Chelsea Thrash Djurgarden 4-1 in Stockholm as Nicolas Jackson Bags Brace in UEFA Conference League Semi-Final

Chelsea took a giant step toward the UEFA Conference League final with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Djurgarden in Stockholm on Thursday night. Nicolas Jackson scored twice, while Jadon Sancho and Noni Madueke also found the net in a dominant performance by Enzo Maresca’s side.

It was a near-perfect evening for the Blues, who capitalized not only on their own clinical display but also on Premier League top-five rivals Nottingham Forest suffering a home defeat to Brentford. Chelsea now hold a commanding advantage heading into next week’s second leg at Stamford Bridge.

Get your sure odds with Tips180prediction.com

Fast Start Sets the Tone

The visitors wasted no time asserting control. Jadon Sancho opened the scoring in the 12th minute, bundling home from close range to silence the home crowd. Chelsea’s fluid attack continued to threaten, and soon after, Noni Madueke doubled the lead, finishing off a well-worked move involving a pinpoint second assist from Enzo Fernandez.

Jackson Shines Off the Bench

Despite Djurgarden’s attempts to claw back momentum, goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen was forced into a string of saves on either side of half-time. However, it was Nicolas Jackson – brought on at the interval as one of four changes – who made the biggest impact.

Fresh off ending a 13-game Premier League goal drought, the Senegalese striker pounced on a defensive mix-up to slot home Chelsea’s third. Minutes later, he bagged his second with a composed finish to make it 4-0, effectively sealing the contest.

While Cole Palmer also returned to the action, his personal goal drought now extends to 18 matches. Still, there were few negatives to report for Chelsea on a night where almost everything clicked.

Djurgarden did manage a late consolation, but Chelsea’s commanding performance leaves them with a healthy buffer heading into the return leg.

Manager Reaction – Enzo Maresca

Speaking after the match, Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca expressed satisfaction but issued a word of caution:

“The performance for 70 minutes was very good. We dropped a bit after going 4-0 up, and we know from experience we can’t afford to do that. Against Warsaw away we won 3-0 but then struggled at home. This time, we must finish the job at Stamford Bridge.

“You can see that Nico [Jackson] is a different player now — scoring against Everton gave him confidence. The same goes for Cole [Palmer], and I hope he’ll soon be back among the goals and assists.”

What’s Next?

Chelsea return to Stamford Bridge next week with one foot already in the UEFA Conference League final in Warsaw on May 28. In the other semi-final, Real Betis edged Fiorentina 2-1, setting up a tantalizing potential clash for the title.