Chelsea, One Step Away From Europa Conference League Glory

Kiernay Dewsbury celebrates with teammates after scoring Chelsea's winning goal against Djurgardens in the Europa League semifinal 

Chelsea took on Djurgarden at Stamford Bridge with a 1-0 victory on the second leg of their UEFA Conference League semi-final, with a foot already in the final thanks to a standout 4-1 win in the first leg in Stockholm. 

Kiernay Dewsbury scored the only goal between the sides. Tyrique George played in Kiernay following a break in the midfield, and he guided a shot home for the winning goal. That was a way to mark a first-ever meeting between these two sides, after the Blues had followed it up with an impressive 3-1 win over Premier League champions Liverpool on Sunday. 

However, Chelsea extended their winning run to five games across all competitions, suggesting Enzo Maresca’s men are looking in their best form at the business end of the campaign. 

Djurgården's game with a team from England did not go to plan, and they also lost in the domestic game over the weekend. Thus, upsetting Chelsea for a Europa League final appearance proved futile, though they made an effort to make the game difficult. 

Although progressing to their first-ever European final was dashed, Djurgarden did not take any confidence from eliminating Rapid Vienna in the quarter-final. They lost the first leg at home in that tie and bounced back in the second leg to reach the semi-finals. The victory was a Swedish record-breaking 11th European win in a single season. However, it was not enough to book their place in the final.

For the first time since 2021, Chelsea are now a game away from a European competition trophy. They won their last in the UEFA Champions League in 2021 and was their second in the competition. They will face Real Betis in the final on 28 May 2025.