Chelsea Secures Place in Conference League Final with Victory Over Djurgården in Second Leg

Chelsea secured their spot in the UEFA Conference League final with a 1-0 victory over Djurgarden in the second leg at Stamford Bridge, resulting in a 5-1 aggregate win and marking their fifth consecutive triumph across all competitions.

The Blues enjoyed a comfortable 4-1 win in Sweden last week, allowing manager Enzo Maresca to make several changes to the starting line-up, which included a debut for 16-year-old Reggie Walsh.

On the other hand, Djurgarden faced a disappointing 1-1 draw in the Swedish Allsvenskan over the weekend, bringing their tally to just one win in their last four outings—far from the ideal preparation for the daunting task ahead.

The first half in London echoed the first leg, with Chelsea asserting dominance from the outset in terms of possession.

Chances were scarce, with Jacob Rinne’s save from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s long-range shot being the first notable action for either goalkeeper.

Tyrique George had a shot deflected, but Chelsea soon put any doubts to rest as Dewsbury-Hall found the net, firing in off the post.

For Djurgarden, Keita Kosugi’s deflected attempt at least drew a save from Filip Jorgensen, but overall the visitors struggled to make their mark during the first half.

After the break, Djurgarden adopted a more aggressive approach and came close on a few occasions.

Tobias Gulliksen narrowly missed the target from outside the box, and Daniel Stensson saw his effort tipped over the bar by Jorgensen. Despite their attempts, the damage was already done, making any potential goal for Djurgarden merely a consolation.

Chelsea achieved the bare minimum required to advance, now set to face either Real Betis or Fiorentina in the final in Wroclaw.

If they manage to secure UEFA Champions League qualification, it could culminate in a fantastic finish to the season for Maresca and his squad. Djurgarden, meanwhile, will reflect on a commendable European campaign as they shift their focus back to the domestic league, where they currently sit nine points adrift of the top after six matches.

Take a look at the match statistics here.