Chelsea 2-0 Servette | HIGHLIGHTS - Extended | UEFA Europa Conference League 2024/25

So European football back at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea versus Sevilla, first leg of the UEFA Conference League playoff tie. The Blues hoping to add one more major European trophy for the first task, to qualify for the newly formatted 36-team league stage. Tonight's visitors already well into the swing of their domestic season, having played five games in the Swiss Super League and one in the Cup too, but Chelsea start as heavy favourites as they look for their first goals and victory under Enzo Maresca. It was the fine form at the end of last season that made Chelsea's late run for Europe a successful one. Now the task is to put themselves in the best possible position to qualify for the competition proper ahead of next week's return leg in Geneva. Let's take a check on the two teams there. Philippe Jorgensen and Tosin make their debuts for the Blues. Moises Caicedo, captain. And there are first Chelsea starts for Kieran Dewsbury-Hall, Mark Guillaume, Renato Vega and Pedro Neto. Joao Felix wasn't signed in time to feature. Rhys Jones is injured. As for Sevilla, there's not too many familiar names in their line-up. There are a couple of players to look out for, though. Derek Kutesa has scored five times already this season. Veteran Miroslav Stevanovic has bags of experience around European football. Their goalkeeper is vastly experienced, too. He's played over 250 times for the German former Lyon keeper. And he might feel like he's going to be in for a busy night tonight. We'll have to wait and see as far as that goes. To Dewsbury-Hall. Guillaume trying to hold his run here. Dewsbury-Hall on a wonder infield. He's had it taken off his toe as he was going to make the pass, but he was quick to win it back. Mudrick tried to tackle him, but Dewsbury-Hall emerged with the ball and he spread it through to Guillaume. What a start this could be. Mark Gui trying to head it in. Now, did he get a clip there? He was so honest in trying to score a goal. Brilliant work. I just wonder whether he was fouled. Referee doesn't seem to think so. It'll be worth looking at again. Terrific football from Dewsbury-Hall. Gave it away, wins possession back. Possibly a little grace. You'd expect your centre-forward to go over there. That's not a criticism. Here's Neto. Chance for him to express himself. Oh, that could have been an own goal so easily. He flicked off the leg of a defender. It's Neto showing up against Mazzucco. There's not going to be any match for his pace. I think Guillaume fancies that and probably gets there. That's Kitesa, might think about a shot. He's coming back his way. And again. Handle's not great, but he had a go anyway. And it's batted away by Philip Jorgensen. Holding midfielders for Sevette are doing a pretty good job in that regard. You touch on them dropping back into a five, into a six at that time. That's because they're being so disciplined. Oh, Mudrick, can he get the shot off here? He could, but he couldn't hit the target. Broke to him very quickly, wanted to take it on early. Yeah, well, he's in conversation, disagreement with Nkunku. Nkunku won in the pass. I don't think so. I think he has to strike here. What I'm surprised about is that's just got to be bent towards the far corner. Give it away now, then. Nkunku can put the afterburners on here. But Mudrick up there with him. Passes just behind him. Mudrick's collected it, though. Just to spread it out for Pedro Neto. He's going to get the shot away. Got it back on target as well. Snapped into the midriff of Jeremy Prick. The lovely stuff from Nkunku. Felt maybe Neto was going to join the attack a little earlier on the right-hand side. Just seemed to wait for the play to develop. It's a quick shift again. That's going to become a feature of Chelsea's play. And his individual moments. Just over a third of the way through this game, we're still waiting for the first goal. It's another testing ball whipped across the face of the Chelsea six-yard box. And eventually, Jorgensen able to grab it. Joos Briehaal, can he pinch this? Right, Joos Briehaal's got it now. How much for Nkunku, is it now? Raced off his line to try and stop Christopher Nkunku. And it was by bringing him down. And it's similar to that move in the first half. It's Joos Briehaal once again, the architect. And he's clearly going to get to the ball first. Frick commits himself completely unnecessarily. He waits for the collision, doesn't he? He looks to put Chelsea ahead and get his first goal in European competition for the Blues. Christopher Nkunku got the power and the placement, which meant that Frick could only wave at it and fast him into the net. Dread through early into the second half for Chelsea. Christopher Nkunku makes it Chelsea 1-0. And he's got quite an interesting technique. He just starts quite centrally. A couple of steps to the left, starts his run. And he's got such good technique and quality in that right foot. There's no doubt, really. It's firm, it's accurate. It's a perfect penalty. I know it must be so tempting to come out. You feel it's your domain. You feel like you have to dominate your 18-yard box. But Mourguiou, he's managed to win it back. And it's for his first Chelsea goal. Maybe second time round. No, about third time lucky. It's the goalkeeper. Oh, you can't believe it. Frick let off the hook. Mourguiou is brilliant. He's great, determined. Front plate. The gap at the near post is huge for him to find. He just didn't catch it. Didn't get the direction or the purchase on his initial finish. That's the big chance then. Fernandes. Chance for a second goal. Here! Bumps it into the net. Wonderful finish from Mbappé. And Chelsea have the second goal that they crave. Mbappé makes it Chelsea 2, Cervét N'Hille. Brilliant goal. Amazing finish. Perfectly weighted from Enzo Fernandes in the build-up. It puts the full-back in real trouble. It's inch-perfect. The run, the timing, the pass, it's all exquisite stuff. I think we spoke of this earlier on in the pre-season. He got that goal at Luton on his right foot. And I want him to do this more often. Akenra Frode last season lashed it into exactly that part of the goal. And he can do it. It's nice to get that cushion. Could get better. Here's Parma. He's driven it cold, Parma. Got everything behind it, but so did Frick. Here's Watara, the new man. Can he fancy a shot here? Oh, and he's hit the crossbar. My goodness me. Tiemoko Watara via a deflection almost halved the deficit. Yeah, again, Watara's allowed to travel too far here. No one coming out to pressurise the Servette player. Still plenty forward here for Servette. Left it behind for a corner. Comes the corner. It goes all the way through and it should have gone in. What on earth is going on here? Yamamoto, clever ball. Plenty forward here for Servette. Is this the moment for them? Great save, Jorgensen to deny Gielinmo. That will surely be their last chance gone, but they ought to have scored. There is the final whistle. Well, Chelsea do have a lead to take to Switzerland next week. Goals in the second half from Christopher Nkunku from the penalty spot and Noni Maduake have given Enzo Maresca his first win as head coach of Chelsea. But Servette will be left to rue missed chances. But the final score at Stamford Bridge was Chelsea 2, Servette 0.