Chelsea edged closer to a spot in the UEFA Conference League final with a dominant 4-1 win over Swedish side Djurgarden in the first leg of their semi-final tie.
The result means the Blues have now lost just once in their last 15 away fixtures in European competition.
Facing Premier League opposition for the first time, Djurgarden were up against a rotated Chelsea squad named by Enzo Maresca, who has his sights set on both a European final and a potential Champions League qualification spot. Despite the changes, Chelsea quickly took control of the match.
The breakthrough came inside 15 minutes when Jadon Sancho’s shot deflected off Marcus Danielsson and into the net for an own goal.
Noni Madueke missed a golden chance to extend the lead soon after, but the England winger made up for it by finishing from close range shortly before halftime.
Djurgarden showed more attacking intent after the break, threatening through August Priske and Adam Stahl, but Chelsea extinguished any hopes of a comeback with two quick goals from substitute Nicolas Jackson.
The Senegalese forward first capitalized on a mix-up in the Djurgarden defense before rifling home a powerful strike from the edge of the box.
The hosts did manage a consolation goal through Isak Alemayehu’s header, but it wasn’t enough to shift the momentum. Chelsea saw out the rest of the match with ease, maintaining their unbeaten record against Swedish opponents.
The Blues now take a commanding lead back to Stamford Bridge, where Djurgarden will need a miracle to overturn the deficit.
