Chelsea advanced to the semi-finals of the Conference League despite facing a 2-1 defeat against Legia Warsaw at Stamford Bridge in the second leg of their quarter-final. The loss further added to the challenges faced by head coach Enzo Maresca as frustrations among supporters continue to grow.
The Italian manager's team is now in pole position to make it to the final on May 28 in Wroclaw. However, Chelsea's performance in this match did little to intimidate their potential opponents, relying on their aggregate victory from the previous week in Poland to secure a 4-2 overall win.
Legia took the lead with a penalty from Czech forward Tomas Pekhart, which was equalized by Marc Cucurella. However, Chelsea faltered again when Steve Kapuadi scored early in the second half, leading to a tense atmosphere as Legia fans lit flares in celebration.
The defeat at home against the fifth-placed team in the Polish Ekstraklasa raises concerns about Chelsea's Champions League qualification prospects and the confidence fans have in Maresca, which has been wavering in recent times.
Cole Palmer was a surprising addition to the lineup, with Maresca hoping for the young forward to end his three-month goal drought.
Legia's early mistakes gave Chelsea opportunities, with Palmer and Christopher Nkunku having chances to score within the first five minutes.
The deadlock was broken by Pekhart's penalty, followed by a near-miss from Ryoya Morishita, putting Chelsea's progress in doubt.
Cucurella leveled the score after half an hour, rescuing Chelsea from a precarious position.
Chelsea faced another setback early in the second half as Legia regained the lead through Kapaudi's header, leaving the home side vulnerable defensively.
Chelsea showed urgency in response, with efforts from Noni Madueke and Tyrique George testing Legia's defense, but they were ultimately unable to find a way back into the game.