A week after their first-leg victory at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea will look to secure their place in the Europa Conference League group stage with a win against Servette at Stade de Genève on Thursday. The West London side heads into the second leg with a 2-0 advantage, thanks to goals from Christopher Nkunku and Noni Madueke in the first encounter. After a season away from European competition, Chelsea is close to making it into the 2024-25 Conference League.
Nkunku scored a penalty and Madueke added a second goal, contributing to a 2-0 win in the first leg. Madueke continued his form with a hat-trick in Chelsea’s 6-2 Premier League win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday, showcasing a strong attacking performance alongside Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer, who also scored against Wolves.
Chelsea’s manager Enzo Maresca, now in his first Premier League season, expressed satisfaction with the team’s second-half performance and emphasized the need for continued improvement. The Blues have won their last three away games and need only a draw to progress to the next stage.
Can Servette go Against the Odds?
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Servette, who had a solid showing in the first leg but failed to capitalize on their chances, now faces a challenging task. Head coach Thomas Haberli acknowledged the difficulty of overturning a two-goal deficit against a team of Chelsea’s caliber but remains hopeful of a turnaround.
Servette, who finished third in the Swiss Super League and won the Swiss Cup last season, did not play domestically over the weekend, giving them a full week to prepare for the second leg. However, they have struggled recently, winning only one of their last six competitive matches.
Servette’s history with English teams includes a narrow aggregate loss to Liverpool in 1971-72 and a defeat to Derby County in 1974. The main thing is to now see if Servette can progress further against all odds.
Servette vs. Chelsea: Team News
Chelsea will be missing captain Reece James due to a hamstring injury and have also left out Wesley Fofana, Ben Chilwell, and Raheem Sterling from their Conference League squad.
Midfielders Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo are doubtful for Chelsea, with Enzo Fernandez and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall likely to feature in the midfield. Maresca is expected to make several changes to his lineup, with Filip Jorgensen, Axel Disasi, Tosin Adarabioyo, Pedro Neto, Marc Guiu, Joao Felix, and Nkunku among those who could start.
For Servette, Victory Beniangba remains sidelined with a muscle injury, so Enzo Crivelli or Jeremy Guillemenot might lead the attack. Dereck Kutesa, who has scored five goals this season, is likely to retain his spot on the left wing. Haberli may make minimal changes to his starting lineup, with Theo Magnin and Alexis Antunes pushing for places in the starting XI.
Servette vs. Chelsea: Probable Starting XI
Servette: Frick; Tsunemoto, Rouiller, Severin, Mazikou; Douline, Ondoua; Stevanovic, Antunes, Kutesa; Crivelli
Chelsea: Jorgensen; Disasi, Tosin, Badiashile, Cucurella; Fernandez, Dewsbury-Hall; Madueke, Felix, Neto; Nkunku
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