Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 3
Tyrique George scored his first senior goal as Chelsea put their domestic woes on the road aside to secure a dominant 3-0 victory over Legia Warsaw in the Polish capital.
Chelsea had gone into the game having won all eight of their matches in the Europa Conference league and after a lacklustre first half, showcased their superior quality in the second to ensure they would have an advantage to take back to Stamford Bridge.
Reece James had tried his luck from 20 yards, and the goalkeeper Kacper Tobiasz could only parry the ball into the path of Tyrique George, who tapped the ball into the back of the net just after the restart.
It was the 19-year-old’s first senior goal for Chelsea.
But after breaking the deadlock through George, any chance of a comeback was scuppered when Noni Madueka added a second by cleverly deceiving the goalkeeper who dived the wrong way with his dragged effort from inside the box.
Christopher Nkunku’s penalty was saved in the 74th minute, but it was followed up by Madueke’s second of the evening just 25 seconds later, although it will not help the former find the form he has been lacking in recent weeks.
Full report to follow . . .
07:40 PM BST
FT: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 3
Chelsea complete a comfortable win although it looked anything but that in the first half.
Tyrique George’s poacher’s goal early in the second half opened the floodgates and Madueke’s double gave the visitors a deserved win.
Chelsea played with better purpose and tempo after the break and in fact looked better once Palmer had been subbed off.
It was Palmer’s replacement Madueke, after all, who made the difference.
That’s all for this evening, folks.
See you soon.
07:36 PM BST
90 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 3
Legia come pouring forward again with a well-worked move down the right, which requires Badiashile to clear for a corner.
Too little too late from the hosts.
07:34 PM BST
88 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 3
Great save Jorgensen!
Legia Warsaw looked certain to score there bu Fillip Jorgensen does superbly to deny Kun, who went for the near post yet again.
That would have put a dampener on the evening for the Blues.
07:28 PM BST
84 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 3
It’s been a disappointing display by Legia but full marks to the fans, who are still in full voice despite their team’s poor performance tonight.
07:27 PM BST
82 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 3
Chelsea are now in control and stroking the ball around with swagger.
They know they have done enough to seal their ninth win out of nine in this competition and have one foot in the semi-finals.
Subs
Mateusz Szczepaniak IN
Maximillian Oyedele OUT
Vahan Bichakhchyan IN
Kacper Chodyna OUT
07:23 PM BST
75 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 3
Subs
Claudio Concalves IN
Juergen Elitim OUT
Tomas Pekhart IN
Luquinhas OUT
Mathis Amougou IN
Malo Gusto OUT
Shumaira Mheuka IN
Tyrique George OUT
07:18 PM BST
73 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 3
GOAAALLLL! Madueke scores again.
Twenty-five seconds after Nkunku’s penalty miss Chelsea race back upfield to score.
Great approach play down the left from Sancho who dribbles down the wing before sending an inviting low centre across goal for Madueke to slot home from close range.
07:17 PM BST
72 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 2
PENALTY MISSED! Nkunku hits the ball hard and low to the left as we look at it but Tobiasz makes a great save.
07:15 PM BST
71 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 2
Penalty check!
Both Nkunku and Dewsbury-Hall have tumbled in the area under two separate challenges.
And a penalty has been awarded.
07:12 PM BST
66 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 2
All credit to the crowd, who are still making a hell of a racket as they try to inspire their side to find a way back into the match.
Now there are whistles all round as Madueke comes forward. As Legia clear, Dewsbury-Hall unleashes a wonderful volley from the area’s edge that arcs just over the bar.
That’s four attempts on goal now by the midfielder.
07:09 PM BST
62 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 2
Chelsea send the ball upfield and Sancho finds room for a shot. Tobiasz is there, though, to make the save.
07:07 PM BST
60 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 2
Patryk Kun makes a darting run down the right and tries to fool Jorgensen at his near post from the tightest of angles, but Kun’s effort is just too high. Better purpose form the hosts, who can no longer afford to sit back in the low block that so frustrated Chelsea for the first half.
07:05 PM BST
59 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 2
Legia get a half-chance as Augustinyak risest highest to meet a corner but he can only send it wide.
07:03 PM BST
58 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 2
Subs:
Marc Cucurella IN
Reece James OUT
07:02 PM BST
57 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 2
GOAAALLL!
Noni Madueke scores Chelsea’s second.
Tobiasz cedes possession with a poor goal-kick, Jadon Sancho takes the ball and runs with it teeing up Madueke to wrong-foot the keeper with a tidy finish.
