Chelsea have secured safe passage to the UEFA Conference League Round of 16 after three first-half goals did the damage in Kazakhstan.
The Blues made light work of the subzero temperatures in what was comfortably our furthest European trip ever. Marc Guiu grabbed two early goals to set us on our way, with his solo strike for the first a particularly eye-catching effort.
Chelsea continued to dominate and we deservedly extended our advantage through Renato Veiga’s second goal in this competition, a powerful header from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s corner.
Our Kazakh hosts had a moment to cheer before the break when Marin Tomasov curled a fine strike beyond Filip Jorgensen’s reach, but otherwise the Blues were largely comfortable in making it five from five in this competition’s league phase.
There was added satisfaction for Enzo Maresca as he was able to give three youngsters – Ato Ampah, Shumaira Mheuka and Kiano Dyer – their Chelsea debuts off the bench, while Samuel Rak-Sakyi and Tyrique George were two of our brightest performers having featured from the off.
Full debut and European bow
With a much-changed squad travelling to Kazakhstan, the headline team news before kick-off was the selection of midfielder Rak-Sakyi for his full Chelsea debut. Another Academy youngster, Josh Acheampong, made his maiden European appearance at right-back.
Carney Chukwuemeka started a game for the first time this season, while George was in the XI, too. Pedro Neto was the sole player to retain his place in the team, in the knowledge he is suspended for Sunday’s visit of Brentford. He lined up on the right flank with George on the opposite side.
The bench will go down as one of the most inexperienced in Chelsea history. Of our nine subs, only Harvey Vale had played for our senior team before. He came on, as did three debutants.
It is hard to overstate just how cold the Almaty Ortalyk Stadion was at kick-off, but the Blues showed no sign of letting the subfreezing temperatures affect us early on.
Guiu gets going early
On four minutes, George danced infield and curled a shot just over, before Neto signalled his intent with a low drive Astana keeper Mukhammejan Seisen got down well to parry.
Chelsea seized control of the contest with a pair of Guiu goals either side of the quarter-hour mark. The first stemmed from a burst down the right and what followed was a composed finish past Seisen at his near post.
Astana had barely recovered when Guiu made it two, this time benefitting from Neto’s speed, skill and precise crossing. The Spaniard bundled the ball home from close range.
A Neto piledriver forced a good low stop from Seisen, and Veiga then stole in around the back from his compatriot’s cross, but couldn’t direct his half-volley on target. The same went for a ferocious close-range Guiu strike as he tried to complete a rapid hat-trick.
On 36 minutes, with their first attack of note, Charles Chinedu tried his luck from range. It was comfortable for Filip Jorgensen.
Renato rises highest
Back Chelsea came. Acheampong got locals and travelling fans alike excited with a dart into the area from deep before seeing his low shot blocked. A Chukwuemeka strike was kept out by Seisen, but from the resulting corner we did make it 3-0. Veiga rose unchallenged to head in Dewsbury-Hall’s inswinging delivery.
Before the break, Astana got a goal back against the run of play. It was a fine goal, too, the hosts’ captain Tomasov bending a beautiful strike past Jorgensen and in off the post. Still, this had very much been Chelsea’s half.
For the second period, Maresca sent on Ampah for his Blues debut. Neto made way.
Astana started with some gusto but before long Chelsea were threatening again. Chukwuemeka was thwarted once more by Astana’s stopper, with George’s attempt to fire home the loose ball in vain as a yellow shirt got in the way.
Seeing it out
That was Chukwuemeka’s last contribution of note as he was replaced by Vale midway through the second half. The pace of the game had slowed, but George was always willing to inject some energy with his direct running down the left.
Dewsbury-Hall, a busy presence in midfield, drilled a shot from the edge of the box just wide. He was now comfortably the senior statesman in our front six.
That remained the case when Mheuka replaced Guiu to join Ampah in making his Chelsea debut and becoming our second-youngest player to feature in European competition in the process.
Dewsbury-Hall had a good late opportunity to add a fourth in front of the hardy travelling support, but eventually found the angle too narrow to get a shot away. It mattered not, as once again in the Conference League, Chelsea had got the job done with the minimum of fuss.
What it means…
We will not contest a last-32 tie in February, instead awaiting a victor of one of those in the Round of 16 in March. Our final placing in the league phase will be determined after the Shamrock Rovers game a week today.
What’s next…
Before then, we host Brentford at Stamford Bridge. Kick-off is at 7pm UK time.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Jorgensen; Acheampong, Tosin, Disasi (c), Veiga; Dewsbury-Hall, Rak-Sakyi (Dyer 86); Pedro Neto (Ampah h/t), Chukwuemeka (Vale 67), George; Guiu (Mheuka 78)
Unused subs Bergstrom, Merrick, Murray-Campbell, Olise, Wilson
Scorers Guiu 14, 18, Veiga 39
Astana (4-2-3-1): Seisen; Bartolec, Kazukolovas, Marochkin, Vorogovskiy; Amanovic (Osei h/t), Kalaica; Tomasov (c) (Gripshi 88), Ebonh, Camara (Astanov 90+2); Chinedu (Karimov 73)
Unused subs Zarutskiy, Condric, Bystrov, Kuat, Ahanonu, Beisebekov, Basmanov, Zhaksylyk
Scorer Tomasov 45
Referee Sven Jablonski from Germany
Crowd 20,982