Chelsea Secure Conference League Quarter-Final Spot With Narrow Win Over Copenhagen.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s second-half strike proved decisive as Chelsea booked their place in the UEFA Conference League quarter-finals with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Copenhagen at Stamford Bridge.
Holding a 2-1 aggregate lead from the first leg, Chelsea endured a lacklustre first half, failing to register a single shot and drawing boos from sections of the home crowd. Meanwhile, Copenhagen displayed energy and attacking intent but lacked the clinical edge to capitalise on their dominance.
The breakthrough came 10 minutes after the restart when Dewsbury-Hall showcased quick footwork on the edge of the box, bundling through two challenges before finishing clinically into the bottom corner.
Cole Palmer, who was benched due to illness but introduced at half-time, injected urgency into Chelsea’s play. The midfielder came close to ending his goal drought, now at 10 games, when he surged forward and sent a shot narrowly wide.
Despite late pressure from the visitors, Chelsea remained in control. Copenhagen’s best chance arrived in stoppage time when Rodrigo Huescas broke into the box but fired his effort over the bar.
With the victory, Chelsea advance to the quarter-finals, where they will face Polish side Legia Warsaw. Reflecting on the win, Dewsbury-Hall expressed confidence in Chelsea’s ambitions for the competition.
“Chelsea has won the Champions League, the Europa League—it would be stupid of us to say we can’t win this,” he told TNT Sports. “It’s not arrogance, but we know the quality we have in the squad.”
