Europa Conference League: Chelsea’s Jekyll and Hyde performance sees off FC Copenhagen – but concerns remain | OneFootball

Chelsea secured a 2-1 victory over FC Copenhagen in the first leg of their Europa Conference League last-16 tie, but the performance left room for improvement.

Enzo Maresca’s side showed glimpses of their quality, yet familiar inconsistencies kept the tie alive ahead of next week’s return leg at Stamford Bridge.

The first half was uninspiring. Chelsea dominated possession but struggled to create chances, with Maresca’s heavy rotation affecting their balance.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was on the left wing, Malo Gusto was at left-back, and Shim Mheuka led the line.

“We controlled the game, but we didn’t create chances,” Maresca admitted. “We knew we would struggle a little bit.”

The manager reacted at half-time, making four changes and bringing on Christopher Nkunku, Enzo Fernandez and Levi Colwill.

The impact was immediate. Within a minute of the restart, Reece James fired Chelsea ahead with a low drive from 25 yards.

His performance was one of the night’s biggest positives. Maresca has long seen the Chelsea captain as more than just a right-back.

“Since day one, I saw Reece as a midfielder,” he added. “He played very well tonight, and the most important thing is to keep him fit.”

]Chelsea doubled their lead when George set up Fernandez for a composed finish, seemingly putting the tie to bed.

However, defensive lapses let Copenhagen back in, with Gabriel Pereira heading home to give the hosts hope. “A sloppy goal,” Maresca admitted. “We could have avoided that.”Despite the win, the performance raised questions about Chelsea’s ability to go all the way in this competition.

Maresca acknowledged the significance of the Europa Conference League but emphasised their domestic priorities.

“Every game is important from now on,” he said. “Against Leicester on Sunday, we can take another step toward our target of finishing in the top four or five.”

Chelsea’s class saw them through, but they remain a work in progress.

If they are serious about winning this competition, they must start controlling games from the outset – not just in bursts.