Chelsea have a great chance of booking their place in the quarter-finals of the Conference League when they take on Copenhagen at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues walked away from Denmark with a narrow 2-1 advantage after second half goals from Reece James and Enzo Fernandez.
Enzo Maresca went pretty strong with his starting side last week, handing first appearances in the competition to Cole Palmer and Moises Caicedo.
There were opportunities for youngsters too though. Shumaira Mheuka broke a record set for more than 20 years for the youngest player to start for Chelsea in Europe.
It is thought that the Blues will name a similarly strong team when they come out at Stamford Bridge, however it is hard not to have one eye on the upcoming Premier League game against Arsenal, with the race for Champions League qualification hotting up.
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
History on Chelsea’s side ahead of Conference League tie vs Copenhagen
The Blues are expected to win the Conference League this season. Nigel Reo-Coker has even claimed that Maresca should be sacked if they don’t lift the trophy at the end of the season.
However, Chelsea have history on their side when it comes to getting through ties where they are already ahead.
According to the Chelsea website, they have never been eliminated from Europe after winning the first leg away in 15 separate occasions.
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It also goes on to say that the Blues have never lost to a Danish club, something which will have to happen tonight if they are not to progress to the next round.
If they do progress, Chelsea will face one of Molde or Legia Warsaw in the next round, with the former currently leading that tie 3-2.
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Chance for Chelsea debut vs Copenhagen
If the tie is going Chelsea’s way, Maresca will almost certainly look to hand some of his top players a rest ahead of the London derby at the weekend.
A number of youngsters have been given their opportunity to make debuts in the Conference League this season, and another could be on the way for 16-year-old Reggie Walsh.
Walsh was seen in first team training in the final session before the game at Stamford Bridge, and has a chance at being involved in a matchday squad for the first time against Copenhagen.