Chelsea vs Djurgarden - LIVE!
Chelsea will play in the Conference League final on May 28 after they beat Djurgarden 1-0 at Stamford Bridge to round off a 5-1 aggregate victory. It was a measure of this most unusual European season, in which Enzo Maresca's side have coasted to the showpiece in the Polish city of Wroclaw using largely their second string and swatting aside teams from Armenia, Kazakhstan and the Republic of Ireland, that 10 players were left out from Sunday's win over Liverpool and a full debut was handed to 16-year-old midfielder Reggie Walsh.
The academy graduate, who became Chelsea's third youngest-ever player in Stockholm a week ago, is yet to sit his GCSEs but starting in Cole Palmer's usual number 10 role he gave a schooling to Djurgarden with some lovely touches of the ball that hinted at what might lie ahead.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, a relative veteran at 26, got the only goal of the second leg, pinging the ball in off the post in the 38th minute after an incisive pass from Tyrique George, another academy graduate who looked every bit at home on the European stage.
Chelsea vs Djurgarden latest news
- GOAL! Dewsbury-Hall makes it 5-1 on aggregate
FT: Chelsea 1-0 Djurgarden (agg 5-1)
21:50 , Matt VerriEasy as you like.
The second leg, as expected, was basically a non-event.
Chelsea are through to the Conference League final and will face either Fiorentina or Real Betis.
Chelsea 1-0 Djurgarden (agg 5-1)
21:47 , Matt Verri90 mins: Two minutes added on.
Reckon this tie might just be beyond the visitors now.
Chelsea 1-0 Djurgarden (agg 5-1)
21:44 , Matt Verri87 mins: The Djurgarden end is BOUNCING.
Incredible support. And yes that is the only interesting thing happening right now.
Chelsea 1-0 Djurgarden (agg 5-1)
21:40 , Matt Verri83 mins: Chelsea 5-1 up on aggregate, Spurs 5-1 up on aggregate, Man United 5-1 up on aggregate...
Decent night for the English clubs.
Chelsea 1-0 Djurgarden (agg 5-1)
21:37 , Matt Verri80 mins: Feel like the visitors deserve a goal for their efforts... the away fans certainly do.
But the latest effort is shanked wide - does little to stop the noise from the Djurgarden supporters at that end.
Chelsea 1-0 Djurgarden (agg 5-1)
21:34 , Matt Verri77 mins: Antwi with a brilliant run on the right, chopping inside the challenges.
Pulls it back for Acheampong, he’s in space on the edge of the area but balloons it over the bar on the stretch.
Dom Smith at Stamford Bridge
21:30 , Matt VerriThe Chelsea team on the pitch right now includes:
Reggie Walsh, 16
Genesis Antwi, 17
Shim Mheuka, 17
Josh Acheampong, 19
Tyrique George, 19
How about that for Cobham conveyor belt!
Chelsea 1-0 Djurgarden (agg 5-1)
21:29 , Matt Verri72 mins: Two more shots from distance for Djurgarden... second of them tipped over by Jorgensen.
Taken short, eventually clipped in and Tosin is there to head it out.
Chelsea 1-0 Djurgarden (agg 5-1)
21:26 , Matt Verri70 mins: Sancho and James off for Chelsea.
Antwi and Chalobah are on for the final 20 minutes or so.
Dom Smith at Stamford Bridge
21:25 , Matt VerriIt's an absolute racket. The Djurgarden fans have been in full voice all night and, getting fed up of it, those in the Matthew Harding Stand launch a very loud response.
Hard to hear myself think, right now. No tragedy, I guess. Tie over.
Chelsea 1-0 Djurgarden (agg 5-1)
21:24 , Matt Verri67 mins: Should really be 2-0 on the night.
Lovely Chelsea move, as the ball is pinged out to George.
Perfect first touch, he cuts it back into the path of Dewsbury-Hall and the midfielder can’t hit the target from 12 yards out.
