Chelsea booked their place in the UEFA Conference League final with a 1-0 win over Djurgården at Stamford Bridge on Thursday, completing a dominant 5-1 aggregate victory in the semi-final.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall netted the decisive goal late in the first half, finishing a well-worked move with Tyrique George to cap off a composed performance. The night also marked a historic moment for the club, as 16-year-old Reggie Walsh became the youngest player ever to start a European match for Chelsea.
With a commanding 4-1 lead from the first leg in Stockholm, manager Enzo Maresca opted to rotate his squad heavily while retaining only Marc Cucurella from the team that beat Liverpool in the Premier League. The Italian tactician, under scrutiny for his pragmatic approach, now has Chelsea firmly in contention for both European silverware and a top-five league finish.
The Blues are now just one win away from making history as the first club to win all three of UEFA’s current competitions, following previous triumphs in the Champions League and Europa League. They will face either Fiorentina or Real Betis in the final on May 28 in Wroclaw.
Despite the long odds, around 6,000 traveling Djurgården fans filled the away section in London, hoping for a miracle. But after Dewsbury-Hall’s opener slotted home after gliding past defenders and finishing off the post—the tie was effectively put to bed. Chelsea controlled proceedings throughout, limiting the Swedish side to just one notable effort: a long-range shot from Daniel Stensson, tipped over by Filip Jorgensen.
Chelsea, who last lifted a major trophy in 2021 with their Champions League triumph, are now on the brink of securing their first piece of silverware under the ownership of Todd Boehly’s consortium.