Chelsea secured a narrow 2-1 victory over FC Copenhagen in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League last-16 tie, taking a crucial step toward the quarter-finals. Second-half goals from Reece James and Enzo Fernandez gave the Blues the advantage, though Gabriel Pereira’s late header keeps the Danish side in contention.
In a cagey first half, neither team created many clear opportunities, with Chelsea struggling to register a shot on target. However, Enzo Maresca’s side found the breakthrough immediately after the restart. Marc Cucurella, who replaced the injured Malo Gusto, set up the opener with a deep cut-back, allowing captain James to fire a low strike from distance past the Copenhagen goalkeeper.
The hosts nearly responded instantly, as Viktor Claesson found himself one-on-one with Robert Sanchez. However, his shot struck the inside of the post and bounced back into the hands of the relieved Chelsea keeper.
Chelsea doubled their lead in the 65th minute, with Cucurella again playing a key role. After winning possession near the touchline, he helped launch an attack that saw Christopher Nkunku feed Tyrique George, whose cut-back was confidently side-footed into the net by substitute Fernandez.
Copenhagen, however, refused to go down without a fight. With 11 minutes remaining, Pereira capitalized on poor marking from a set-piece to nod home and give his side hope ahead of the return leg.
In other Conference League action, Panathinaikos edged Fiorentina 3-2 in a thrilling encounter, while Molde secured a 3-2 home win over Legia Warsaw. Real Betis played out a dramatic 2-2 draw against Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes.
Chelsea will look to finish the job when they host Copenhagen at Stamford Bridge on March 13, with a quarter-final place on the line.
