The Lowdown on Chelsea 1 FC Copenhagen 0 – Blues comfortably see off visitors to reach Conference League quarter-finals
Chelsea cruised through to the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League as they beat FC Copenhagen 1-0 at Stamford Bridge courtesy of a Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall solo effort, sealing a 3-1 victory on aggregate.
Here is Mitchell Hall’s lowdown from the match:
THE LINE-UPS:
Chelsea: Jorgensen, Chalobah, Adarabioyo, Badiashile, Acheampong (Cucurella 46), Fernandez (Palmer 46), Caicedo (James 79), Sancho (Nkunku 65), Dewsbury-Hall, George, Neto (Antwi 90).
Subs not used: Sanchez, Bergstrom, Colwill, Amougou, Murray-Campbell, Mheuka, Walsh.
FC Copenhagen: Ramaj, Meling, Hatzidiakos, Diks, Pereira, Huescas, Achouri (Robert 76), Froholdt (Mattsson 83), Clem (Falk 76), Elyunoussi (Larsson 59), Claesson (Chiakha 59).
Subs not used: Trott, Runarsson, Garananga, Lerager, Gocholeishvili, Delaney.
SNAPSHOT OF THE GAME:
The first half was frantic in the middle of the pitch and silent at either end, as both teams seemed incapable of breaking beyond the others’ mid-blocks. Chelsea showed some promising build up in central areas, while Copenhagen looked most threatening in the wide channels, but neither created anything convincing in front of goal, with the only chances of the half coming from speculative Copenhagen crosses that never felt likely to cause problems.
Chelsea were rejuvenated after the break thanks to the introduction of Cole Palmer and Marc Cucurella, with the breakthrough coming not long after. Dewsbury-Hall received the ball near the Copenhagen box after an unfortunate deflection off a defender and drove towards goal. The Chelsea midfielder jinked past two defenders and bundled through a challenge from a third to find himself in on goal, slotting low and to the right of the onrushing Diant Ramaj to give Chelsea the lead.
TACTICAL APPROACH:
Chelsea made four changes to the side that started the first leg in Copenhagen, fielding a competitive team but resting their most important performers for their Premier League trip to the Emirates on Sunday. Sancho came in on the left wing, with Pedro Neto brought in as Chelsea’s starting striker. Chelsea committed men forward in the opening exchanges, with young left-back Joshua Acheampong especially getting forward and troubling the visitors, but being caught out on the break as a result before being hooked at half time in what Maresca insisted was purely a tactical change.
Despite their underdog status and seemingly conservative 5-4-1 setup, Copenhagen rallied after the opening ten minutes to counter in numbers and produce several half-chances. Wing-backs Rodrigo Huescas and Birger Meling shot up the pitch in possession to exploit the space left by Chelsea’s aggressive full backs, and Copenhagen’s delivery from those wide areas posed a genuine threat.
STAR MAN:
Moises Caicedo – With so much of the game being played in the middle of the park, Caicedo’s composed assurance on the ball in midfield areas was crucial in getting Chelsea moving forward. Happy to put his body on the line in the duels and demonstrating razor sharp control on the ball, his performance was the one consistent bit of quality on the pitch all evening. A mention should go to Cole Palmer, who changed the complexion of the tie after his introduction. His calmness complemented Caicedo well amidst an otherwise scrappy game.
MOAN OF THE MATCH:
A slow, slow start – Dewsbury-Hall’s goal was a mix of flair and determination, it came from nothing and nowhere to ignite the tie in the 55th minute. It was also Chelsea’s first real chance of the game. Chelsea’s cautious approach makes sense in the context of the tie – they entered the second leg with a narrow lead and rested several key players – but the dawdling pace at which they were content to play in the first half made for poor viewing. To do anything else would have been silly in footballing terms, but it is always the fans who feel the wrath of pragmatic football.
TALKING POINT DOWN THE PUB:
Chelsea’s victory over Copenhagen highlighted the gulf in quality between them and the other teams in the Conference League. The Blues never got out of second gear, but that was enough for them to cruise to a comfortable win over one of the more competitive sides left in the competition. Real Betis and Fiorentina are clearly the next strongest opponents that remain, but the earliest Chelsea could face either would be in the final. It seems like smooth sailing here on out on the Blues’ road to Wroclaw.
WHAT THE BOSS HAD TO SAY:
“The first and second legs were quite similar, in the first half we struggled, and in the second half we were much better. We planned both games that way.
“We tried to analyse the first half and then push a little bit in the second half, and we prepared the same way tonight.
“We changed the structure, we were attacking with five, we needed to attack with six players, and the second half was much better.
“I am very happy for Dewsbury-Hall, he is now much better compared to the start of the season and tonight he has shown how important he can be for us.”
PICTURE: ALAMY