Champions League push fuels Chelsea’s desire for dominant display against Legia Warsaw | OneFootball

Chelsea’s job in the Europa Conference League quarter-final may seem all but done, but Thursday’s second leg against Legia Warsaw is far from meaningless.

Enzo Maresca’s side are 3-0 ahead after the first leg in Poland, where they dominated with purpose and control.

With their place in the semi-finals all but secure, some people may view this as a formality. However, the context surrounding Chelsea’s season gives this tie greater weight.

Chelsea are in the middle of a tense Premier League run-in, where every point could decide whether they return to the Champions League next season.

The club’s European run offers a chance to build rhythm and confidence – two things that felt slightly shaken after the recent 2-2 home draw with Ipswich Town.

Maresca has been keen to frame this leg as a priority, not a distraction.

“The next match is tomorrow night, and for us it is an important game because it can give us the opportunity to reach a semi-final in a European competition,” he said.

“Then hopefully we can reach the semi-final and focus on Sunday.”

With Fiorentina and Real Betis still in the competition, Chelsea can show they are not easing off.

A dominant second-leg display would not only confirm their status as favourites but also send a message to other contenders – and perhaps more importantly, to themselves.

The pressure to qualify for the Champions League remains heavy. Maresca has spoken repeatedly about emotion management during this phase of the season.

“All the games are important now – finals,” he said. “But we have to manage the emotions when we do not win.”

That balance between short-term results and long-term growth is part of the bigger picture Maresca has continued to emphasise.

He points to Chelsea’s presence in the top four for much of the campaign as proof of improvement, contrasting it with the last two seasons where they never featured in that bracket.

However, performances like the one against Ipswich have invited scepticism. Maresca has acknowledged the fans’ frustration and accepted that his team must do more to engage the Stamford Bridge crowd.

Thursday’s game is a chance to silence doubts, maintain standards and keep momentum alive as the real battle – for Champions League football – intensifies.