Chelsea advance to Conference League Semi-Finals despite Home defeat to Legia Warsaw

Chelsea secured a place in the UEFA Conference League semi-finals on Thursday night, progressing with a 4-2 aggregate win despite suffering a 2-1 defeat at home to Legia Warsaw.

The London side had done most of the work in the first leg, where they comfortably defeated the Polish side 3-0 in Warsaw. That cushion proved vital as Legia, currently fifth in the Ekstraklasa, pushed Chelsea to the limit at Stamford Bridge.

Legia started brightly and were rewarded just 10 minutes into the match when Czech striker Tomas Pekhart converted a penalty to give the visitors an early lead. Chelsea responded in the 33rd minute when Marc Cucurella pounced from close range to equalise. The Spanish defender thought he had scored a second, but it was ruled out by VAR for offside.

Legia’s French defender Steve Kapuadi restored the visitors’ lead in the 53rd minute with a composed finish that eventually sealed their victory on the night. Around 1,000 travelling Legia fans made their presence felt with flares and loud chants, creating a lively atmosphere throughout the match.

Despite the loss, Chelsea moved on to the semi-finals, where they will face Swedish side Djurgardens, who defeated Rapid Vienna 4-1 after extra time in their second leg to progress.

However, the manner of Chelsea’s home defeat raised concerns for coach Enzo Maresca, especially with the club’s Premier League top-five hopes under pressure. Losing at home to a side from a lower-ranked league casts doubts over Chelsea’s form and consistency, even though they remain strong contenders to win the third-tier European competition alongside Roma, West Ham, and Olympiakos.

Elsewhere, Fiorentina, twice runners-up in the competition, played out a thrilling 2-2 draw with Slovenian club Celje. Despite trailing 2-1 at one point, a goal from Moise Kean secured a 4-3 aggregate win for the Italians. They will now meet Spanish side Real Betis in the semi-finals, who advanced with a 3-1 aggregate victory after drawing 1-1 with Jagiellonia Bialystok at home.