Servette 2-1 Chelsea (Agg 2-3): Enzo Maresca’s men advance to Conference League league phase despite shock defeat in Switzerland
Chelsea had to scramble to secure a place in the main table of the Conference League. Servette came from behind to beat Chelsea on a nerve-wracking night in Geneva.
The Blues lost 2-1 to the team in seventh place in the Swiss Super League, but went on to win 3-2 overall, with a penalty from Christopher Nkunku helping them win the match.
Head coach Enzo Maresca had hoped for a night without chaos, but if he has learned one thing in his three months in charge, it is that such experiences are rare at the Blues.
However, they can look forward to European football this season, with their 2-0 lead from the first leg at Stamford Bridge proving crucial to their safe passage.
Chelsea showed their Premier League superiority early in the game, with only Joel Mall making a one-handed save to prevent Enzo Fernandez from 25 yards.
Chelsea took the lead in the 14th minute when Mykhailo Mudryk was brought down in the penalty area by Keigo Tsunemoto after being played in by Renato Veiga. Tsunemoto still had the audacity to protest, but he knew he had made a mistake. A clear foul, Nkunku stepped up to fire the ball into the bottom left corner for 1-0 on the night, 3-0 on aggregate.
Considering they were playing on a cabbage field, Chelsea played some pretty good football. However, one pass ended in a blocked attempt by Noni Madueke.
However, Servette made it 1-1 when Derek Kutesa was allowed to slip through Chelsea’s midfield, with neither Fernandez nor Axel Disasi able to bring him down when they had the chance. Kutesa set up Jeremy Guillemenot, whose shot went wide past Filip Jorgensen.
Servette was now confident and went in search of a second goal, which would certainly rattle the nerves of the young Chelsea team.
Nkunku went for the spectacular after the break – an overhead kick from 18 yards – but the ball bounced wide. Mudryk then fired over from the same distance.
The Ukrainian can be frustrating to watch but also brilliant at times, sprinting from one penalty area to the other with the ball in the 53rd minute. Unfortunately for him, Mall made the save.
When Servette took a 2-1 lead in the 72nd minute – Enzo Crivelli headed in from between Tosin Adarabioyo and Benoit Badiashile, with neither of them picking up the free man – Maresca replaced Mudryk with his superstar Cole Palmer.
Another substitute, Nicolas Jackson, celebrated his goal until he realised he was offside, after which Palmer fired a shot against the crossbar.
The match was stopped in the 90th minute when Servette fans set off fireworks in the Stade de Genève, but fortunately for Maresca, the match did not blow up in his face.