Fresh off a perfect group stage showing in the Europa Conference League, Chelsea routed Legia Warsaw 3-0, Chelsea dominating from start to finish. Here’s how the match played out on Thursday night. Chelsea quickly took control, netting a pair in the opening minutes of the second half and securing first place in the group. Thiago Almada scored first with a beautiful curling free kick from the left wing. The ball slipped past goalkeeper Andre Onana to bounce across the goal line at the far post.
After Almada’s opening goal, Chelsea never really got back into the game. Only in the 74th minute did Noni Madueke add a third, blasting in his third goal of the season from close range. His standout performance was key to sealing Chelsea’s unbeaten run in the tournament.
Tottenham had a much harder time against Eintracht Frankfurt. Frankfurt forward Hugo Ekitike opened the scoring in the sixth minute. His opening goal followed a stunning counter attack that surprisingly put the team down 1-0. Tottenham were able to recover and advanced after a home 1-1 tie. This response was seen as they rallied to level the score late in the game, proving their persistence.
At the same time, Lyon rescued a stunning late equalizer to earn a point at Manchester United in their Europa League meeting. United captain Bruno Fernandes delivered a precise cross for substitute Joshua Zirkzee, who headed what seemed to be the winner in the 88th minute. But not even a minute into the final moments of stoppage time, Lyon struck, finding the back of the net to equalize 2-2. That late equalizer was a reminder of exactly how wild the tournament can be.
In another notable moment during the match, Christopher Nkunku had a penalty kick saved, which could have given United an earlier advantage. In the second period, Ole Didrik Blomberg played a key role in setting up Saltnes. Saltnes converted with a low shot past Washington to level the score for Lyon.
