- Renato Veiga - 12'
- Pedro Neto - 46'
- Christopher Nkunku - 63'
- Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall - 70'
- Tsuyoshi Watanabe - 50'
- Omri Gandelman - 90'
Chelsea make winning start to Conference League
Maresca: We need to protect Cole Palmer
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca says that Cole Palmer must be protected with the amount of games Chelsea could have this season.
Chelsea made a winning debut in the third-tier Conference League as Renato Veiga, Pedro Neto, Christopher Nkunku and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall all scored in a 4-2 win over Belgium's KAA Gent at Stamford Bridge.
After Neto and Veiga had scored early in each half, Tsuyoshi Watanabe briefly threatened a comeback for the visitors when pulling a goal back in the 50th minute.
But Nkunku's seventh goal of the season and a first Chelsea goal for Dewsbury-Hall ensured a comfortable win for Enzo Marsca's side despite a late consolation effort from Omri Gandelman.
Elsewhere in the Conference League on Thursday, Fiorentina, who reached the final in the last two seasons, beat Welsh side New Saints 2-0.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Game Information
- Referees:
- Daniel Schlager
UEFA Conference League Standings
Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cercle Brugge KSV | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +4 | 3 |
Omonia Nicosia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +4 | 3 |
Pafos | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +3 | 3 |
FC Lugano | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +3 | 3 |
Molde | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +3 | 3 |
Chelsea | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +2 | 3 |
Guimaraes | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +2 | 3 |
Fiorentina | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +2 | 3 |
FC Noah | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +2 | 3 |
Heart of Midlothian | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 3 |
Jagiellonia Bialystok | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 3 |
Rapid Vienna | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 3 |
1. FC Heidenheim 1846 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 3 |
FC Astana | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 3 |
Legia Warsaw | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 3 |
Djurgården | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
LASK Linz | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Apoel Nicosia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Panathinaikos | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Borac Banja Luka | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Shamrock Rovers | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Olimpija Ljubljana | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
Dinamo Minsk | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
F.C. København | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
Istanbul Basaksehir | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
FK TSC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
Real Betis | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
KAA Gent | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -2 | 0 |
NK Celje | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -2 | 0 |
Mlada Boleslav | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -2 | 0 |
The New Saints | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -2 | 0 |
Petrocub | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -3 | 0 |
HJK Helsinki | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -3 | 0 |
Larne | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -3 | 0 |
St. Gallen | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -4 | 0 |
Vikingur Reykjavik | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -4 | 0 |