Chelsea extended their flawless record in the UEFA Conference League with a 2-1 victory over Copenhagen in the first leg of their Round of 16 clash in Denmark.

A spirited crowd at Parken Stadium welcomed a Chelsea side eager to end their three-month wait for an away win, with their last success on the road coming against Astana in mid-December during the league phase. Despite dominating possession, the Blues struggled to create clear-cut chances in a tightly contested first half. Their frustration was compounded by an injury to Malo Gusto, forcing Enzo Maresca into an early substitution. The best opportunity of the opening 45 minutes fell to Copenhagen’s Amin Chiakha, but neither side could find a breakthrough before the interval.

Looking to spark his team into life, Maresca made three changes at halftime, and the impact was immediate. Just two minutes after the restart, Chelsea took the lead through captain Reece James, who latched onto a cut-back from Marc Cucurella and fired a precise first-time finish into the bottom corner. However, their advantage was nearly short-lived as Viktor Claesson came close to equalizing, his shot bouncing off the inside of the post before Robert Sánchez gathered.

Chelsea continued to push forward, with Cucurella heading just wide—albeit from an offside position—before Cole Palmer sent a dipping effort off target. Their persistence paid off in the 66th minute when Tyrique George capitalised on a defensive error and set up Enzo Fernández, who calmly slotted home to double the visitors’ lead.

Copenhagen refused to go down without a fight and found a lifeline 10 minutes from time when Gabriel Pereira met Marcos López’s set-piece delivery, his header beating Sánchez to give the hosts hope.

Despite the late setback, Chelsea saw out the game to claim a crucial first-leg victory, putting them in a commanding position ahead of the return fixture at Stamford Bridge next week.

With Copenhagen facing a daunting task in London, Chelsea will look to build on their strong position and continue their dominant run in the competition.