Chelsea dominates Djurgarden, almost seals its spot in the final

Chelsea took a significant step towards securing a place in the Europa Conference League final by dominating Djurgarden in the semi-final first leg, effectively winning the match 4-1 despite a late consolation goal from the Swedish side. The contest starkly illustrated the immense financial gulf between the two clubs, raising questions about the competitive balance in the latter stages of a competition often intended to benefit smaller European teams.

The sheer disparity was evident in Chelsea's spending power. This financial muscle translated into a comfortable victory for Chelsea, despite the festive atmosphere created by the enthusiastic Djurgarden fans in the stands.

Chelsea established their dominance early, building a four-goal lead before Djurgarden managed to get on the scoresheet through Isak Alemayehu Mulugeta. Key contributions came from across the Chelsea squad. Enzo Fernández, a marquee signing himself, provided crucial early assists for Jadon Sancho's opening goal and Noni Madueke's strike. Nicolas Jackson, introduced from the bench, added two goals to the tally, although Cole Palmer failed to end his personal goal drought. Nineteen-year-old attacker Tyrique George also proved a handful early in the match.

Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca assessed his team's performance as "good" for the first 60 to 70 minutes, noting they "dropped a little bit" after securing the large lead. He cautioned against complacency, emphasizing the need to "finish the job" in the second leg, referencing a past experience where a comfortable away win was followed by struggles at home. Maresca had also rotated his squad heavily due to concerns about the "dodgy pitch" in Stockholm, but Chelsea's inherent quality shone through, overcoming both the playing surface issues and the passionate home atmosphere.

Djurgarden struggled to match Chelsea's pace, strength, and tactical intelligence, particularly in the first half. While they managed to create a few chances in the second half and pulled a goal back through Alemayehu's bounced header from a Tobias Gulliksen cross, Chelsea largely cruised to victory after establishing their commanding lead. The comfortable first-leg win suggests that Chelsea is heavily favored to reach the final, where they are expected to face either Real Betis or Fiorentina in Wroclaw, and may not encounter "true jeopardy" until that point.