06:57 PM BST
53 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 1
Subs:
Patryk Kun IN
Pawel Wszolek OUT
06:53 PM BST
49 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 1
GOAAALLL! Tyrique George breaks the deadlock.
Radovan Pankov can only head a clearance as far as James, who attempts a low shot from distance. Tobiasz gets down to save but George is first to pounce on the rebound and roll it home for his first senior goal for Chelsea.
The half is only four minutes old but Chelsea have been playing with far greater intent and have been rewarded for their directness
06:52 PM BST
48 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
Ooohhh!
And another chance goes begging for Dewsbury-Hall. James floats over an inviting cross from the left and Dewsbury-Hall tries to turn his neck and get some power on his header but he can only direct it wide of the near post.
06:50 PM BST
46 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
Subs:
Levi Colwill ON
Tosin Adoriobioyo
Noni Madueke ON
Cole Palmer
Well, well, well. Palmer has been given the hook at half-time in favour of Noni Madueke.
It;s not clear whether it’s an injury or tactical but one thing’s fors ure, Palmer is not having a happy time of it these last few weeks. He was not playing at all well in the first half.
06:34 PM BST
HT: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
Peep!!!
And so ends an eminently forgettable first half.
Dewsbury-Hall has had Chelsea’s two best chances but in the main Legia have been untroubled.
Sancho has been disappointingly lacking in impact.
Maresca needs to change things at half-time as there is a lack of creativity and cutting edge in this side this evening.
06:33 PM BST
45+1: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
A rare well-worked move by Chelsea down the left results in a chance for Dewsbury-Hall.
Nkunku lofts an inviting cross into the area but the midfielder can only glance it wide.
06:31 PM BST
44 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
Palmer works his way into the area again but his pass is intercepted again.
Chelsea are being frustrated at every turn by this well-drilled defence, but their creativity has been found wanting.
06:28 PM BST
41 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
Palmer is not quite on his game this evening. His passes seem to be landing just behind his intended target and he is not getting the rub of the green either. He was tripped on the edge of the area there but the referee waved play on.
06:24 PM BST
38 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
More good work by Gusto and James decides to try one from range. The Blues’ captain’s shot curls just wide, though.
06:23 PM BST
36 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
Chelsea are enjoying a spell of sustained pressure and come close again. Gusto’s cross is headed back across the area by Badiashile and Nkonku is crowded out as he lunges for the ball, landing on Augustinyak, who has been flattened by that challenge.
06:21 PM BST
33 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
Chelsea are toiling without much. Sancho is looking lively down the right flank but, apart from winning corners, they are struggling to pick a way through their well-organised hosts.
And no sooner do I write those words than Chelsea almost score. Palmer finds space for shot but his effort is blocked. The rebound falls to Dewsbury-Hall who curls a shot towards the far corner only for Tobiasz to tip wide. Excellent save.
06:15 PM BST
29 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
James sends over another deep corner which Tosin Adarabioyo does well to reach ahead of two defenders. He can’t quite apply the necessary power though and Kacper Tobiasz is there.
06:13 PM BST
26 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
Oyedele plays a fantastic pass to Ryoya Morishita, who cuts in from the left flank and spots the chance to go for a glorious curler from 25 yards out. Unfortunately he gets it all wrong, much to the chagrin of the two forwards in the area that he ignored.
06:10 PM BST
22 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
Chelsea send over another corner but nothing comes of it.
Tyrique George tries to beat Ruben Vinagre down the left flank but the Portuguese does well to win the goal kick.
06:08 PM BST
18 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
The Marshall Jozef Pilsudski Stadium is still bouncing as the unrelenting home supporters continue drumming and singing.
The air is still thick with flare smoke, lending a real European night feel of old to the atmosphere although questions might be asked about how the flares got into the ground in the first place.
06:03 PM BST
15 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
After a couple of meaty challenges in midfield, Legia launch a promising attack, but the pass by Kacper Chodyna is just behind Maximillian Oyedele and Chelsea break quickly. Cole Palmer is spoilt for choice as he approaches the Legia penalty area, but instead of passing to Reto Gusto, who is free to his left, he plays a bad pass to Jadon Sancho. That pass is also behind the winger, who retrieves the ball and then shoots well-well wide from 25 yards out.
06:00 PM BST
12 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
Tyrique George, one of two teenagers in the Chelsea side is showing promise on the left flank, from where he sends over an inviting cross, but it just eludes Nkunku. The visitors are starting to dominate the midfield.