Chelsea 1-0 Djurgarden (agg 5-1)
21:22 , Matt Verri65 mins: Djurgarden operating a ‘shoot whenever even vaguely close to the goal’ policy.
Gulliksen continues to try his luck at every possible opportunity, drags this one wide.
Dom Smith at Stamford Bridge
21:20 , Matt VerriGeorge and the Djurgarden player involved in that aerial battle look to be in some discomfort here.
The offside flag has spares the Chelsea man's blushes for a remarkable miss. He landed pretty awkwardly.
Chelsea 1-0 Djurgarden (agg 5-1)
21:19 , Matt Verri62 mins: What a miss!
In fact, George can be thrilled that the offside flag goes up.
Sancho skipped past his man in the box, flashed the ball across the face of goal and George somehow turned it wide from about two yards out.
Chelsea 1-0 Djurgarden (agg 5-1)
21:16 , Matt Verri59 mins: Chelsea passing it around at near enough walking pace.
Imagine both sets of players would be happy to shake hands and head off now.
Maybe not George, he twists and turns into the box, before slicing a shot high and wide.
Chelsea 1-0 Djurgarden (agg 5-1)
21:13 , Matt Verri56 mins: Djurgarden having a really, really good spell.
Jorgensen forced into a sharp stop at his near post, Tenho’s header was destined for the bottom corner.
Chelsea 1-0 Djurgarden (agg 5-1)
21:10 , Matt Verri53 mins: Stensson with a not particularly subtle trip and he earns himself a yellow card.
Gusto then whips in a really good cross, Dewsbury-Hall can only nod a header straight at the goalkeeper.
Chelsea 1-0 Djurgarden (agg 5-1)
21:08 , Matt Verri51 mins: Djurgarden fans still having a lovely old time in west London.
It would be fair to say they’re ever so slightly more up for this than the Chelsea supporters tonight.
Chelsea 1-0 Djurgarden (agg 5-1)
21:05 , Matt Verri48 mins: James caught on the edge of the box, needs to be careful.
Then looks to have given away a free-kick trying to win it back with a clumsy foul, but the referee couldn’t care less.
Back underway!
21:02 , Matt VerriMheuka on for Chelsea at the break, replacing Cucurella.
Dom Smith at Stamford Bridge
20:52 , Matt VerriFar from the perfect half, but just what Chelsea needed in the context of the tie. They're 5-1 up on aggregate and surely Conference League finalists.
The second half could feel more than a little like a procession now.
HT: Chelsea 1-0 Djurgarden (agg 5-1)
20:47 , Matt VerriReferee has places to be.
Not a second of added-time, as he blows for half-time.
Chelsea were completely in control at the start of the night and that position has been strengthened further.
Chelsea 1-0 Djurgarden (agg 5-1)
20:44 , Matt Verri43 mins: Kosugi onto his left foot, tries his luck from 25 yards out.
Takes a big deflection and Jorgensen has to quickly scramble back to his left, but he still claims comfortably enough.
Dom Smith at Stamford Bridge
20:43 , Matt VerriThat's a lovely opening goal from Chelsea, using the first real space that has opened up for them on the night.
The ball from George was well-paced, and Dewsbury-Hall smartly took two defenders out of the game with a nice dummied touch before finishing via the post.
Still not a key player, Dewsbury-Hall, but has been handy in this competition, with all four of his goals coming in this competition.
Chelsea 1-0 Djurgarden (agg 5-1)
20:42 , Matt Verri41 mins: Acheampong brought down on the left, good position for James to whip something in.
Or not, Dewsbury-Hall to take... over everyone.
Leave it James next time.
GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Djurgarden (agg 5-1) | Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall 38'
20:40 , Matt VerriChelsea lead on the night!
James with the pass through the lines to George, and he can turn with it.
