CHELSEA WILL TAKE a 2-1 lead into the second leg of their Conference League last-16 tie against Copenhagen after fine finishes from Reece James and Enzo Fernandez bucked the trend of an otherwise drab meeting in Denmark.
After a first half in which a rejigged Chelsea line-up largely failed to trouble their hosts, Enzo Maresca inserted some of his regular Premier League starters and the shape of the game altered at once, James breaking the deadlock from range 56 seconds after the interval.
Fernandez made it two midway through the half after being set up by 18-year-old Tyrique George to go some of the way towards erasing memories of a grim first half, though it left Maresca with much to ponder in his bid to carve out a top-four finish domestically.
They had themselves to blame for not emerging with a more commanding lead, leaving space for defender Gabriel Pereira to head a free-kick powerfully past Robert Sanchez in the 79th minute to give the Danish champions encouragement for next Thursday’s return leg at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea lost Malo Gusto – starting in the unfamiliar position of left-back – to injury after 23 minutes, the defender seeming to catch his foot in the turf as he blocked a cross before limping from the pitch.
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Rangers' Vaclav Cerny, left, celebrates with his teammates. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Rampant Rangers found joy in the Europa League again this season with a 3-1 first-leg win over Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce in Istanbul.
Barry Ferguson was drafted in as interim boss after Philippe Clement was sacked less than two weeks ago as a disastrous domestic season span out of control, even though he had guided the Light Blues to eighth place in the newly revamped Europa League which took them straight into the last 16, and in the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium the unfancied visitors were terrific.
Gers striker Cyriel Dessers scored after just six minutes before home substitute Alexander Djiku levelled on the half-hour mark following the substitution of Gers defender Robin Propper, who had needlessly clashed with his own keeper Jack Butland.
Vaclav Cerny, the Czech Republic winger on loan from Wolfsburg, restored the visitors’ lead in the 42nd minute and then Dessers remarkably had two goals chalked off for narrow offside decisions early in the second half before Cerny grabbed his second in the 81st minute to seal victory, giving real hope of making it through to the quarter-finals next week at Ibrox.
Elsewhere in the Conference League, Norwegian side Molde, the conquerors of Shamrock Rovers in the last round, defeated Legia Warsaw 3-2.
Molde had stormed ahead 3-0 at half-time before their Polish opponents pegged them back with two second-half goals, heading to the return leg.
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Chelsea earn first-leg win in Copenhagen, Rangers spring surprise with victory at Fenerbahce
CHELSEA WILL TAKE a 2-1 lead into the second leg of their Conference League last-16 tie against Copenhagen after fine finishes from Reece James and Enzo Fernandez bucked the trend of an otherwise drab meeting in Denmark.
After a first half in which a rejigged Chelsea line-up largely failed to trouble their hosts, Enzo Maresca inserted some of his regular Premier League starters and the shape of the game altered at once, James breaking the deadlock from range 56 seconds after the interval.
Fernandez made it two midway through the half after being set up by 18-year-old Tyrique George to go some of the way towards erasing memories of a grim first half, though it left Maresca with much to ponder in his bid to carve out a top-four finish domestically.
They had themselves to blame for not emerging with a more commanding lead, leaving space for defender Gabriel Pereira to head a free-kick powerfully past Robert Sanchez in the 79th minute to give the Danish champions encouragement for next Thursday’s return leg at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea lost Malo Gusto – starting in the unfamiliar position of left-back – to injury after 23 minutes, the defender seeming to catch his foot in the turf as he blocked a cross before limping from the pitch.
Rampant Rangers found joy in the Europa League again this season with a 3-1 first-leg win over Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce in Istanbul.
Barry Ferguson was drafted in as interim boss after Philippe Clement was sacked less than two weeks ago as a disastrous domestic season span out of control, even though he had guided the Light Blues to eighth place in the newly revamped Europa League which took them straight into the last 16, and in the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium the unfancied visitors were terrific.
Gers striker Cyriel Dessers scored after just six minutes before home substitute Alexander Djiku levelled on the half-hour mark following the substitution of Gers defender Robin Propper, who had needlessly clashed with his own keeper Jack Butland.
Vaclav Cerny, the Czech Republic winger on loan from Wolfsburg, restored the visitors’ lead in the 42nd minute and then Dessers remarkably had two goals chalked off for narrow offside decisions early in the second half before Cerny grabbed his second in the 81st minute to seal victory, giving real hope of making it through to the quarter-finals next week at Ibrox.
Elsewhere in the Conference League, Norwegian side Molde, the conquerors of Shamrock Rovers in the last round, defeated Legia Warsaw 3-2.
Molde had stormed ahead 3-0 at half-time before their Polish opponents pegged them back with two second-half goals, heading to the return leg.
*****
Results
Europa League Last 16 – First Legs
Conference League Last 16 – First Legs
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