05:56 PM BST
9 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall gets free down the right channel and gets a cross over, which is cleared for Chelsea’s first corner.
Reece James swings over deep ball to the far post, which Legia fail to clear, the ball bounces around Benoit Badiashile but his shot is blocked and doesn’t quite fall kindly enough for Jadon Sancho.
05:53 PM BST
6 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
The crowd are deafeningly loud, and living up to their reputation for being among the most boisterous in the continent.
The hosts are playing some tidy football and looking to play a possession game, it seems.
05:50 PM BST
3 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
Early chance for Warsaw who have started well to win two early corners.
From the second Rafal Augustyniak’s header is blocked by the rebound falls to Luquinhas whose attempted curler flies high into the smoky Warsaw sky.
05:48 PM BST
1 min: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
And they’re off.
And the smoke from the flares has made seeing the ball – and the players – nigh-on impossible. Good luck to the commentators.
05:44 PM BST
Legia’s twelfth man
Legia Warsaw are traditionally the biggest side and most famous side in Poland. They boast an unrivalled 15 Ekstraklasa titles and 20 Polish Cup wins. But they are no longer the force they once were and they have not won the league for four years.
Chelsea can expect a hostile reception, though, because Legia have an enormous and vociferous fanbase. Their twelfth man has helped them on their circuitous journey to the last-eight stage, which has involved three qualifying rounds, finishing seventh in the league phase and an extra-time win over Molde.
One familiar face in the Legia defence is Ruben Vinagre, who played in the Premier League with Wolves and Everton. He is the Polish top-flight’s record signing at €2.5m.
05:21 PM BST
Here are the line-ups
Chelsea
Chelsea have made five changes to the side that drew 0-0 with Brentford at the weekend.
Cole Palmer returns to the side while Filip Jorgensen dons the gloves and Tyrique George, Josh Acheampong and Benoît Badisahile come into the defence. Nkunku starts up front as he did on Sunday before coming off at half-time for Jackson.
Chelsea: Jorgensen; Acheampong, Adorabioyo, Badishile, Gusto; James, Dewsbury-Hall; George, Palmer, Sancho, Nkunku
Subs: Sanchez, Cucurella, Colwill, Pedro Neto, Fernandez, Madueke, Jackson, Chalobah, Caicedo, Amougou, Rak-Sakyi, Mheuka
Legia Warsaw
The man to watch out for from th opposition is Luquinhas. The Brazilian striker has scored four goals in his last six appearances in all competitions, and was twice on target in Legia’s 2-1 away win over Gornik Zabrze.
Legia: Tobiasz; Ruben Vinagre, Kapuadi, Pankov, Wszolek; Elitim, Augusyniak, Oyedele; Luquinhas, Morishita, Chodyna
Subs: Mendes, Kovacecic, Goncalves, Pekhart, Pekhart, Bichakhchyan, Kun, Barcia, Mozie, Olewinski, Szczepaniak
05:14 PM BST
Legia’s struggles
Legia Warsaw finished seventh during the league phase and reached the last eight by beating Norwegian side Molde in the last round. They are not, however, pulling up any trees in the Polish Ekstraklasa, where they lie fifth.
The match kicks off at 5.45pm and you can catch all the build up and team news right here.
05:12 PM BST
Winning run
Not that Enzo Maresca is taking tonight’s match lightly. Chelsea’s head coach made a raft of changes last weekend, electing to rest Cole Palmer, Marc Cucurella, Levi Colwill, Pedro Neto and Nicolas Jackson for their goalless draw with Brentford.
Perhaps he wants to set a record in this competition by winning every match – a feat they are on course to do having won all eight so far and scoring 29 goals in the process.
Six of those goals have come from the competition’s joint-top scorer Marc Guiu, but the Spaniard is out with a hamstring injury and so will most likely be replaced up top by Christopher Nkunku, who is just one goal behind Guiu with five Conference League goals. Also missing for the Blues are Romeo Lavia and Wesley Fofana so it will be interesting to see how Maresca lines his side up.
05:11 PM BST
Countdown to kick-off
Welcome to this evening’s live coverage of Chelsea’s magical mystery tour of Europe as Enzo Maresca’s side visit Legia Warsaw in the quarter-final first leg of the Uefa Conference League.
It is a far cry from Porto 2021 or even Munich 2012 but those higher aspirations are for another day. Right now they have the chance to complete their European set by winning the one trophy that has so far eluded them – in it’s three-year existence…
Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 3
Tyrique George scored his first senior goal as Chelsea put their domestic woes on the road aside to secure a dominant 3-0 victory over Legia Warsaw in the Polish capital.
