Chelsea Secure Europa Conference League Progress with Hard-Fought Win Over Heidenheim

Chelsea continued their dominant run in the Europa Conference League, edging closer to the knockout stages with a 2-0 victory over Heidenheim in Germany. The win keeps Enzo Maresca’s side at the top of the 36-team table with a flawless four-game streak in the group phase.

Christopher Nkunku, in scintillating form this season, opened the scoring with his fifth goal in the competition. The French forward expertly controlled Jadon Sancho’s pass before delivering a clinical finish. Nkunku, who played in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig before joining Chelsea, now has 11 goals across all competitions this season.

The match saw Chelsea’s defense tested by a spirited Heidenheim side, with goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen delivering a standout performance. Jorgensen made crucial saves, including a brilliant one-handed stop to deny 18-year-old Paul Wanner in the first half. He also thwarted efforts from Leo Scienza and Wanner again after Chelsea took the lead.

Mykhailo Mudryk sealed the victory in the 86th minute, curling a superb strike into the top corner. However, the game ended on a slightly sour note for Chelsea, as midfielder Cesare Casadei was sent off in injury time after receiving a second yellow card.

Heidenheim, known for their remarkable rise through the German football leagues, posed Chelsea’s toughest challenge so far in the group stage. Despite their resilience, the Bundesliga club couldn’t overcome the visitors’ quality.

A contentious moment occurred in the first half when Chelsea thought they had won a penalty after Mudryk went down under a challenge from Patrick Mainka. Following a lengthy VAR review, referee Serdar Gozubuyuk opted against awarding the spot-kick, deeming the contact insufficient.

Chelsea remain the team to beat in the competition, having scored 18 goals across their four group matches.