90min
·22 August 2024
90min
·22 August 2024
Chelsea made an underwhelming start to their Premier League campaign on Sunday afternoon but they have the chance to earn a first win under Enzo Maresca this Thursday.
The Blues lost 2-0 to Manchester City following a tame display against the champions and questions continue to be asked of the club's scattergun approach in the transfer market. However, a convincing win against Swiss side Servette midweek may go a small way to appeasing the Stamford Bridge faithful.
Chelsea face the Swiss Super League side in the Conference League in the first leg of their play-off tie. The winner of the clash across both legs will automatically qualify for the expanded 36-team league phase of the competition.
The first leg of Chelsea's clash with Servette takes place at Stamford Bridge on Thursday 22 August, with the match kicking off at 20:00 BST. It's the first time the two sides will meet in a competitive fixture.
It's also Chelsea's debut in the Conference League, which is Europe's third most prestigious continental cup competition. The Blues had qualified for the Europa League following a sixth-placed Premier League finish last term but Manchester United's victory in the FA Cup final means Chelsea have dropped into the ECL.
Despite TNT Sports holding the rights to all three European competitions for 2024/25, they will not be showing Chelsea's clash with Servette in qualifying on Thursday.
Instead, supporters in the United Kingdom and Ireland will have to watch the match on Chelsea's official website, with a pass to view the game costing £4.99. However, that price includes access to the second leg against Servette, too.
The game is also available to international audiences on the club website, with highlights being released at midnight on Thursday.
Of course, UK and Irish residents can listen to the game, too. talkSPORT 2 Radio will be offering an audio broadcast of the clash.
Chelsea will travel to Switzerland for the second leg / Eddie Keogh/GettyImages
Chelsea will be hopeful of taking a lead to Geneva, Switzerland for the second leg of their play-off, which takes place on Thursday 29 August. The match kicks off at 19:30 BST and supporters will be able to watch the return fixture on Chelsea's official website.
If Chelsea progress into the league phase of the Conference League, they will know their opponents a day later on Friday 30 August when the draw is made.