Conference League draw: Chelsea learn opponents for knockout phase | Football

Chelsea will play one of Gent, FC Copenhagen, Real Betis or FC Heidenheim in the first knockout phase of the Conference League.

Enzo Maresca’s side finished top of the Conference League league phase having won all six of their matches and have automatically secured their place in the knockout stage.

On Friday, the draw for the knockout phase play-off ties took place and those ties are scheduled to take place on February 13 and February 20, 2025.

Chelsea will discover their bracket position in a new draw on February 21, which will then determine their pathway to the final.

The other seven teams who have automatically secured their place in the knockout phase are: Vitoria Guimaraes (POR), Fiorentina (ITA), Rapid Vienna (AUT), Djurgarden (SWE), Lugano (SUI), Legia Warsaw (POL), Cercle Brugge (BEL).

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Chelsea sealed their sixth win in the Conference League with a 5-1 victory over Shamrock Rovers at Stamford Bridge on Thursday night.

Marc Guiu scored a first-half hat-trick while Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Marc Cucurella also found the net.

‘I’m very excited, first of all with the performance and the result,’ Maresca said after the game.

‘Once again I think the players showed how serious they are, how professional they are.

‘In this kind of game, sometimes it’s easy to drop but they know they are not allowed to drop and we need to show we are serious, professional. Once again I think they showed that.

‘It was also a good chance for some of the young players, so we are very happy.

‘When you play the first game it is never easy, so Harrison [Murray-Campbell] did quite well. We have seen that he is good on the ball, that he is also good defending. I think he deserved the chance to get minutes tonight and he did okay.

I think now that we are in the next round we have to be focused on the next round, and then if we are able to win, go on to the next one. Thinking about playing the final or winning the competition when there is still six games to go to reach the final, I don’t think that is correct.’

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