Chelsea booked their place in the UEFA Conference League final following a 1-0 triumph over Swedish side Djurgarden on Thursday, completing a 5-1 aggregate win in the semi-final.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored the lone goal of the evening late in the first half at Stamford Bridge, in a match where 16-year-old Reggie Walsh made history as the youngest Chelsea player to start a European fixture.
The Blues now have the opportunity to become the first club to win all three of UEFA’s active competitions if they defeat either Fiorentina or Real Betis in Wroclaw on May 28.
Defender Marc Cucurella was the only player to retain his spot from the side that overcame Liverpool in the Premier League last weekend, as manager Enzo Maresca rotated his squad heavily ahead of a key fixture at Newcastle on Sunday.
Maresca, often scrutinized for his defensive style, has nevertheless guided Chelsea to fifth in the Premier League, keeping them in contention for Champions League qualification through domestic standings.
Teenager Walsh had made his debut during last week’s 4-1 win in Stockholm, but that did not prevent approximately 6,000 Djurgarden fans from traveling to London for the return leg.
Dewsbury-Hall and Tyrique George both tested Djurgarden goalkeeper Jacob Rinne early on, before linking up to give Chelsea the lead in the 38th minute.
George delivered a clever pass that allowed Dewsbury-Hall to burst past two defenders and finish cleanly off the base of the post.
That goal ended any lingering hopes of a comeback for Djurgarden, who were appearing in their first European semi-final since Gothenburg lifted the UEFA Cup in 1987.
Dewsbury-Hall nearly added a second but headed straight at Rinne from a Malo Gusto cross, while Djurgarden’s only notable chance came through Daniel Stensson, whose long-range shot was tipped over by Filip Jorgensen.
Chelsea last lifted a major trophy in 2021 when they won the Champions League, and they will enter the final as strong favourites to claim their first title under the ownership of Todd Boehly’s consortium, which succeeded Roman Abramovich three years ago.
What you should know
Chelsea reached the UEFA Conference League final after defeating Djurgarden 5-1 on aggregate, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scoring the winner and 16-year-old Reggie Walsh making history, putting the club within reach of a historic UEFA treble.
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