Nkunku's Penalty Secures Chelsea's First Win
Christopher Nkunku's penalty kick led Chelsea to a 2-0 victory over Servette in the Conference League play-off, marking Enzo Maresca's first win as manager. After a challenging first half, Nkunku scored from the spot following a foul by the goalkeeper. Noni Madueke added a second goal later. Despite some tense moments, Chelsea's performance provided relief after their recent defeat to Manchester City, setting a positive tone for Maresca's reign.#Chelsea #Nkunku #Maresca #ConferenceLeague #FootballVictory
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00:00Christopher Nkunku's penalty helped Enzo Maresca earn his first win as Chelsea boss,
00:06as the Blues secured a two-goal advantage against Cervette in their Conference League
00:09play-off first leg.
00:12A much-changed Chelsea side had been struggling to open up their Swiss opponents until Nkunku
00:17was sent sprawling by goalkeeper Jeremy Frick early in the second half.
00:22The France forward, one of just two survivors from the Blues team that started the 2-0 home
00:27defeat by Manchester City on Sunday, picked himself up to score the first goal of the
00:31Maresca era from the spot.
00:35The former Paris ST Germain player then celebrated in trademark fashion, producing a blue balloon
00:40which he inflated in front of jubilant Chelsea fans.
00:44Chelsea should have doubled the lead moments later when Frick was caught dithering on the
00:48ball by 18-year-old Marc Gieu.
00:51The Spain youth forward looked certain to score but lost his composure and Frick was
00:55able to get back and save.
00:58However, substitute Noni Maduc did make it 2-0 with a ferocious 72nd-minute finish from
01:04a tight angle inside the penalty area.
01:08Chelsea will be confident of finishing the job and advancing to the group stage of European
01:12football's third-tier club competition when they travel to Geneva for the second leg on
01:17August 29.
01:20Maresca was worried as Chelsea played with fire.
01:23There was relief around Stamford Bridge at the full-time whistle as Chelsea were made
01:27to work hard for their win and survived some awkward moments.
01:32Cervette registered 22 attempts to the hosts' 14, with substitute Tayamoko Watara hitting
01:38the bar with a deflected effort in the 86th minute.
01:42However, Chelsea eked out a victory to help put the disappointing opening defeat by Manchester
01:47City behind them and get Maresca's reign up and running.
01:52I was a bit worried because in the last 10 minutes we played a little bit with fire,"
01:56said Maresca.
01:57It was good that we didn't concede but we can learn.
02:02The Blues boss made nine changes from the team which started at the weekend, yet finished
02:06it with five substitutes on the pitch including Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandes and Malo Gusto.
02:13Goalkeeper Philip Jorgensen and defender Tosinata Rabaiolo made their debuts, while there were
02:18also first starts for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Guiu, Renato Veiga and Pedro Neto.
02:25Portugal forward Neto, a £54m buy from Wolves, produced a bright performance and at times
02:31showed an explosive change of pace before being replaced by Maduc.
02:36There will be bigger tests to come for Chelsea, who were captained by Moises Caicedo, the
02:41other player, alongside Nkunku, who started Sunday's league defeat.