Chelsea coast into Conference League final
They rounded off a 5-1 aggregate victory against Djurgarden at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea will play in the Conference League final on May 28 after they beat Djurgarden 1-0 at Stamford Bridge to round off a 5-1 aggregate victory.
It was a measure of this most unusual European season, in which Enzo Maresca's side have coasted to the showpiece in the Polish city of Wroclaw using largely their second string and swatting aside teams from Armenia, Kazakhstan and the Republic of Ireland, that 10 players were left out from Sunday's win over Liverpool and a full debut was handed to 16-year-old midfielder Reggie Walsh.
The academy graduate, who became Chelsea's third youngest-ever player in Stockholm a week ago, is yet to sit his GCSEs but starting in Cole Palmer's usual number 10 role he gave a schooling to Djurgarden with some lovely touches of the ball that hinted at what might lie ahead.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, a relative veteran at 26, got the only goal of the second leg, pinging the ball in off the post in the 38th minute after an incisive pass from Tyrique George, another academy graduate who looked every bit at home on the European stage.
Rafael Benitez, who delivered the Europa League in 2013 during his interim spell at Stamford Bridge, was in attendance. Maresca may shortly join him in delivering European silverware at the end of his first season in west London.