Chelsea secured their spot in the last 16 of the Conference League with a 3-1 win against Astana in Kazakhstan, where Enzo Maresca gave full debuts to two academy graduates, 18-year-old defender Josh Acheampong and 19-year-old midfielder Samuel Rak-Sakyi. Both players had been part of Chelsea’s youth system since their under-eight days, and they marked their first senior starts in freezing temperatures of around minus 10 degrees Celsius in Almaty.
Teenager Marc Guiu, who had six prior Chelsea appearances, was the star of the match, scoring twice within the first 18 minutes. His first goal was a brilliant solo effort, cutting inside from the right wing to slot past the goalkeeper. Guiu then capitalized on a rebound from a Pedro Neto cross to net his second goal. Renato Veiga added a third for Chelsea just before halftime, heading in from a corner after Astana failed to clear.
Astana, playing 600 miles from their regular stadium due to renovations, had their moments, particularly when Croatian striker Marin Tomasov scored a brilliant long-range goal, hitting the post and finding the back of the net. Despite this quality finish, Astana struggled to contain Chelsea’s dominant play.
Maresca rotated his squad, giving a second senior start to 18-year-old Tyrique George, while resting most of the players from the weekend’s 4-3 win over Tottenham. Neto, who is suspended for the upcoming match against Brentford, was the only player from that game to make the 7,000-mile journey. Neto also had Chelsea’s first chance in the match, but his effort was saved by Astana’s goalkeeper.
In the second half, Chelsea continued to control the game, with Ato Ampah making his senior debut and Harvey Vale returning after a long absence. The game also saw 17-year-old Shim Mheuka debut, making him Chelsea’s second youngest player in European competition, and 18-year-old Kiano Dyer also appeared.
