Chelsea have discovered who they will play in the UEFA Conference League last-16 and their pathway to the final. Following the Champions League and Europa League draws, the Conference League knockout phase was set on Friday at UEFA’s headquarters in Switzerland.
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Despite a recent poor run of form, Enzo Maresca’s side remain heavy favourites to win Europe’s third tier competition after cruising through the league phase. The Blues – mostly using a second-string side – won all six of their league phase games by a combined score of 26-5 to finish four points clear at the top of the table.
That meant they qualified directly for the round of 16 where they’ll take on FC Copenhagen, with the first leg in Denmark to take place on Thursday, March 6 and the second leg at Stamford Bridge a week later. Copenhagen, who notably beat Manchester United in the Champions League last season, defeated German side Heidenheim 4-3 on aggregate in the play off round.
Friday’s draw also laid out the pathway to the Conference League final which will be held at the Wrocław Stadium in Poland on Wednesday, May 28. Jagiellonia v Cercle Brugge. Molde v Legia Warsaw. Celje v Lugano. Pafos v Djurgarden. Panathinaikos v Fiorentina.
Borac v SK Rapid. Real Betis v Vitoria SC. Copenhagen v Chelsea. Should Chelsea defeat Copenhagen they’ll take on either Molde of Norway or Legia Warsaw of Poland in the quarter-finals. If they advance to the semi-finals, it’ll be SK Rapid, Pafos, Djurgarden or Borac awaiting them.
And if they reach the showpiece in Poland as expected, they could face Fiorentina, who have lost the last two Conference League finals or Real Betis who have been surprisingly boosted by the arrival of Manchester United flop Antony. For now though, Maresca’s full focus will be on getting Chelsea’s Premier League form back on track, with a run of just two wins in nine leaving them sixth in the table.
The Blues travel to top four rivals Aston Villa on Saturday. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Arrow MORE: Enzo Maresca admits Chelsea youngster isn’t ‘100 per cent ready’ to replace Noni Madueke.
