Chelsea were in complete control during the first leg in Sweden. Goals from Jadon Sancho and Noni Madueke gave them a comfortable lead by halftime, and Nicolas Jackson came off the bench to score twice more. A late consolation goal from Djurgardens' Isak Alemayehu barely made a dent in the scoreline.
For Chelsea fans, this scenario might feel familiar. In the previous round, they brought a three-goal advantage back to the Bridge after beating Legia Warsaw in the first leg—and although they lost the return match, it didn’t stop them from progressing comfortably.
Confidence is high around the club. Chelsea come into this second leg on a four-game winning streak, including a commanding 3-1 win over Premier League champions Liverpool last weekend. That result kept their hopes of a top-four finish alive, and manager Enzo Maresca is expected to rotate his squad on Thursday to keep players fresh for Sunday’s Premier League clash with Newcastle United.
Everything points to a smooth night for the Blues, especially considering they’ve won their last three home matches against Swedish teams without conceding a goal.
As for Djurgardens, they’ll be hoping to at least restore some pride after a humbling night at home. Like Legia in the quarter-finals, they’ll be aiming for a respectable result in the return leg, even if turning the tie around is near impossible.
Coach Jani Honkavaara may already have one eye on domestic matters. Djurgardens have had a tough start to the Allsvenskan season, and their European run—while historic—has come at a cost. No Swedish side has ever won 11 matches in a single European campaign, and they could hit that mark with a win here, but their bigger concern is climbing out of the bottom half of the Swedish league table.
A 1-1 draw with AIK on Sunday means they’ve now failed to win any of their three league matches following European ties this season, and they've picked up just eight points from a possible 18 overall.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca finds himself in a familiar position ahead of the second leg, just like he did against Legia Warsaw in the quarter-finals. Back then, he still named a strong starting XI despite a big first-leg lead, but this time he may be more inclined to rotate the squad—especially with a crucial Premier League trip to Newcastle coming up.
In the Legia match, Josh Acheampong was the only academy player to start, but this time Tyrique George is also expected to be in the lineup. Shumaira Mheuka and Mathis Amougou could also be given opportunities off the bench.
Injury-wise, Chelsea have taken a hit. Christopher Nkunku joins Wesley Fofana and Marc Guiu on the sidelines, and although Romeo Lavia is back fit, he isn’t eligible to play in the Conference League and will be saved for the weekend.
As for Djurgardens, they’ll be missing several key players as well. Starting goalkeeper Filip Manojlovic isn’t registered for European competition, and his backup Malkolm Nilsson is out with an elbow injury—meaning Jacob Rinne will start in goal again.
They’re also without Zakaria Sawo, young talent Matias Siltanen, and veteran Albin Ekdal, all of whom weren’t registered for Europe. On top of that, injuries have hit them hard. Djurgardens could only name seven substitutes in the first leg, instead of the full 12.
The list of unavailable players includes Patric Aslund, Oskar Fallenius, Nino Zugelj, Rasmus Schüller, and Piotr Johansson—bringing their total number of absentees to double digits ahead of this tough trip to London.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Jorgensen; Acheampong, Badiashile, Tosin, Gusto; James, Amougou, Dewsbury-Hall; Sancho, Mheuka, George
Djurgardens IF possible starting lineup:
Rinne; Stahl, Larsson, Danielson, Kosugi; Finndell, Stensson, Gulliksen; Haarala, Nguen, Priske
EXPERT PREDICTION
Chelsea 2-1 Djurgarden
