimism, stating, “We are learning how to manage the game. It was important to win the game with nine changes. There were many good things.”
However, Chelsea faced a concerning moment when key player Cole Palmer clutched the back of his leg as he exited the match after coming on as a substitute. Maresca commented, “Cole felt something but he looked fine. Hopefully, it is no problem and he can be available for Sunday’s game against Wolves.”
In other European action, Greek club Panathinaikos suffered a 2-1 defeat against 10-man Lens, while former Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea faced challenges in his debut as Fiorentina drew 3-3 with Puskas Akademia. Irish side St. Patrick’s held Istanbul Basaksehir to a goalless draw, keeping their European ambitions alive. In the Europa League play-offs, Ajax delivered a dominant 4-1 victory over Jagiellonia, featuring a hat-trick from English forward Chuba Akpom, as Besiktas and Lugano ended in a dramatic 3-3 draw, and Scottish club Hearts fell 1-0 to Viktoria Plzen.