Dewsbury-Hall makes the run straight through the middle, gets the ball. Calmly finishes into the bottom corner, off the inside of the post.
Dom Smith at Stamford Bridge
20:37 , Matt VerriChelsea into a good rhythm now, and very much the dominant side. Feels like only a matter of time before they create a big opening.
Enzo Maresca is on the edge of his technical area and doesn't seem too disheartened by how things are going right now.
Chelsea 0-0 Djurgarden (agg 4-1)
20:36 , Matt Verri35 mins: Chance for Djurgarden to break, Nguen has space.
But he runs into traffic and Cucurella gets back to stick a foot in and win the ball for the Blues.
Chelsea 0-0 Djurgarden (agg 4-1)
20:34 , Matt Verri33 mins: Great ball out from James to Gusto, who has got away from Bergh.
Bit of a lunge from the full-back to bring Gusto down, looked a painful one. Free-kick not given though, just a corner.
Again the visitors deal with the set-piece.
Chelsea 0-0 Djurgarden (agg 4-1)
20:31 , Matt Verri30 mins: Ball slid through to George, who has made a good run in behind.
Goalkeeper turns his effort back into the six-yard box, but Walsh is muscled off it as he tries to get to the rebound.
Chelsea 0-0 Djurgarden (agg 4-1)
20:29 , Matt Verri28 mins: More like it from Chelsea.
George drifts inside, into the area and his shot is blocked. Falls for Dewsbury-Hall, he curls an effort straight at the goalkeeper.
Chelsea 0-0 Djurgarden (agg 4-1)
20:27 , Matt Verri26 mins: Visitors are getting plenty of bodies forward.
To be honest, they look as likely to score as Chelsea at the moment. That is still a fairly low bar at both ends, though...
Chelsea 0-0 Djurgarden (agg 4-1)
20:25 , Matt Verri23 mins: Confident stuff from Jorgensen, who strolls off his line to claim a floated ball into the area.
Haarala goes down on the edge of the box, doesn’t look like he’s fully decided whether he is committing to the penalty appeal.
Probably a decent sign that it wasn’t a foul.
Chelsea 0-0 Djurgarden (agg 4-1)
20:21 , Matt Verri20 mins: Latest Chelsea corner coming up. Another warm welcome over for James.
Taken short, eventually James does swing it in and it’s turned behind for another corner on the other side.
Dom Smith at Stamford Bridge
20:18 , Matt VerriNo translation needed on Djurgarden fans' latest chant, which I can just about detect as: "F***YOU, F*** YOU CHELSEA."
Chelsea 0-0 Djurgarden (agg 4-1)
20:18 , Matt Verri17 mins: Tosin trying his best to complain as he’s booked, but not sure why he’s bothering.
Nguen poked the ball away from him, would have been away but he was brought down by the centre-back. Easy yellow card decision.
Chelsea 0-0 Djurgarden (agg 4-1)
20:16 , Matt Verri15 mins: Sancho skips to the byline, but it’s good defending to deflect his cross behind.
James over to take this, getting things thrown at him from the away fans.
And the Swedes cheer that, cross clipped in and easily claimed by Rinne in goal.
Chelsea 0-0 Djurgarden (agg 4-1)
20:13 , Matt Verri12 mins: That comes to nothing, but Chelsea straight back on the attack.
Walsh with another strong run forward from midfield, again he’s clipped. Been really positive on the ball, has the 16-year-old.
Dom Smith at Stamford Bridge
20:12 , Matt VerriAn assured start from Djurgarden, who are looking composed in possession and pressing intently when Chelsea have the ball.
Stensson goes in for a tackle on Acheampong and signals to their raucous supporters to liven up.
They already were!
Chelsea 0-0 Djurgarden (agg 4-1)
20:12 , Matt Verri11 mins: Walsh getting right up the pitch when Chelsea have the ball, beyond George and the only player in the box at times.
Sancho has his first run of the night, cuts inside onto his right foot and his cross is headed out.
