Chelsea begin European campaign with Maresca’s first win
Goals from Christopher Nkunku and Noni Madueka gave Chelsea a win – their first under Enzo Maresca – in the first leg of the Uefa Conference League play-off.
Nkunku scored with a penalty five minutes into the second half, having been brought down by Servette keeper Jeremy Frick after collecting Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s pass.
And Madueke, on as a substitute, fired past Frick following a long ball forward from Enzo Fernandez, who also came off the bench.
There were debuts for Tosin Adarabioyo and keeper Filip Jorgensen, whose fellow summer signings Dewsbury-Hall, Pedro Neto, Marc Guiu and Renato Veiga made their first Chelsea starts.
Head coach Maresca made nine changes in total from the Premier League defeat against Manchester City, with Axel Disasi, Benoit Badiashile and Mykhalio Mudryk the other players brought in. Moises Caicedo captained the side.
Young striker Guiu endeared himself to the Stamford Bridge crowd with his tireless work-rate.
But he contrived to miss a seemingly easy chance to make it 2-0 when he closed down Frick to leave himself with an open goal only to then mis-kick – and then fail to score with two follow-up attempts.
Madueke eventually doubled the lead, leaving Chelsea in a strong position going into next week’s second leg in Switzerland.
Chelsea: Jorgensen, Disasi (Gusto 78), Tosin, Badiashile, Veiga, Caicedo (Lavia 84), Dewsbury-Hall, Nkunku (Fernandez 58), Neto (Madueke 58), Mudryk, Guiu (Palmer 58).
Subs not used: Sanchez, Bettinelli, Colwill, Cucurella, Jackson.
