Reece James may have found a new role in Chelsea midfield after 8/10 display vs Copenhagen | OneFootball

Reece James delivered a masterful performance in midfield as Chelsea clinched a crucial 2-1 win against FC Copenhagen in the first leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League last-16 tie.

Enzo Maresca raised plenty of eyebrows when he decided to field a second-string line-up for the contest despite admitting every game is crucial from here on out.

The Italian manager handed 17-year-old Shim Mheuka his full Chelsea debut after showing a glimpse of his talent in the 4-0 win against Southampton last week.

However, the talented teenager struggled to find rhythm in a cagey first-half affair where Chelsea’s lacked attacking urgency.

The Blues dominated possession but struggled to break down a resilient Copenhagen defence, although they barely broke a sweat keeping the visitors’ toothless attacking line-up at bay.

Maresca switched things up in the second half, and the changes paid off immediately after the restart as James rifled home a first-time effort into the bottom corner from long range.

Copenhagen were a whisker away from providing an instant response, but Viktor Claesson’s shot struck the inside of the post and nestled into the grateful grasp of a stranded Robert Sanchez.

Grateful for the reprieve, Chelsea doubled their advantage 20 minutes later, with Tyrique George setting up Enzo Fernandez, who coolly placed the ball into the far corner to extend the lead.

The hosts fought back and were rewarded with 10 minutes left to play when Gabriel Pereira nodded in a free header to give Copenhagen hope.

However, Chelsea held on to take a valuable away win back to London, knowing a solid performance at home will see them advance to the quarter-finals.

Aside from James’ long-range belter, the England international was heavily involved for the Blues, orchestrating play from the middle of the park with 97 touches.

He also recorded a key pass, completed one out of three long passes and won three out of five ground duels while boasting a 95% pass accuracy.

James has struggled with hamstring issues over the past few years but is starting to find some consistency playing in midfield.