Chelsea had gone into the game having won all eight of their matches in the Europa Conference league and after a lacklustre first half, showcased their superior quality in the second to ensure they would have an advantage to take back to Stamford Bridge.
Reece James had tried his luck from 20 yards, and the goalkeeper Kacper Tobiasz could only parry the ball into the path of Tyrique George, who tapped the ball into the back of the net just after the restart.
It was the 19-year-old’s first senior goal for Chelsea.
But after breaking the deadlock through George, any chance of a comeback was scuppered when Noni Madueka added a second by cleverly deceiving the goalkeeper who dived the wrong way with his dragged effort from inside the box.
Christopher Nkunku’s penalty was saved in the 74th minute, but it was followed up by Madueke’s second of the evening just 25 seconds later, although it will not help the former find the form he has been lacking in recent weeks.
Full report to follow . . .
07:40 PM BST
FT: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 3
Chelsea complete a comfortable win although it looked anything but that in the first half.
Tyrique George’s poacher’s goal early in the second half opened the floodgates and Madueke’s double gave the visitors a deserved win.
Chelsea played with better purpose and tempo after the break and in fact looked better once Palmer had been subbed off.
It was Palmer’s replacement Madueke, after all, who made the difference.
That’s all for this evening, folks.
See you soon.
07:36 PM BST
90 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 3
Legia come pouring forward again with a well-worked move down the right, which requires Badiashile to clear for a corner.
Too little too late from the hosts.
07:34 PM BST
88 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 3
Great save Jorgensen!
Legia Warsaw looked certain to score there bu Fillip Jorgensen does superbly to deny Kun, who went for the near post yet again.
That would have put a dampener on the evening for the Blues.
07:28 PM BST
84 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 3
It’s been a disappointing display by Legia but full marks to the fans, who are still in full voice despite their team’s poor performance tonight.
07:27 PM BST
82 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 3
Chelsea are now in control and stroking the ball around with swagger.
They know they have done enough to seal their ninth win out of nine in this competition and have one foot in the semi-finals.
Subs
Mateusz Szczepaniak IN
Maximillian Oyedele OUT
Vahan Bichakhchyan IN
Kacper Chodyna OUT
07:23 PM BST
75 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 3
Subs
Claudio Concalves IN
Juergen Elitim OUT
Tomas Pekhart IN
Luquinhas OUT
Mathis Amougou IN
Malo Gusto OUT
Shumaira Mheuka IN
Tyrique George OUT
07:18 PM BST
73 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 3
GOAAALLLL! Madueke scores again.
Twenty-five seconds after Nkunku’s penalty miss Chelsea race back upfield to score.
Great approach play down the left from Sancho who dribbles down the wing before sending an inviting low centre across goal for Madueke to slot home from close range.
07:17 PM BST
72 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 2
PENALTY MISSED! Nkunku hits the ball hard and low to the left as we look at it but Tobiasz makes a great save.
07:15 PM BST
71 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 2
Penalty check!
Both Nkunku and Dewsbury-Hall have tumbled in the area under two separate challenges.
And a penalty has been awarded.
07:12 PM BST
66 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 2
All credit to the crowd, who are still making a hell of a racket as they try to inspire their side to find a way back into the match.
Now there are whistles all round as Madueke comes forward. As Legia clear, Dewsbury-Hall unleashes a wonderful volley from the area’s edge that arcs just over the bar.
That’s four attempts on goal now by the midfielder.
07:09 PM BST
62 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 2
Chelsea send the ball upfield and Sancho finds room for a shot. Tobiasz is there, though, to make the save.
07:07 PM BST
60 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 2
Patryk Kun makes a darting run down the right and tries to fool Jorgensen at his near post from the tightest of angles, but Kun’s effort is just too high. Better purpose form the hosts, who can no longer afford to sit back in the low block that so frustrated Chelsea for the first half.
07:05 PM BST
59 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 2
Legia get a half-chance as Augustinyak risest highest to meet a corner but he can only send it wide.
07:03 PM BST
58 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 2
Subs:
Marc Cucurella IN
Reece James OUT
07:02 PM BST
57 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 2
GOAAALLL!
Noni Madueke scores Chelsea’s second.
Tobiasz cedes possession with a poor goal-kick, Jadon Sancho takes the ball and runs with it teeing up Madueke to wrong-foot the keeper with a tidy finish.
