Chelsea cruised into the UEFA Conference League final after completing a dominant 5-1 aggregate win over Swedish side Djurgarden, sealing the deal with a composed 1-0 second-leg victory at Stamford Bridge on Thursday night.
Despite making 10 changes from their weekend win over Premier League champions Liverpool and handing a first senior start to 16-year-old Reggie Walsh, the Blues barely broke a sweat as they calmly saw out the tie.
They will now face Manuel Pellegrini’s Real Betis in the final on May 28 in Wroclaw, Poland, after the Spanish side edged Fiorentina 4-3 on aggregate after extra time in the other semi-final.
Youthful Chelsea finish the job
Already boasting a 4-1 first-leg advantage, Enzo Maresca’s side extended their lead through Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who coolly slotted home from the edge of the box after a clever assist by Tyrique George.
Even with a youthful side, which included 17-year-olds Shim Mheuka and Genesis Antwi off the bench, Chelsea controlled proceedings and rarely looked threatened, despite energetic support from the travelling Swedish fans.
Historic chance for Maresca and the post-Abramovich era
This will be Chelsea’s eighth European final and their first since the 2021 Champions League triumph over Manchester City under Thomas Tuchel. It represents a golden opportunity for Maresca to win his first piece of silverware and potentially Chelsea’s first in the post-Roman Abramovich era.
Victory in Wroclaw would also make Chelsea just the second English club to win all three of UEFA’s current men’s competitions: the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League.
