Nkunku and Mudryk score as Chelsea win in Germany
Christopher Nkunku and Mykhailo Mudryk scored as Chelsea made it four Uefa Conference League wins out of four.
Both teams had won all three of their group games so far and the Blues were caused some problems in Germany – where Cesare Casadei was sent off in the final seconds – but Nkunku’s goal early in the second half gave them some breathing space and Mudryk’s emphatic finish sealed the victory.
Nkunku calmly slotted home after being set up by Jadon Sancho.
But the French forward went off after picking up a knock midway through the second half while being thwarted by Heidenheim keeper Kevin Müller as he attempted to score after being set up by Joao Felix.
In the first half, Chelsea were denied a penalty when the referee stood by his original decision after viewing the pitchside monitor after Mudryk went down under a challenge from defender Patrick Mainka.
Teenager Marc Guiu, meanwhile, was lively up front but missed a couple of early chances for the Blues.
At the other end, keeper Filip Jorgensen produced a fine save to deny Paul Wanner.
And after Nkunku’s opener – his seventh goal in Europe this season – a mistake by Benoit Badiashile almost led to an equaliser.
Badiashile thought the ball was going out on the left-hand side so left it, but Leo Scienza kept it in play, cut inside and fired wide.
More poor Chelsea defending then led to another chance for Wanner, who was superbly denied again by Jorgensen.
Heidenheim forward Max Breunig did find the net with a header but was offside, and the hosts pushed hard for a leveller before Mudryk fired into the top corner – Sancho was again the provider.
Casadei was dismissed just before the end after being given a second yellow card following a foul on Scienza.
The result means Chelsea are top of the group, with 12 points, and cannot now go out of the tournament in the group stage.
Chelsea: Jorgensen, Disasi, Tosin, Badiashile, Veiga, Casadei, Dewsbury-Hall (Rak-Sakyi 90), Sancho (George 90), Nkunku (Chukwuemeka 76), Mudryk, Guiu (Felix 62).
Subs not used: Bergstrom, Sanchez, Colwill, Dyer, Madueke, Mheuka.
