Conference League draw LIVE: Chelsea to discover last-16 opponents and route to final | OneFootball

Enzo Maresca’s Blues are favourites to lift the trophy but tougher tests now await

Conference League draw LIVE!

Chelsea will discover their last-16 opponents and potential route to the final as the Conference League knockout draw takes place this afternoon. The Blues are widely considered as the favourites for glory this season in Europe’s revamped tertiary club competition, having eased through the initial league phase with six wins from six, scoring 25 goals and conceding just five to earn top spot despite playing a second-string team for the most part.

Chelsea know that either Real Betis or FC Copenhagen now await them in the last 16, with those clubs earning aggregate wins this week in respective play-off ties against Gent and Heidenheim. Enzo Maresca may look at the Conference League for some respite from his side’s recent domestic struggles, which has seen them drop to sixth in the Premier League table as well as being knocked out of the FA Cup in the fourth round.

Maresca has received public backing from the club amid some growing criticism from fans, but it remains to be seen if victory in this competition would assuage the doubters if his side continue to toil in pursuit of a top-four finish. Follow the Conference League draw live below!