There was more than enough for Enzo Maresca to be pleased with as Chelsea marked their return to European football with a 2-1 win over Copenhagen.
Goals from Reece James and Enzo Fernandez were enough for the Blues to put one foot in the quarter-finals of the Conference League.
Enzo Maresca will be no doubt pleased and relieved that the win is over the line, with him surely putting pressure on himself to deliver this trophy at the end of the campaign.
Nigel Reo-Coker believes Maresca has to be sacked if he does not win the Conference League this season, and it will be hard to see many Chelsea fans disagreeing with that opinion.
However, the manager was the reason behind a lot of things going right in the trip to Denmark, and a big part of why they are closing in on a spot in the last eight of the competition.
Photo by Patrik Lundin/Getty Images
Photo by Patrik Lundin/Getty Images
The Chelsea Chronicle have highlighted three things Maresca got absolutely spot on during the 2-1 victory against Copenhagen.
Three things Enzo Maresca got right in Chelsea’s Conference League win
Reece James stars in midfield
One of the most interesting team selections in the last two games has been the inclusion of James as a central midfielder.
James was the star man in Denmark, and his great strike from distance opened the scoring at a time where Chelsea were looking frustrated by their opponents.
Reece James vs Copenhagen Total
Minutes 90
Goals 1
Chances created 1
Completed passes 82/87
Passes into final third 11
Duels 3/4
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His incredible passing stats show just how perfectly suited to a midfield role the club captain actually is, although his manager definitely already knew this.
He said after the game that Maresca saw James as a midfielder since the day he arrived at Chelsea, and now his fitness is seemingly allowing him to utilise his plan.
Clever Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez substitution
The South American duo of Moises Caicedo and Fernandez have proven to be crucial for Chelsea this season, and this may have weighed on the manager’s mind when the Argentine was named on the bench.
However, he replaced Caicedo at half-time, with it looking as if it was a pre-determined plan for the Blues to make that change in order to protect both from playing 90 minutes.
With every Premier League game crucial now in their quest to qualify for the Champions League, having both of his most expensive players fit and firing is going to be crucial for Maresca.
With James now helping out with the work in the middle of the park, Fernandez is freed up to play in a more attacking role again, shown by his well-taken goal in this game.
Photo credit should read Michael Barrett Boesen / GocherImagery/Future Publishing via Getty Images
Photo credit should read Michael Barrett Boesen / GocherImagery/Future Publishing via Getty Images
Chelsea youth shown there is still a pathway
Despite the magnitude of the game against Copenhagen, Maresca still kept the faith in a number of youngsters to deliver the goods.
Tyrique George had earned a start after a spell of impressive cameos off the bench, however the big story was a first Chelsea start for Shumaira Mheuka.
The 17-year-old was unable to get himself into the game before being replaced at half-time, however with confidence from Cobham wavering as a result of big youngster signings, it was great to see them shown that the chance is there to make their mark.
With the ongoing striker injury problem at Stamford Bridge, there will still be more chances for Mheuka to prove his worth at first team level.