Acheampong then drives into the box, wins his side a corner.
Chelsea 0-0 Djurgarden (agg 4-1)
20:08 , Matt Verri7 mins: Confident start from the visitors, to be fair to them.
Calm on the ball, knocking it around nicely. Chelsea not particularly pressing too high, happy to let Djurgarden have it for now.
Chelsea 0-0 Djurgarden (agg 4-1)
20:05 , Matt Verri4 mins: It’s a midfield three of James, Walsh and Cucurella for Chelsea tonight. Acheampong at left-back.
Dewsbury-Hall has Gusto free to his right, should play him in but the pass is badly underhit.
Chelsea 0-0 Djurgarden (agg 4-1)
20:04 , Matt Verri2 mins: Real chance for Djurgarden to take an early lead!
That might have set off a few nerves. Acheampong loses it deep in his own half, and the low cross finds Nguen at the back post.
He’s free, but the shot is badly scuffed into the air.
KICK-OFF!
20:01 , Matt VerriUnderway at Stamford Bridge!
Here we go...
19:57 , Matt VerriTeams are out onto the pitch on a sunny evening at Stamford Bridge.
Plenty of Djurgarden fans have made the trip. They created a brilliant atmosphere a week ago, can expect plenty of noise from that corner of the ground.
Not long now!
19:52 , Matt VerriPlayers are back inside after the warm-ups.
Kick-off just under ten minutes away, on what is a slightly strange night in west London.
Basically nobody in the ground, or watching at home, believes Chelsea won’t get through.
Jorgensen: Tie is not over
19:46 , Matt VerriFilip Jorgensen starts in goal for Chelsea and he has spent the build-up to this tie insisting the job is not yet done.
"It's full focus," he said. "We will take it as seriously as any other game. At the end of the day, it's the semi-final of a European competition and we want to be in the final.
"I don't think any of us think this is done yet. We have 90 minutes left to play, we're going to give it our all and we want to win this game as well."
Whether he actually believes that is another thing...
Honkavaara lays out gameplan
19:39 , Matt VerriDjurgarden manager Jani Honkavaara has urged his side to forget last week’s 4-1 defeat to Chelsea, insisting no good would come of them trying to make up a three-goal deficit.
He said: "We will not focus so much on the result from the last meeting when we approach the match.
“It is more important to see it as a separate match and if we are to be able to achieve a good result, it is about chasing after goal by goal.
"But we cannot start the match just to catch up with a result, but must manage the match wisely and then see where it takes us."
Dom Smith at Stamford Bridge
19:30 , Matt VerriTo be honest, Chelsea fans probably needed a little sell to ensure their bother of making it to Stamford Bridge tonight was worth it, what with the Blues having more than a foot in the Conference League final already after last week's handsome 4-1 first-leg win over Djurgarden.
That arrives in the form of the news Reggie Walsh is starting and in doing so becomes Chelsea's youngest-ever starter, at just 16 years and 200 days. He replaces Shim Mheuka in holding that title - and Mheuka is on the bench tonight.
All willing be wishing Walsh well on his big night, following his debut off the bench in Sweden last week.
All, that is, except the travelling fans from Sweden!
Maresca explains Walsh decision
19:21 , Matt VerriEnzo Maresca has been speaking ahead of kick-off about his decision to give Reggie Walsh a start at the age of 16.
“His talent is very good,” Maresca says.
“Technique is fantastic. I really like him. Between the lines is good, you can see immediately he has something.
“For sure at 17, 18, he needs to work hard and continue. I like also the personality, he’s worked with us during the season.
“He’s not shy, he’s asking for the ball, he’s shouting and talking. I like, he’s a good player.”
Can the Blues turn on the style?
19:13 , Matt VerriChelsea were beaten at home by Legia Warsaw in the quarter-finals, when they already had a big lead on aggregate.
They will be keen to avoid a repeat of that here.
