Chelsea made lightwork of Astana in their fifth Conference League group stage game of the season as they maintained their 100% record in the competition.
Enzo Maresca handed a number of youngsters the chance to make their mark on the side as the majority of the first team were not risked in the tough conditions that awaited them in Kazakhstan.
Josh Acheampong proved he could suit the manager’s system perfectly, as he made his first appearance of any kind since being frozen out of the setup following a contract dispute.
There were impressive performances all over the park. Samuel Rak-Sakyi misplaced just one pass in his first start for the club.
With a number of top stars rested, it allowed the likes of Renato Veiga to be handed another chance to prove their worth to the boss.
Renato Veiga of Chelsea celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the UEFA Conference League 2024/25 League Phase MD5 match between FC Astana...
Photo by Chris Lee – Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Romeo Lavia and Joao Felix poke fun at Chelsea’s Renato Veiga
Another assured performance at the back was this time matched by a goal from a corner for the Portugal international, doing his stocks at the club no harm at all.
Veiga looked to sign the number 12 in his celebration for some reason, confirmed by the caption he posted to accompany his Instagram post after the game.
However, he seemed to accidentally sign 21 instead. This saw both Joao Felix and Romeo Lavia take to the comments to poke fun at their teammate.
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Enzo Maresca a huge fan of Renato Veiga
Veiga has been a mainstay in the Conference League side this season, as well has making a handful of appearances in the Premier League.
Signed as a left-back, it has been clear that he can feature to a high level in a variety of positions.
Maresca said he was a big fan of Veiga after starting him at centre-back in this competition earlier this season, and that versatility is crucial for a player on the fringes of the starting XI.
Despite playing on the other side of Europe, it is likely that Veiga is at least on the bench when they return to Premier League action at the weekend against Brentford.
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