Dec 13,2024
Chelsea all-but confirmed passage to the last 16 of the Conference League with a 3-1 win against Astana in Kazakhstan as Enzo Maresca handed full debuts to two academy graduates.
Defender Josh Acheampong, 18, and 19-year-old midfielder Samuel Rak-Sakyi each played for the club at under-eight level and enjoyed comfortable first starts in the senior team, as the visitors triumphed in temperatures of around minus 10 in the Kazakh capital Almaty.
Fellow teenager Marc Guiu, a relative veteran with six previous Chelsea starts, scored twice inside the opening 18 minutes before Renato Veiga headed in his second for the club before half-time.
Astana were themselves playing 600 miles from home as their regular stadium underwent renovations, and they gave those who had made the arduous journey reason for cheer when Croatian striker Marin Tomasov pinged one in off the post in a moment of rare quality from the hosts.
Maresca handed a second senior start to 18-year-old Tyrique George and left at home the majority of the XI that started Sunday's 4-3 win over Tottenham, with Pedro Neto – who is suspended for the weekend’s meeting with Brentford – the only player to make the 7,000-mile round-trip.
Neto had Chelsea’s first chance in freezing conditions in Kazakhstan, skating in off the right and striking low towards the near post, goalkeeper Mukhammedzhan Seysen dropping low to his left to save.
Guiu’s opener was a fine solo effort. Collecting the ball almost on the touchline wide on the right, he stood up the full-back Aleksandr Marochkin before powering beyond him into the box and prodding the ball inside the post for his second Chelsea goal.
Astana were already looking hopelessly stretched. Neto was next to take advantage, rocketing around the outside of his defender and crossing low towards Guiu. Seysen dived to get hands on the ball but could only turn it back into danger where it ricocheted between Guiu and Marochkin and over the line.
Carney Chukwuemeka had a shot deflected wide after being given space but Astana did not heed the warning. From the resulting corner, Veiga was given the freedom of Almaty to rise and plant his header past the goalkeeper.
A torrid night for Astana was made more palatable when Tomasov slipped the attentions of Veiga and rifled in the goal of night, his strike sailing up and wide of Filip Jorgensen’s reach and in off the post.
Ato Ampah replaced Neto in the second half for his first senior Chelsea appearance, while Harvey Vale was sent on for a first appearance since 2022.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall fizzed an effort inches wide as he sought his second goal since joining in the summer, as Chelsea eased off their hosts in the second half.
Forward Shim Mheuka was also handed a Chelsea debut aged 17 to become the club’s second youngest player in Europe behind Dominic Solanke, then 18-year-old midfielder Kiano Dyer completed the roster of those making their bow in blue.
Larne slumped to a fifth straight Conference League defeat and saw their slim hopes of qualification ended after being beaten 2-0 by Dinamo Minsk in Azerbaijan.
The Inver Reds are the first club from Northern Ireland to make it to the group stage of a European competition but have struggled to have an impact on the new-look competition, lying bottom of the table without a point.
Dinamo, banned by UEFA from playing European ties in their own country as a result of Belarus' involvement in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, broke the deadlock when Aleksei Gavrilovich converted a controversial penalty in the 67th minute.
Hopes of a Larne comeback were soon ended after Gleb Zherdev’s header squirmed past Rohan Ferguson, with captain Cian Bolger then sent off in stoppage time for a second caution.
