Chelsea qualified for the group stage of the Europa Conference League by beating Swiss side Servette 3-2 on aggregate, despite losing 2-1 in the return leg in Geneva on Thursday.
Christopher Nkunku opened the scoring from the penalty spot against Servette for the second time in as many games, with a low and powerful pass into the bottom left corner, but the lead did not last long.
Jeremy Guillemenot levelled the score just after half an hour, after substitute Enzo Crivelli made it 2-1 in the 72nd minute, setting up a nerve-wracking final phase for the Blues.
Despite making eight changes to his starting line-up, Enzo Maresca was forced to call on Cole Palmer to sit out the match. Nicolas Jackson and Moises Caicedo entered the field with the tie still far from assured.
Here, Mail Sport’s DOMINIC HOGAN gives his player ratings for Chelsea at the Europa Conference League meeting.
Enzo Maresca’s team reached the Europa Conference League with a 3-2 aggregate victory
Christopher Nkunku scored from the penalty spot to give the Blues an early lead, but it was not to last.
Enzo Crivelli made it 2-1 for the home side in the 73rd minute, making for a nerve-wracking finale
Filip Jorgensen 5.5
Had little to do in the first half hour of the match, but were defeated in the first half by a goal from Jeremy Guillemenot.
He was let down by his defence for the second goal, but you want your keeper to be an impressive presence in the game and that’s not exactly how you would describe the Chelsea goalkeeper’s performance.
Benoit Badiashile 5
Picked up a booking and had a good shot blocked in a tumultuous first half for the Chelsea centre-back. But when Servette got the tails up in the second half, he appeared to lose his composure at the back – although he wasn’t the only one.
Axel Disasi 5
Not his best night. It took him ages to get the ball in the attacking third, admittedly that’s not his bread and butter. Defensively, however, he looked too static and was sometimes exploited for that in the second half.
Filip Jorgensen was easily beaten for the first goal but was let down by his defence for the next strike.
Benoit Badiashile, who received a yellow card in the first half, looked unpredictable and lacked composure
Tosin Adarabioyo 5.5
Remained largely anonymous in Geneva for Chelsea for the first 72 minutes, and that is no insult. Did his job quietly and remained out of sight for most of the game.
The second goal, however, was half wrong, after a misunderstanding with defensive partner Badiashile.
Renato Veiga 6
He stepped into midfield to play alongside the evening’s captain, Enzo Fernandez, while Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall stormed forward and barely made a mistake.
A left-back playing in midfield, where have we heard that before? Enzo Maresca insists he is no Pep Guardiola-lite, but there is clearly an influence on the way he deploys his full-backs.
Enzo Fernández: 7
With the captain’s armband, Fernandez assumed the guise of a senior player, despite having only 65 games to his name and being 23 years old. Yet he set the tone for the Blues with a brilliant effort in the opening 10 minutes, and repeatedly came back to help the team defensively.
A convincing performance from the experienced player who hardly made a mistake, but did not perform miracles either.
Enzo Fernandez captained the team during the continued absence of club captain Reece James
Renato Veiga moved from left back to midfield that evening together with his captain
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall 5.5
He made a number of runs behind the front three to provide consistent intensity in midfield, but otherwise had no real impact on the Blues’ attacking play.
Christopher Nkunku 7.5
He absolutely smashed his penalty into the bottom left corner and almost shot it out of the net. No keeper in the world could have saved that. His bicycle kick attempt in the second half however…
Chelsea fans are keen to play some games, stay fit and replicate the form they paid £53m for, but Nkunku has started the season promisingly.
Noni Madueke 6.5
On his big night, following a call-up to the England squad for Lee Carsley, the Chelsea forward was not at his best in the first 45 minutes, but the second half was much better.
Worked well with Marc Guiu and made some impressive passes to his other flank, also making some excellent returns to show why the Three Lions interim manager is such a fan, before eventually being substituted on 63 minutes.
Nkunku’s penalty was unstoppable, but he completed it with a fine performance on Thursday
Noni Madueke was brilliant in the first half, but not convincing, but his work ethic shone through
Marc Guiu7.5
The former Barcelona star showed what they teach those kids at La Masia. He was calm on the ball and got the best out of those around him, working with his fellow attackers at all times.
He was substituted just after the hour mark but showed a patience, intelligence and maturity that belied his age. Could have been rated 8/10 given his youth and relative inexperience at the top level – not that it showed tonight – but those first leg blunders live long in the memory and he missed a good chance to score tonight.
Mykhailo Mudryk 4.5
Had a tough start to his Chelsea career, it’s fair to say, but was sharp to capitalise on a defensive error and give his team the penalty. That was his highlight of the game though.
He was wayward with his shooting, and while he showed intent throughout, he still never feels comfortable scoring a goal, which is not a good look for a striker. He messed up his lines on goal after running half the length of the pitch, to pretty much sum up his performance. However, one thing he never lacks is effort.
Marc Guiu (right) worked well with his fellow attackers and showed a talent that far exceeded his years
Despite never lacking in effort, Mykhailo Mudryk remains unconvincing, wayward and lacking in confidence in front of goal. Winning the penalty was his highlight of the match
SUBSTITUTE
Nicolas Jackson for Guiu (63′) 5.5 – His half hour pretty much summed up his Chelsea career to date. Within minutes, a yellow card and offside – but just – for what he thought was Chelsea’s second of the night. Still a threat with his pace and tenacity.
Tyrique George for Madueke (63′) 6 – Made his debut for the team, which shows how much Maresca and co. value and prefer the 18-year-old.
Moises Caicedo for Fernandez (63′) 6 – Took over the captain’s armband from the man he replaced, perhaps underlining how much Chelsea lack a leader who can keep the troops in order and spur action on through sheer willpower.
Cole Palmer for Mudryk (74′) 6.5 – He immediately felt comfortable with the pace of the game and almost brought his team level with a close-range shot, but it fell short.
MANAGER
Enzo Maresca 5.5
Enzo Maresca made proactive substitutions, but his team almost gave away a two-goal lead
Tough, really. His team won the game over two legs, so he did his job, but against a team like Servette you would expect Chelsea to stay dry at home, rather than hanging on at the end.
He made proactive substitutions that had an impact on the game, but came very close to an embarrassing result on a night that should have been routine.