Chelsea’s Perfect Europa Conference League… So Far

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Chelsea finished off their league stage of the Europa Conference League in style on 19th December when hammered Irish side Shamrock Rovers 5-1 at Stamford Bridge. That was their sixth win out of six league matches to cap up a near-perfect European campaign so far for Enzo Maresca’s men. Let’s take a look back at Chelsea’s six straight wins on the continent and then consider whether the Blues will go all the way and win the tournament.

Matchday 1: Chelsea 4-2 Gent, 3rd October 2024


The Blues got off to a solid start to their Europa Conference League campaign when Renato Veiga opened the scoring for the home side after just 12 minutes. The much-changed side doubled their lead straight after half time as Pedro Neto fired in. The Belgians fought back, however, when Tsuyoshi Watanabe’s headed goal stood after a VAR check ruled he was onside. The Blues burst back into action after that and goals from Christopher Nkunku and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall put the contest to bed, despite a late consolation for the visitors from Omri Gandelman.

Matchday 2: Panathinaikos 1-4 Chelsea, 24th October 2024


Maresca’s side travelled to Greece for their first away match in the tournament where they made light work of a rather ineffectual Panathinaikos side. Managed by former Uruguay national team boss Diego Alonso, the Greeks weren’t appalling in the opening 45 and were only 1-0 down at the break (Joao Felix having grabbed the opener for the Blues in the 22nd minute).

Mykhailo Mudryk, who set up the opener, scored Chelsea’s second goal not long into the second half, before Felix added his second in the 55th minute. Before there was an hour on the clock, the Blues took an unassailable lead when Christopher Nkunku scored from the penalty spot. Facundo Pellistri scored a consolation with 20 minutes to go, but there was no way back for the hosts.

Matchday 3: Chelsea 8-0 Noah, 7th November 2024


Chelsea’s biggest win of the tournament so far came in this complete mismatch against Amernian minnows FA Noah. The floodgates certainly opened at Stamford Bridge and Noah were left without an ark or a paddle as they got well and truly swamped. Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Guiu, Axel Disasi, Felix (2), Mudryk, and Nkunku (2) got the goals for the rampant Blues.

Matchday 4: Heidenheim 0-2 Chelsea, 28th November 2024


It was more of a contest in Chelsea’s next game as they beat German side Heidenheim 2-0. It was a tight opening half and although Chelsea had more possession, both sides created chances. The Blues got the breakthrough early in the second period through Nkunku after an assist from Jadon Sancho. But even once they’d taken the lead, Maresca’s men faced plenty of hairy moments and keeper Filip Jorgensen had to make some crucial saves to keep his side ahead.

Mudryk got Chelsea’s second with five minutes left (again after a Sancho assist) before, deep into injury time, the Blues’ Cesare Casadei got sent off. It was too late to affect the match, however, as Chelsea completed their fourth win on the bounce in the competition.

Matchday 5: Astana 1-3 Chelsea, 12th December 2024


Maresca’s men faced another potentially tricky away game when they visited Kazakhstan to face Astana. The fact that it meant a 7,200-mile round trip and temperatures were well below zero on the night will not have helped things. But the Blues went about their task with admirable resolve and former Barcelona man (or boy really as he was born in 2006!) Marc Guiu played a starring role. He scored twice for Chelsea within the first 20 minutes, before Renato Veiga got the visitors’ third in the 39th minute.

The hosts pulled one back through Marin Tomasov just before half time, but the game was already in the bag for the Blues. The second period saw a measured performance from the visiting team, who marshalled the game out without taking too many chances, and made it five wins from five in the process.

Matchday 6: Chelsea 5-1 Shamrock Rovers


Finally, we come to the aforementioned hammering of Shamrock Rovers back at Stamford Bridge. Once again it was the exciting youngster Guiu grabbing the headlines, this time scoring a hat-trick before half time to put the game beyond any doubt. The visitors scored a first-half goal of their own, giving the travelling supporters something to cheer about. But it was 4-1 to Chelsea at the break and Marc Cucurella added their fifth midway through the second period.

The win meant the Blues finished the league stage of the competition on 18 points, four clear of their nearest rivals, Portuguese side Vitória Guimarães. The club’s goal difference of +21 is also 10 better than the next best (with Fiorentina on +11). It certainly bodes well for the rest of the tournament and Maresca will be keen to go all the way in his first season in the Blues hotseat.

Will Chelsea Win the Europa Conference League 2024/25?

Europa Conference League logoIf the bookies are to be believed, Chelsea have almost got the tournament in the bag already. They are priced as the strong odds-on favourites (around 8/11) compared to a price of 5/1 for their nearest rivals (in the bookies’ eyes), Fiorentina. The Italians only finished third in the league stage, however, with Vitória Guimarães ending up a point and a place above them. Chelsea would certainly their chances of getting the better of either of those sides if they faced them in the final in Wroclaw in May.

Of course, there’s still plenty of football to be played before that and we get the impression Maresca will be taking nothing for granted… and will be making sure his players don’t either. One or two of the other sides might be capable of causing the Blues some problems on their day. The likes of Rapid Vienna, Legia Warszawa, and possibly Real Betis and Heidenheim (if they make it to the knockout stage) would perhaps at least put up a fight. But really, Chelsea have shown themselves to be in a league of their own so far and we expect them to win the competition – with their second team!