Chelsea to play Copenhagen in Conference League round of 16 | OneFootball

The Europa Conference League draw for the round of 16 matches was done today, and Chelsea found out their opponents for the knockout phase.

The Blues were billed to face either Copenhagen or Real Betis in the round 16. Chelsea will face the Danish side.

Chelsea head to Parken Stadium to face Copenhagen on March 6 before the Blues welcome them to Stamford Bridge a week later.

Unsurprisingly, Chelsea finished atop the UEFA Conference League log, pummelling every opponent that crossed their path. Their £1.5 billion squad will back themselves to come out on top against Copenhagen.

As for the Danish side, they finished 18th on the league table, setting up a tantalising play-off meeting with Heidenheim. Copenhagen got the better of the Germans in the second leg after losing the first tie at home to book a date with Chelsea.

Despite their struggles in the Premier League, Chelsea cannot afford to let this opportunity slip. A club of their stature is expected to compete for silverware, and with the Conference League presenting their best shot at a trophy this season, failure is not an option.

With a squad worth over £1.5 billion, anything less than lifting the trophy would be a massive disappointment. Manager Enzo Maresca and his players must treat this as a must-win campaign. A trophy would salvage their season and help re-establish Chelsea’s reputation in European football.

Chelsea will hope to have young striker Marc Guiu back in action before this Copenhagen tie. Christopher Nkunku has been uninspiring as a centre-forward, and the Blues need someone to give them thrust and a presence up top.

Nicolas Jackson is out of action till April, meaning Chelsea might need Guiu, the top scorer in the competition, to step up to the plate. He was in exciting form before picking up a knock against West Ham United and will hope to be back to making a difference soon.

Should Chelsea progress beyond Copenhagen, the Blues would face one of Legia Warsaw or Molde in the quarter-finals. They will host the first leg at Stamford Bridge on Thursday, April 10, with the reverse fixture seven days later.