Chelsea beat Servette 2-0 in Conference League play-off first leg
Nkunku opens scoring with penalty in second half, Madueke doubles lead
Return leg in Switzerland next week
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Image source, Getty ImagesRight that's your lot for tonight. Chelsea have one foot in the Europa Conference League group stage thanks to goals from Christopher Nkunku and Noni Madueke.
You can read all about that contest in our report.
The Blues are back in action when they travel to Molineux to face Wolves in the Premier League on Sunday (14:00 BST).
FT: Chelsea 2-0 Servette
Chelsea
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca sounds like a man keen to get back on the training pitch as soon as possible: "I was a bit worried because in the last 10 minutes we played a little bit with fire because we could managed the game completely differently. It was good that we didn't concede but we can learn."
FT: Chelsea 2-0 Servette
Chelsea
More from Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, this time on Mykhailo Mudryk's performance: "This is the mission, this is Mudryk, not only tonight but since he joined the club. I think he had good moments but when he has the ball you don't know if you'll get one thing or another. It is consistency. We are going to try and help him to change. When he is in the final third it is is taking the right decision. Most of his mistakes are about the choice."
FT: Chelsea 2-0 Servette
Chelsea
More from Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca: "The game first half was for Marc Guiu. There was a lot of space for him to drop and give us an extra man. He struggled a lit bit. The intention was to give him minutes but he had to behave as a midfielder.
"I told him he probably doesn't like easy goals, he likes more difficult ones. He is the youngest in the squad, he works for the ball, runs a lot presses...he is going to score for sure."
FT: Chelsea 2-0 Servette
Chelsea
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca: "Noni [Madueke] is a player I like. He is doing well but the thing he has to improve is consistency every day and work hard and then he will get minutes for sure."
FT: Chelsea 2-0 Servette
Chelsea
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca: "Cole [Palmer] felt something but he looks fine. Hopefully it is no problem and he can be available for Sunday's game [at Wolves].
"We are learning how to manage the game. Keeping the ball is the correct intention at 2-0 up but where is not good, in our half. We need to do the same on the opposite side. It was important to win the game with nine changes. There were many good things."
FT: Chelsea 2-0 Servette
Right here we go...Enzo Maresca has arrived.
FT: Chelsea 2-0 Servette
Given a report has appeared in the Standard, external this evening linking Raheem Sterling with a move to Crystal Palace and there have also been reports that the England winger could be heading to Aston Villa,, external it may well be that Enzo Maresca is going to face more than just questions about what happened on the pitch at Stamford Bridge this evening.
That is, when he does actually appear.
FT: Chelsea 2-0 Servette
Anyone remember when goalscoring celebrations were just an arm raised aloft?
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty ImagesFT: Chelsea 2-0 Servette
Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter
A big question for manager Enzo Maresca after the match is 'how is Cole Palmer?'
The 22-year-old forward was grimacing, holding his hamstring and went straight down the tunnel after the match.
It would be a high cost to have lost him to injury to get a 2-0 win over Servette in the Conference League play-off first leg.
FT: Chelsea 2-0 Servette
Just a reminder Chelsea travel to Geneva for the return leg against Servette on Thursday, 29 August (19:30 BST).
Should they advance they will then go into the group stage draw on 30th August and will kick-off in the competition proper on 3 October, with the first of six pool matches.
FT: Chelsea 2-0 Servette
Just waiting to hear what Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca makes of his team's performance this evening.
Hopefully the Italian will be conducting his media duties very shortly.
FT: Chelsea 2-0 Servette
Really not sure what to make of that Chelsea performance. They could probably have scored three but against more clinical opponents could easily have shipped three or four themselves.
Chelsea 2-0 Servette
Chelsea had five shots on target during the course of that match. The visitors had eight and will be rueing some bad misses.
Chelsea 2-0 Servette
They can. But Jeremy Guillemenot smacks a shot straight at the Chelsea keeper Filip Jorgensen from 10 yards.
Chelsea 2-0 Servette
Julian Vonmoos gets down the right for Servette. Can the Swiss side fashion one last chance?
Chelsea 2-0 Servette
Tiemoko Ouattara almost gets onto a long diagonal over the Chelsea defence.
Chelsea 2-0 Servette
Six minutes added. Will Chelsea hold on to what they have?
Chelsea 2-0 Servette
Oh my word. How have Servette not scored. Julian Vonmoos whips in a corner from the right...it misses absolutely everybody apart from Jeremy Guillemenot, who is stood all alone at the back stick.