"For Chelsea, it's all about putting on a show."
— Standard Sport (@standardsport) May 8, 2025
🗣 @MrDomSmith gives his pre-match thoughts from Stamford Bridge ahead of the semi-final second leg.
LIVE: https://t.co/asN8dqmpvM#CFC | #UECL pic.twitter.com/tuyte17SQ3
Djurgarden team news
19:03 , Matt VerriStarting XI: Rinne, Kosugi, Tenho, Une, Bergh, Finndell, Stensson, Gulliksen, Priske, Haarala, Nguen
Subs: Croon, Danielson, Alemayehu, Manneh, Selfven, Persson
Walsh starts for Chelsea
18:57As expected, Enzo Maresca rotates his side.
Not sure, though, that we expected him to hand a start to 16-year-old Reggie Walsh in midfield!
The teenager made his senior debut off the bench in the first leg last week and now gets his chance from the off.
What an occasion for him, in a European semi-final.
Chelsea team news
18:47 , Matt VerriStarting XI: Jorgensen, Gusto, Tosin, Badiashile, Cucurella, Acheampong, James, Walsh, Dewsbury-Hall, Sancho, George
Subs: Bergstrom, Sanchez, Antwi, Chalobah, Colwill, Caicedo, Fernandez, Madueke, Neto, Palmer, Jackson, Mheuka
Chelsea must act this summer
18:34 , Matt VerriEnzo Maresca raised more than a few eyebrows on Wednesday when he claimed it would “make a statement that Chelsea are back” if his side go on to win the Conference League.
In Maresca’s defence, however, his Chelsea side are an evening’s stroll away from a European final and well in the mix to qualify for the Champions League via a top-five finish in the Premier League. The turbulence of recent years seems to have subsided.
Except, that is, between the sticks. Goalkeeper is still such a problem position for Chelsea, and it is one they must fully rectify this summer or risk more flappable mistakes and costly dropped points next term.
Robert Sanchez has made five errors leading to goals in the Premier League this season - the most of any player - and also leads the way on errors leading to shots, with a division-high nine.
Such statistics go a long way to explaining why so many Chelsea fans have lost all faith with Sanchez. Though he is a decent shot-stopper on his day, his day does not nearly come around often enough.
A new first-choice goalkeeper is needed.
Stage is set!
18:24 , Matt VerriIt’s another perfect evening in west London...
🏆😍#CFC | #UECL pic.twitter.com/be0J5bri8y
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 8, 2025
Bohely makes stadium admission
18:15 , Matt VerriChelsea may not have a new stadium for another 20 years, co-owner Todd Boehly has admitted.
It has been well over a decade since the Blues first considered options for how to either renovate Stamford Bridge or build a brand-new stadium on a different site.
In terms of capacity, Stamford Bridge is the ninth-largest stadium in the Premier League, and is dwarfed by the London rivals. Both the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium can hold in excess of 60,000 supporters, and even some Championship grounds, such Sunderland's Stadium of Light, boast a bigger capacity.
Chelsea know a larger stadium would bring increased matchday revenues, and several options have been considered, only to hit the buffers. In 2012, a 60,000-seater stadium in Battersea Power Station was proposed, followed by a move to nearby Earl’s Court, and then the expansion of Stamford Bridge itself.
“It is years in the making,” Boehly said. “When we originally bought the club, we agreed initially that we had 15 or 20 years to figure this out.
“It is a big project in a really interesting city like London where there are a lot of constituencies that have an opinion.”
Boehly, who owns a 13 per cent share of the club, added: “I think everyone recognises that a club as big as Chelsea should have a stadium that reflects the size of the club and ultimately that's going to be a strategic advantage.”
A week ago...
18:04 , Matt VerriEasy as you like for Chelsea in Stockholm.
The home fans created a great atmosphere, but the Blues were far too strong in that first leg.
