Chelsea fans will be forgiven for already dreaming of a place in the UEFA Conference League final. After all, a 4-1 first-leg win away from home usually means the job is done. But as Thursday night’s return leg at Stamford Bridge draws near, Djurgarden boss Jani Honkavaara isn’t ready to throw in the towel just yet.

Come Thursday night, should Djurgarden pull off the impossible, they would not just make history — they’d rewrite it. Overturning a 4-1 home defeat against a Chelsea side whose squad value dwarfs theirs by a staggering 44 times (per Transfermarkt) would go down as the greatest comeback European football has ever seen.

Yet, despite the odds, the mood in the Swedish camp is anything but defeated. Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Honkavaara struck a note of cautious optimism.

“We are finally here in London and the feeling is good overall. The players are excited about what lies ahead and we are really looking forward to stepping out for the match on Thursday,” the Finnish manager said.

This is unfamiliar territory for Djurgarden. Not only is it their first appearance in a European semi-final, it’s the first time any Allsvenskan club has reached the last four of a major UEFA competition in 30 years. The magnitude of the moment isn’t lost on Honkavaara — and his approach reflects that.

Rather than obsess over the deficit, he wants his team to focus on the task at hand as a standalone challenge.

“We will not focus so much on the result from the last meeting when we approach the match. It is more important to see it as a separate match and if we are to be able to achieve a good result, it is about chasing after goal by goal,” he explained.

It’s a smart psychological play — reset the narrative, remove the pressure of the scoreboard, and focus on winning the second leg itself.

But even that must be done carefully. Honkavaara is no dreamer; he knows the risk of chasing shadows against a quality Chelsea side packed with international stars.

“But we cannot start the match just to catch up with a result, but must manage the match wisely and then see where it takes us,” he added.

For Chelsea, Thursday night may seem like a formality — but it’s clear Djurgarden are not turning up just to fulfil the fixture. They’re in London to compete, to believe, and to play a ‘separate game’ with pride.