The 26-year-old somehow though manages to loop his effort over the bar from two yards.
Chelsea 2-0 Servette
Julian Vonmoos fires an effort wide. It's all Servette.
Christopher Nkunku produced his trademark celebration with a balloon after scoring from the penalty spot
Christopher Nkunku's penalty helped Enzo Maresca earn his first win as Chelsea boss as the Blues secured a two-goal advantage against Servette in their Conference League play-off first leg.
A much-changed Chelsea side had been struggling to open up their Swiss opponents until Nkunku was sent sprawling by goalkeeper Jeremy Frick early in the second half.
The France forward, one of just two survivors from the Blues team that started the 2-0 home defeat by Manchester City on Sunday, picked himself up to score the first goal of the Maresca era from the spot.
The former Paris St-Germain player then celebrated in trademark fashion, external, producing a blue balloon which he inflated in front of jubilant Chelsea fans.
Chelsea should have doubled the lead moments later when Frick was caught dithering on the ball by 18-year-old Marc Guiu.
The Spain youth forward looked certain to score but lost his composure and Frick was able to get back and save.
However, substitute Noni Madueke did make it 2-0 with a ferocious 72nd-minute finish from a tight angle inside the penalty area.
Chelsea will be confident of finishing the job and advancing to the group stage of European football's third-tier club competition when they travel to Geneva for the second leg on 29 August.
There was relief around Stamford Bridge at the full-time whistle as Chelsea were made to work hard for their win and survived some awkward moments.
Servette registered 22 attempts to the hosts' 14, with substitute Tiemoko Ouattara hitting the bar with a deflected effort in the 86th minute.
However, Chelsea eked out a victory to help put the disappointing opening defeat by Manchester City behind them and get Maresca's reign up and running.
"I was a bit worried because in the last 10 minutes we played a little bit with fire," said Maresca. "It was good that we didn't concede but we can learn."
The Blues boss made nine changes from the team which started at the weekend, yet finished it with five substitutes on the pitch including Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez and Malo Gusto.
Goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen and defender Tosin Adarabioyo made their debuts, while there were also first starts for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Guiu, Renato Veiga and Pedro Neto.
Portugal forward Neto, a £54m buy from Wolves, produced a bright performance and at times showed an explosive change of pace before being replaced by Madueke.
There will be bigger tests to come for Chelsea, who were captained by Moises Caicedo - the other player, alongside Nkunku, who started Sunday's league defeat.
But after a chaotic summer which has seen another change of manager and their transfer policy come under heavy scrutiny, the Blues were at least able to celebrate a victory.
After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 14 |
| |
| 2 | Slovan Bratislava | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 10 |
|
| 3 | Olimpija | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 9 | -5 | 6 |
|
| 4 | KÍ | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 9 | -4 | 4 |
|
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 15 |
|
| 2 | Gent | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 7 | 9 | 13 |
|
| 3 | Zorya | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 11 | -1 | 7 |
|
| 4 | Breidablik | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 18 | -13 | 0 |
|
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Viktoria Plzeň | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 18 |
|
| 2 | Dinamo Zagreb | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 9 |
|
| 3 | Astana | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 13 | -9 | 4 |
|
| 4 | Ballkani | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 7 | -4 | 4 |
|
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Club Brugge | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 3 | 12 | 16 |
|
| 2 | Bodø / Glimt | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 10 |
|
| 3 | Beşiktaş | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 14 | -7 | 4 |
|
| 4 | Lugano | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 14 | -8 | 4 |
|
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 13 |
| |
| 2 | Legia Warszawa | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 12 |
|
| 3 | AZ | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 12 | -5 | 6 |
|
| 4 | Zrinjski | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 10 | -4 | 4 |
|
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 12 |
| |
| 2 | Ferencváros | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 10 |
|
| 3 | Genk | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 9 |
|
| 4 | Čukarički | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 16 | -14 | 0 |
|
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PAOK | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 16 |
|
| 2 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 9 |
| |
| 3 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 6 |
| |
| 4 | HJK | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 17 | -10 | 2 |
|
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fenerbahçe | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 12 |
|
| 2 | Ludogorets | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 12 |
|
| 3 | Nordsjælland | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 10 |
|
| 4 | Spartak Trnava | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 15 | -12 | 1 |
|
Manager: Enzo Maresca
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Manager: Thomas Häberli
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
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