The Chelsea head coach, Enzo Maresca, praised the contributions of the club’s academy graduates after Tyrique George scored his first senior goal and Josh Acheampong also impressed in their 3-0 Conference League win over Legia Warsaw.
After a poor first half in Poland it was quick reactions from 19-year-old winger George that gave Chelsea the breakthrough, tapping home when Reece James’ long-range strike was pushed out by the goalkeeper.
That came minutes after he had moved infield to the No 10 role following the withdrawal at half-time of Cole Palmer.
On in his place came Noni Madueke, who marked his second appearance since returning from injury with two goals to effectively finish the tie before the return at Stamford Bridge.
Of George’s goal, Maresca said: “I’m happy first of all for the Chelsea academy because he is one of our boys. He was quite good in the first half, taking responsibility. He was probably better in the middle.
“The one I fell in love with tonight is Josh Acheampong. He can be a fantastic player for this club. A good player can play in different positions and he showed that. Since we started I’m in love with him but tonight he showed he can be a very good player for this club. He can be good in different positions. The best thing for Josh is that he’s open – he wants to learn. ‘Full-back? No problem, what do I have to do?’”
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Roundup: Lazio freeze at Bodø/Glimt
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Two goals from Ulrik Saltnes [pictured] spurred Bodø/Glimt to a 2-0 home victory over Serie A giants Lazio in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final on Thursday, with the one-sided encounter played out in freezing conditions.
Snow had blanked the artificial pitch overnight in northern Norway, and although it was cleared in time for kick-off, the Italians struggled to adapt to zero-degree conditions, spending much of the match on the defensive. Lazio registered just one shot on target as the hosts attacked time and time again.
Aiming to become the first Norwegian team ever to reach a European semi-final, Bodø/Glimt took the lead two minutes after half-time when Saltnes finished at close range following a precise pass from Ole Didrik Blomberg. The hosts made more opportunities and scored their second goal in the 69th minute.
Saltnes was played through and he lofted the ball over Christos Mandas. Although Alessio Romagnoli managed to clear his shot, the ball had already crossed the line. Saltnes came close to scoring a hat-trick in the final minutes but Mandas made a crucial save to keep Lazio in touch before next week’s return leg.
In the Conference League, Real Betis took a step towards the semi-finals with a 2-0 home win over Polish side Jagiellonia Bialystok. Cédric Bakambu broke the deadlock after running on to Pablo Fornals’ pass, with youngster Jesús Rodríguez curling home the hosts’ second goal just before half-time.
Fiorentina, losing finalists in 2023 and 2024, are on track to face Betis in the final four after earning a 2-1 over Celje in Slovenia. Luca Ranieri struck from a tight angle to put La Viola ahead, with Rolando Mandragora adding a second from the spot before Logan Delaurier-Chaubet scored a penalty for the hosts.
Rapid Vienna edged to a 1-0 away win over Djurgården, with Hampus Finndell’s own goal the difference in Sweden. The Austrian side are favourites to book a semi-final against Chelsea, who eased to a 3-0 win at Legia Warsaw.
The first half had produced a familiar story for Maresca’s side as they struggled to break down Legia, mainly due to a lack of movement while in possession and a difficulty in finding the crucial passes to break the lines.
By half-time they had enjoyed more than 70% possession yet had managed only two attempts on target.
It followed similarly frustrating games recently including both legs of the last-16 tie against Copenhagen, that Chelsea eventually won 3-1 on aggregate but only after labouring through two awful first halves in either leg.
“It’s not easy because it happens every time,” said Maresca.
“We have to learn to play that kind of game against teams that sit back. For sure, you can be quicker on the ball and take more risks, shoot more, like we scored the first one.
“Overall, a professional performance, a good result. We were much better in the second half compared to the first half for different reasons. We need to learn to play different kind of games.”
Palmer appeared to receive a knock in the first half before being taken off at the interval, though Maresca confirmed there was not a problem before Sunday’s Premier League meeting at home to Ipswich.
“We planned for him and Tosin [Adarabioyo] to come off on 45 minutes,” he said. “Everything is fine.”