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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chelsea | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | +21 | 18 |
| Guimaraes | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | +7 | 14 |
| Fiorentina | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | +11 | 13 |
| Rapid Vienna | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | +6 | 13 |
| Djurgården | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | +4 | 13 |
| FC Lugano | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | +4 | 13 |
| Legia Warsaw | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | +8 | 12 |
| Cercle Brugge KSV | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | +7 | 11 |
| Jagiellonia Bialystok | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | +5 | 11 |
| Shamrock Rovers | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | +3 | 11 |
| Apoel Nicosia | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | +3 | 11 |
| Pafos | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | +4 | 10 |
| Panathinaikos | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | +3 | 10 |
| Olimpija Ljubljana | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | +1 | 10 |
| Real Betis | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | +1 | 10 |
| 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| KAA Gent | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
| F.C. København | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | -1 | 8 |
| Vikingur Reykjavik | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | -1 | 8 |
| Borac Banja Luka | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | -3 | 8 |
| NK Celje | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| Omonia Nicosia | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| Molde | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -1 | 7 |
| FK TSC | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -3 | 7 |
| Heart of Midlothian | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -3 | 7 |
| Istanbul Basaksehir | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | -3 | 6 |
| Mlada Boleslav | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | -3 | 6 |
| FC Astana | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -4 | 5 |
| St. Gallen | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -8 | 5 |
| HJK Helsinki | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -6 | 4 |
| FC Noah | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -10 | 4 |
| The New Saints | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | -5 | 3 |
| Dinamo Minsk | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | -9 | 3 |
| Larne | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | -9 | 3 |
| LASK Linz | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | -10 | 3 |
| Petrocub | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | -9 | 2 |
UEFA Conference League News