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Chelsea vs Copenhagen: UEFA Conference League Preview, Round of 16, 2025

Chelsea welcome FC Copenhagen to Stamford Bridge this Thursday, as they hope to maintain their aggregate score and progress into the next round of the Conference League.

The Blues were 2-1 winners in Copenhagen last week, with Reece James and Enzo Fernandez providing the goals.

The winner of the tie will face either Molde or Legia Warsaw in the quarter finals.

Chelsea

Enzo Maresca did not give hints over who would begin in goal for tomorrows game - but Danish international Filip Jorgensen, recently called up for international duty, will be hoping to retake his starting spot.

Reece James and Cole Palmer suffered illnesses leading up to Sunday's league match against Leicester, but are in contention to start after returning to training.

Malo Gusto is a doubt after picking up an early injury in the first leg, while strikers Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu remain sidelined.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Tyrique George and Shim Mheuka are all expected to keep their places in the team, with Maresca aiming to mix experience with youth.

Copenhagen

Jacob Neestrup is expected to stick with a back five formation, but will be without some key personnel.

Kevin Diks is ruled out of the game after his ankle injury sustained in the first leg. Munashe Gara’nanga is likely to take his place, and has already featured in a handful of Conference League matches this season.

Left-back Marcos Lopez will be frustrated to miss out through suspension - he provided the assist for Copenhagen's only goal in the reverse fixture and has been in strong form recently.

Nicolai Boilesen, Andreas Cornelius, Oliver Hojer, and Lucas Lerager all remain sidelined. 19-year-old Roony Bardghji is pushing for a return after recovering from an ACL injury.

Elsewhere, Thomas Delaney will be a last minute decision, with the midfielder hoping to recover from illness in time for the game.

Predicted Line-Ups

Chelsea

Sanchez; Chalobah, Tosin, Badiashile, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; George, Palmer, Dewsbury-Hall; Mheuka.

Copenhagen

Ramaj; Gocholeishvilli, Periera, Garananga, Hatzidiakos, Meling, Claesson, Clem, Froholdt, Achouri, Chiakha.

Key Players

Chelsea - Tyrique George

After an assist in the first leg, Tyrique George will be looking to go one better and score his first senior goal for the club.

The 19-year-old has broken into a Chelsea team with several attacking absentees - such as the aforementioned injuries to both Jackson and Guiu, as well as wingers Noni Madueke and Mykhailo Mudryk.

Maresca seems to have faith in the player, and continued opportunities such as this one will boost George's confidence and ability.

He has had impressive cameos in both the league and cup competitions, racking up five assists already this season. It's only a matter of time before he gets on the scoresheet - and the Conference League could be the perfect chance.

Copenhagen - Viktor Claesson

Following their home defeat to the Blues last week, Jacob Neestrup admitted that a result in the second leg would be 'difficult, very difficult, but not impossible'.

This week we have already seen Paris Saint-Germain fight back from a goal down to emerge victorious, forcing a penalty shootout against Liverpool at Anfield. Can Copenhagen do the same?

One player who will motivate his team to do just that is Copenhagen's captain, Viktor Claesson.

Claesson found the net in Copenhagen's previous match, but deserved a goal in the first leg last week; his effort bounced off the inside of the post and Chelsea were able to clear the danger.

At 33, he is one of the more senior players in their squad, and will be instrumental in leading them to a solid performance on Thursday.

Match Details

Where is the match taking place?

After a first leg in Denmark, Chelsea travel back to London and will welcome their opponents to Stamford Bridge.

What time is kick off?

The game kicks off at 20:00PM GMT on Thursday (13th March).

Where can I watch?

Fans can watch the match on TNT Sports in the UK, who hold broadcasting rights for all UEFA competitions this season.

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