A youthful Chelsea side continued their impressive form with a 3-1 victory over Astana, effectively securing their spot in the Conference League last 16.
The match, which saw Chelsea field four teenagers for the first time in a European competition, highlighted the depth and promise within Enzo Maresca’s squad.
The Italian manager made significant changes to the lineup, replacing 10 players from the team that edged Tottenham 4-3 to climb to second in the Premier League.
The blend of experienced names and emerging talent delivered a commanding performance.
Eighteen-year-old Marc Guiu, one of the teenage debutants, opened the scoring in the 14th minute. His dazzling footwork on the right allowed him to glide past a defender before driving into the box and slotting the ball past Mukhammedzhan Seysen at the near post.
Guiu thought he had doubled his tally moments later when Pedro Neto’s impressive work on the right resulted in a low cross that the young striker bundled into the net.
However, the goal was ultimately credited to Astana defender Aleksandr Marochkin for an unfortunate own goal.
Chelsea’s dominance continued, and in the 39th minute, Renato Veiga sealed the game with a towering header from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s pinpoint corner, justifying the lengthy journey for the traveling team and fans.
Astana managed to pull one back before halftime. Captain Marin Tomasov showcased his quality by curling a precise effort beyond Filip Jorgensen, bouncing in off the post.
However, Chelsea maintained control in the second half, denying Astana any real opportunity to stage a comeback.
The result marked Chelsea’s sixth consecutive win, extending their unbeaten run to nine games across all competitions. They remain atop their Conference League group with a flawless record.
In Post-match, Maresca expressed his satisfaction with the debutants, “I was impressed by all of them [debutants]. The ones that started – Tyrique, Sam and Josh – they all have done very good. Very happy for them. Also the ones that came on in the second half. So I’m pleased for them.”
Reflecting on the challenging conditions, he added: “We knew it would be cold. We tried to adapt. The players did fantastically with the weather conditions, long flight yesterday and also the pitch probably was not ideal. But I’m very happy for the players.”
Looking ahead, Maresca highlighted the quick turnaround, “We will land at around six o’clock [in the morning] UK time, but we are going to try to prepare for the game in the best way we can as we have always done this season.”