06:57 PM BST
53 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 1
Subs:
Patryk Kun IN
Pawel Wszolek OUT
06:53 PM BST
49 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 1
GOAAALLL! Tyrique George breaks the deadlock.
Radovan Pankov can only head a clearance as far as James, who attempts a low shot from distance. Tobiasz gets down to save but George is first to pounce on the rebound and roll it home for his first senior goal for Chelsea.
The half is only four minutes old but Chelsea have been playing with far greater intent and have been rewarded for their directness
06:52 PM BST
48 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
Ooohhh!
And another chance goes begging for Dewsbury-Hall. James floats over an inviting cross from the left and Dewsbury-Hall tries to turn his neck and get some power on his header but he can only direct it wide of the near post.
06:50 PM BST
46 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
Subs:
Levi Colwill ON
Tosin Adoriobioyo
Noni Madueke ON
Cole Palmer
Well, well, well. Palmer has been given the hook at half-time in favour of Noni Madueke.
It;s not clear whether it’s an injury or tactical but one thing’s fors ure, Palmer is not having a happy time of it these last few weeks. He was not playing at all well in the first half.
06:34 PM BST
HT: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
Peep!!!
And so ends an eminently forgettable first half.
Dewsbury-Hall has had Chelsea’s two best chances but in the main Legia have been untroubled.
Sancho has been disappointingly lacking in impact.
Maresca needs to change things at half-time as there is a lack of creativity and cutting edge in this side this evening.
06:33 PM BST
45+1: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
A rare well-worked move by Chelsea down the left results in a chance for Dewsbury-Hall.
Nkunku lofts an inviting cross into the area but the midfielder can only glance it wide.
06:31 PM BST
44 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
Palmer works his way into the area again but his pass is intercepted again.
Chelsea are being frustrated at every turn by this well-drilled defence, but their creativity has been found wanting.
06:28 PM BST
41 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
Palmer is not quite on his game this evening. His passes seem to be landing just behind his intended target and he is not getting the rub of the green either. He was tripped on the edge of the area there but the referee waved play on.
06:24 PM BST
38 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
More good work by Gusto and James decides to try one from range. The Blues’ captain’s shot curls just wide, though.
06:23 PM BST
36 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
Chelsea are enjoying a spell of sustained pressure and come close again. Gusto’s cross is headed back across the area by Badiashile and Nkonku is crowded out as he lunges for the ball, landing on Augustinyak, who has been flattened by that challenge.
06:21 PM BST
33 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
Chelsea are toiling without much. Sancho is looking lively down the right flank but, apart from winning corners, they are struggling to pick a way through their well-organised hosts.
And no sooner do I write those words than Chelsea almost score. Palmer finds space for shot but his effort is blocked. The rebound falls to Dewsbury-Hall who curls a shot towards the far corner only for Tobiasz to tip wide. Excellent save.
06:15 PM BST
29 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
James sends over another deep corner which Tosin Adarabioyo does well to reach ahead of two defenders. He can’t quite apply the necessary power though and Kacper Tobiasz is there.
06:13 PM BST
26 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
Oyedele plays a fantastic pass to Ryoya Morishita, who cuts in from the left flank and spots the chance to go for a glorious curler from 25 yards out. Unfortunately he gets it all wrong, much to the chagrin of the two forwards in the area that he ignored.
06:10 PM BST
22 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
Chelsea send over another corner but nothing comes of it.
Tyrique George tries to beat Ruben Vinagre down the left flank but the Portuguese does well to win the goal kick.
06:08 PM BST
18 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
The Marshall Jozef Pilsudski Stadium is still bouncing as the unrelenting home supporters continue drumming and singing.
The air is still thick with flare smoke, lending a real European night feel of old to the atmosphere although questions might be asked about how the flares got into the ground in the first place.
06:03 PM BST
15 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
After a couple of meaty challenges in midfield, Legia launch a promising attack, but the pass by Kacper Chodyna is just behind Maximillian Oyedele and Chelsea break quickly. Cole Palmer is spoilt for choice as he approaches the Legia penalty area, but instead of passing to Reto Gusto, who is free to his left, he plays a bad pass to Jadon Sancho. That pass is also behind the winger, who retrieves the ball and then shoots well-well wide from 25 yards out.
06:00 PM BST
12 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
Tyrique George, one of two teenagers in the Chelsea side is showing promise on the left flank, from where he sends over an inviting cross, but it just eludes Nkunku. The visitors are starting to dominate the midfield.
