Chelsea Edge Copenhagen 2-1 Despite Lacklustre Performance

Chelsea survived a late scare in Copenhagen, winning 2-1 despite a lacklustre performance. Reece James and Enzo Fernández found the net, but there’s still work to be done.

March 6, 2025
10:48 pm

Chelsea’s Europa Conference League journey is still on track, even if they weren’t at their best in the first leg of this last-16 matchup. A 2-1 win over FC Copenhagen, thanks to goals from Reece James and Enzo Fernández, puts them in a good spot for the quarter-finals. But Enzo Maresca knows there’s still work to do.

The Blues had a rough time for most of the game, especially before Maresca made some key changes at half-time. Even with the win, it feels like Chelsea isn’t quite firing on all cylinders. Copenhagen, who are more focused on their domestic Superliga, made it interesting by scoring late, leaving Maresca’s team with some work to do in the second leg.

This tie is super important for Chelsea. Their league form has been shaky, and a surprising exit from the FA Cup hasn’t helped. Maresca, maybe looking ahead to the Premier League, decided to mix things up, but the lineup felt a bit off. Seeing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall on the left wing and right-footed Malo Gusto at left-back raised some eyebrows. While Maresca could say he was resting key players for tougher matches, Chelsea’s first-half performance was far from convincing.

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The first 45 minutes were pretty dull, with Chelsea holding the ball but not creating any real chances. Besides Cole Palmer, no one took risks or played with much energy. The Blues were so passive that even Copenhagen striker Amin Chiaka had time to tie his shoelaces without much pressure, while Chelsea struggled to push forward.

You can’t really blame Palmer, who was left alone in attack, with Dewsbury-Hall not making an impact and Tyrique George not contributing from the right. Maybe it was time for Maresca to give Shim Mheuka a full debut. The 17-year-old, Chelsea’s youngest-ever starter in a major European game, didn’t look out of place but was subbed off at half-time.

With the game still up in the air and Copenhagen starting to create problems, Maresca made some quick moves. He swapped Mheuka for Christopher Nkunku, brought on Enzo Fernández for Moisés Caicedo, and changed the defense, with Benoît Badiashile making way for Levi Colwill. These tweaks paid off right away.

Less than a minute into the second half, Marc Cucurella’s run down the left set up James to score with a low shot from 25 yards. Copenhagen’s keeper, Diant Ramaj, might feel he could’ve done better, but it was a great strike from James, showing his growing role in midfield. Chelsea, now sharper, pushed for a second, which came soon after. Cucurella’s high press was key, as Nkunku’s vision found George, who set up Fernández for a cool finish that left Ramaj with no chance.

At 2-0, Chelsea should have wrapped it up. But they got a bit complacent. Colwill, caught out of position, let Gabriel Pereira score for Copenhagen with a header from a free-kick. The final moments were tense, with Copenhagen pushing hard for an equalizer, but Chelsea held on. Maresca will be frustrated with the lack of focus but hopeful his team can finish the job in the second leg at Stamford Bridge.