December 20th 2024.
In just a few days, Chelsea will have the exciting opportunity to learn which team they will face in the first knockout phase of the Conference League. The potential opponents are Gent, FC Copenhagen, Real Betis, and FC Heidenheim. Enzo Maresca's team has had an outstanding performance in the league phase, winning all six matches and securing a spot in the knockout stage. This is quite an impressive feat.
The draw for the knockout phase play-off ties was held on Friday, and the matches are scheduled to take place on February 13 and 20 in the year 2025. On February 21, Chelsea will participate in a new draw that will determine their position in the bracket and their path to the final. It's worth noting that seven other teams have also automatically qualified for the knockout phase, including Vitoria Guimaraes, Fiorentina, and Rapid Vienna, just to name a few.
After the exciting draw on Friday, the Conference League pathway has been set for the teams. Chelsea's journey continues after they sealed their sixth win in the league with an impressive 5-1 victory over Shamrock Rovers at their home stadium. Marc Guiu proved to be the star of the game, scoring a hat-trick in the first half, while Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Marc Cucurella also contributed to the team's success.
Delighted with the team's performance and result, Maresca shared his thoughts after the game. "I'm very excited, first of all with the performance and the result," he said. "The players showed their seriousness and professionalism once again. In these types of games, it's easy to become complacent, but they know they need to stay focused. It was also a great opportunity for some of our young players to shine, and they did a fantastic job."
Maresca also praised newcomer Harrison Murray-Campbell, who made his debut in the game and showed promising skills on both offense and defense. "It's never easy to play in your first game, but Harrison did quite well. He's skilled on the ball and defensively strong. He deserved the chance to play tonight, and he did not disappoint."
Looking ahead, Maresca reminds his team to stay focused on the next round and not to get ahead of themselves. "We need to take it one game at a time. We can't start thinking about the final or winning the competition when there are still six games to go. We need to stay focused and take each match as it comes." With such a strong team and a determined mindset, Chelsea is on their way to making a mark in the Conference League.
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