Chelsea produced a dominant display in Sweden to defeat Djurgarden 4-1 in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League semi-final on Thursday, taking a giant step toward reaching the final in their debut campaign in the competition.
Early goals from Jadon Sancho and Noni Madueke set the tone for the Premier League side, with Nicolas Jackson adding a second-half brace to seal the emphatic win. The result puts Enzo Maresca’s men firmly in control ahead of the return leg in London.
Djurgarden, the first Swedish club to reach a European semi-final since the 1986/87 season, were missing several first-team players and fielded a depleted squad of just 14 senior players. Their struggles were evident as Chelsea adapted to the artificial pitch and imposed themselves after a nervy start.
Sancho opened the scoring in the 12th minute after controlling a lofted ball and finishing smartly. His shot deflected off defender Marcus Danielson’s arm and into the net. Chelsea grew into the game and doubled their lead just before the break when Madueke feinted a cross before sweeping a finish past the near post.
Djurgarden threatened just before halftime, but Chelsea goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen made a sharp save from Tokmac Nguen’s deflected shot.
Jackson took over in the second half, tapping in after a defensive error in the 59th minute, then scoring again with a powerful strike from the edge of the box in the 65th. Teenager Isak Alemayehu Mulugeta gave the home fans a moment to celebrate with a header in the 68th minute—his first senior goal.
Victory in the final, to be held in Wroclaw, Poland, on May 28, would add a UEFA Conference League trophy to Chelsea’s impressive European collection, which includes two Champions League titles, two Europa League wins, and two UEFA Cup Winners’ Cups.
In the other semi-final, Real Betis secured a narrow 2-1 home win over Fiorentina. Abde Ezzalzouli and Manchester United loanee Antony were on target for the Spanish side, while Luca Ranieri gave the Italians a crucial away goal heading into next week’s second leg.
