At the Stadion Wojska Polskiego, Chelsea defeated Legia Warsaw 3-0 in the first leg of their Europa Conference League quarterfinal.
Despite having a rotated squad, Enzo Maresca’s Blues demonstrated their dominance, with goals from Tyrique George and Noni Madueke completing the victory.
Chelsea dominated possession but found it difficult to overcome a resolute Legia defense in the cagey first half. With a powerful tifo, the hosts’ supporters created an intense atmosphere, but their team didn’t contribute much offensively.
Early in the second half, academy product George, 19, scored his first senior goal by jumping on a rebound from a parried shot by Reece James.
After a clever move involving Jadon Sancho, Madueke, who had been substituted for Cole Palmer at halftime, finished neatly to double the lead in the 57th minute. Madueke scored again, tapping in another Sancho assist to give Chelsea the lead, even though Christopher Nkunku missed a penalty.
With notable performances from young players like George and Josh Acheampong, Maresca’s team, which has gone undefeated in nine Conference League games this season, showed off their depth. After the interval, Legia was unable to match Chelsea’s intensity because they were missing important defenders and lacked a creative edge.
The Blues are now well-positioned to advance to the semi-finals going into the second leg at Stamford Bridge.
