Maresca's weakened XI undone by Legia as Chelsea stumble through

Manager's moves will be scrutinised even further in the next day or so after the Blues succumbed to a 2-1 defeat. It could have been even worse.

BURNING BRIDGES: Legia supporters light flares on the stands during the Europa Conference League quarterfinals second leg soccer match between Chelsea FC and Legia Warszawa at Stamford Bridge stadium in London, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Chelsea 1 Legia Warsaw 2 (Chelsea win 4-2 on agg)

Much was made of the strength of Enzo Maresca's starting XI for what was seemingly a dead rubber game. It will be scrutinised even further in the next day or so after what ensued. Chelsea succumbed to a 2-1 defeat, but it could have been even worse.

The night started horribly when Chelsea were down 1-0 in the opening 10 minutes. A rash decision from Filip Jorgensen to take down Tomas Pekhart and get nowhere near the ball meant the Legia number seven was given the chance to convert the penalty he won. He duly took it.

Ryoya Morishita went clean through ten minutes later and spurned a chance to really make it interesting, dragging agonisingly wide of the post. That seemed to jolt Chelsea, and after a few glimpses of goal, Marc Cucurella finally slotted home in the 30th minute from a Jadon Sancho cross.

It was Sancho's fourth goal involvement in his last three games, and Cucurella's sixth goal of this campaign. Maresca might think about employing the Spaniard as a striker, as Nicolas Jackson hasn't scored in his last 12 games.

Cucurella almost scored a second minutes later, but it was chalked off for offside. The goal awakened the home fans, who made some noise for the first time. They were put to shame for large parts by the Legia faithful. They numbered only a thousand, but made the noise of ten.

The second half started quickly, and badly for Chelsea. The anonymous Jackson was taken off at the break, but it was Warsaw who came out looking refreshed. Steve Kapuadi scored a close range header in the 53rd minute that really put the cat amongst the pigeons.

The aggregate deficit was now only two, and Maresca played his hand. Noni Madueke and Malo Gusto entered the fray, and Madueke instantly had a huge chance, which he fluffed.

The atmosphere reached fever-pitch. Legia fans had set off flares, and in an attempt to match them, the Chelsea fans sang louder than they have all season.

The action was just as intense on the pitch, and the game turned into an end-to-end thriller. Madueke changed the game, adding some much-needed impetus, but his teammates failed to rise to the occasion.

Tyrique George had a goal ruled out as offside just before the 80th minute, and that was the last time Chelsea troubled the Legia goal.

A win was no less than the Polish side deserved, and they will go home with their heads held high. Maresca will have to face the music after a humiliating loss, made all the worse by the starting XI he put out.

Chelsea: Jorgensen 4; Acheampong 5, Adarabioyo 5, Badiashile 5, Cucurella 7 (Gusto 57, 5); James 6, Dewsbury-Hall 5; Sancho 7 (Neto, 82, 5), Palmer 4 (Madueke 58, 7), Nkunku 6; Jackson 4 (George 46, 5) 

Legia Warsaw: Kovacevic 6; Vinagre 6, Kapuadi 7, Ziolkowski 5, Pankov 5; Oyedele 6, Elitim 6, Goncalves 6; Luquinhas 5, Pekhart 7 (Chodyna 67, 5), Morishita 6 

Referee: Alejandro Hernandez 7