05:56 PM BST
9 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall gets free down the right channel and gets a cross over, which is cleared for Chelsea’s first corner.
Reece James swings over deep ball to the far post, which Legia fail to clear, the ball bounces around Benoit Badiashile but his shot is blocked and doesn’t quite fall kindly enough for Jadon Sancho.
05:53 PM BST
6 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
The crowd are deafeningly loud, and living up to their reputation for being among the most boisterous in the continent.
The hosts are playing some tidy football and looking to play a possession game, it seems.
05:50 PM BST
3 mins: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
Early chance for Warsaw who have started well to win two early corners.
From the second Rafal Augustyniak’s header is blocked by the rebound falls to Luquinhas whose attempted curler flies high into the smoky Warsaw sky.
05:48 PM BST
1 min: Legia Warsaw 0 Chelsea 0
And they’re off.
And the smoke from the flares has made seeing the ball – and the players – nigh-on impossible. Good luck to the commentators.
05:44 PM BST
Legia’s twelfth man
Legia Warsaw are traditionally the biggest side and most famous side in Poland. They boast an unrivalled 15 Ekstraklasa titles and 20 Polish Cup wins. But they are no longer the force they once were and they have not won the league for four years.
Chelsea can expect a hostile reception, though, because Legia have an enormous and vociferous fanbase. Their twelfth man has helped them on their circuitous journey to the last-eight stage, which has involved three qualifying rounds, finishing seventh in the league phase and an extra-time win over Molde.
One familiar face in the Legia defence is Ruben Vinagre, who played in the Premier League with Wolves and Everton. He is the Polish top-flight’s record signing at €2.5m.
05:21 PM BST
Here are the line-ups
Chelsea
Chelsea have made five changes to the side that drew 0-0 with Brentford at the weekend.
Cole Palmer returns to the side while Filip Jorgensen dons the gloves and Tyrique George, Josh Acheampong and Benoît Badisahile come into the defence. Nkunku starts up front as he did on Sunday before coming off at half-time for Jackson.
Chelsea: Jorgensen; Acheampong, Adorabioyo, Badishile, Gusto; James, Dewsbury-Hall; George, Palmer, Sancho, Nkunku
Subs: Sanchez, Cucurella, Colwill, Pedro Neto, Fernandez, Madueke, Jackson, Chalobah, Caicedo, Amougou, Rak-Sakyi, Mheuka
Legia Warsaw
The man to watch out for from th opposition is Luquinhas. The Brazilian striker has scored four goals in his last six appearances in all competitions, and was twice on target in Legia’s 2-1 away win over Gornik Zabrze.
Legia: Tobiasz; Ruben Vinagre, Kapuadi, Pankov, Wszolek; Elitim, Augusyniak, Oyedele; Luquinhas, Morishita, Chodyna
Subs: Mendes, Kovacecic, Goncalves, Pekhart, Pekhart, Bichakhchyan, Kun, Barcia, Mozie, Olewinski, Szczepaniak
05:14 PM BST
Legia’s struggles
Legia Warsaw finished seventh during the league phase and reached the last eight by beating Norwegian side Molde in the last round. They are not, however, pulling up any trees in the Polish Ekstraklasa, where they lie fifth.
The match kicks off at 5.45pm and you can catch all the build up and team news right here.
05:12 PM BST
Winning run
Not that Enzo Maresca is taking tonight’s match lightly. Chelsea’s head coach made a raft of changes last weekend, electing to rest Cole Palmer, Marc Cucurella, Levi Colwill, Pedro Neto and Nicolas Jackson for their goalless draw with Brentford.
Perhaps he wants to set a record in this competition by winning every match – a feat they are on course to do having won all eight so far and scoring 29 goals in the process.
Six of those goals have come from the competition’s joint-top scorer Marc Guiu, but the Spaniard is out with a hamstring injury and so will most likely be replaced up top by Christopher Nkunku, who is just one goal behind Guiu with five Conference League goals. Also missing for the Blues are Romeo Lavia and Wesley Fofana so it will be interesting to see how Maresca lines his side up.
05:11 PM BST
Countdown to kick-off
Welcome to this evening’s live coverage of Chelsea’s magical mystery tour of Europe as Enzo Maresca’s side visit Legia Warsaw in the quarter-final first leg of the Uefa Conference League.
It is a far cry from Porto 2021 or even Munich 2012 but those higher aspirations are for another day. Right now they have the chance to complete their European set by winning the one trophy that has so far eluded them – in it’s three-year existence…