A late consolation for Djurgarden was a nice moment for the fans, but this tie looks to be very much done.
Maresca: Chelsea can prove they are back
17:53 , Matt VerriEnzo Maresca believes winning the Conference League this season would send a “statement” confirming that “Chelsea are back” after a few turbulent seasons.
Chelsea are competing in European football’s third-tier competition for the first time in their history and bidding to become the first club to have won all three major European competitions — having previously won the Champions League and Europa League — as well as the now-defunct UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.
“It would be important, because we would be the only club in Europe [to win all four competitions],” Maresca said. “It’s important to start to build a winning mentality with this club.
“For me, winning a Conference League trophy this season is a statement where you can say ‘Chelsea is back’, because you win a trophy.
“If Real Madrid or different clubs didn’t play the Conference League, it’s because the Conference League is not the level they were at. If we play in the Conference League, it’s because that’s where we are.
“If you play in the Conference League, you cannot win the Champions League or the Europa League. The only trophy you can win is the Conference League.”
Drama elsewhere...
17:44 , Matt VerriThe other semi-final is set to be a much tighter affair.
Real Betis hold a 2-1 lead after the first leg against Fiorentina, but they now travel to Italy tonight.
That tie, then, still largely in the balance. Chelsea, barring an extraordinary collapse here, will face the winner.
Standard Sport prediction
17:34 , Matt VerriChelsea have cruised to reach this stage of the Conference League. Even in losses to Servette and Legia Warsaw, few ever considered that they might be knocked out.
Their position as the competition’s favourites was rarely more credible than in the first leg against Djurgarden, where they cruised to a 4-1 win in which their hosts offered little attacking threat beyond an awkward set-piece.
Chelsea win, 3-0 (7-1 agg)
Djurgarden team news
17:26 , Matt VerriDjurgarden are facing something of an injury crisis early in their domestic campaign, with seven players reported to be unavailable for last weekend’s draw to AIK: Piotr Johansson, Mikael Marques, Oskar Fallenius, Nino Zugelj, Rasmus Schüller, Patric Åslund and Malkolm Nilsson Säfqvist.
It will be a slight consolation for Djurgarden that none of these injuries are fresh - none of those ruled out for the AIK clash had been available for the first leg.
Chelsea team news
17:18 , Matt VerriEnzo Maresca will again make a number of changes to his team.
Many of the players involved in the surprise win over Liverpool last weekend are likely to be rested, with Sunday’s crucial trip to Newcastle in the top-five race a tougher test.
Goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen has played in all but one of Chelsea’s Conference League matches so far this season, so he will keep his place between the sticks.
Further forward, Christopher Nkunku has regularly got the nod in Europe but is sidelined through injury, so academy star Tyrique George could again be trusted up front, just as he did last week in Sweden.
Fellow forward Marc Guiu is very close to a return, but Maresca suggested that the Spaniard’s involvement, if any, would likely be from the bench.
Predicted Chelsea XI (4-2-3-1): Jorgensen; Acheampong, Adarabioyo, Badiashile, Cucurella; Fernandez, James; Madueke, Dewsbury-Hall, Sancho; George
How to watch Chelsea vs Djurgarden
17:11 , Matt VerriTV channel: In the UK, the game will be broadcast on TNT Sports 3. Coverage starts at 7pm BST ahead of an 8pm kick-off.
Live stream: Fans can catch the contest live online via the Discovery+ app and website.
Live blog: You can follow all the action right here, featuring expert analysis from Dom Smith at Stamford Bridge.
Good evening!
17:02 , Matt VerriHello and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of Chelsea vs Djurgarden!
Will we get any drama tonight? Chelsea will be hoping not, as they come into the second leg of this Conference League tie with a 4-1 aggregate lead.
Everything points to them cruising into the final.
We’ll have all the latest updates, build-up and team news ahead of kick-off, which comes at 8pm BST from Stamford Bridge.
