Chelsea vs Gent Report
Scorers: Veiga 12’, Neto 46’, Nkunku 63‘, Dewsbury-Hall 70’; Watanabe 50’, Gandelman 90’
Chelsea began their UEFA Conference League (UECL) journey with an impressive 4-2 win over KAA Gent at Stamford Bridge, marking only one loss in their last 15 home matches across all competitions.
Despite resting several first-team regulars, the Blues controlled much of the game and showed their attacking prowess.
First Half: Veiga’s Early Goal Puts Chelsea in Control
After a season without European football, Chelsea embraced their return to continental competition with a dominant first half, despite fielding a rotated lineup.
Manager Enzo Maresca felt confident enough in his squad to leave stars like Cole Palmer, Jadon Sancho, Nicolas Jackson, and Moisés Caicedo out of the starting eleven for the first phase of the UECL.
Nonetheless, the Blues quickly asserted their dominance, pinning Gent in their own half for extended periods.
The first major chance came for Chelsea in the 12th minute and resulted in the opening goal. Mykhaylo Mudryk delivered a precise cross to the back post, where Renato Veiga rose to head in his first goal for the club.
The visitors struggled to make any impact for much of the half, only creating opportunities as the 30-minute mark approached. Archie Brown was denied by Filip Jörgensen in a one-on-one situation, and Andri Guðjohnsen—son of Chelsea legend Eiður Guðjohnsen—fired over the bar from inside the box.
Second Half: A Flurry of Goals Seals Chelsea’s Win
The second half burst into life immediately, with Pedro Neto doubling Chelsea’s lead within 60 seconds of the restart.
Neto hammered in a powerful strike from a tight angle, scoring his second goal for the club. However, Gent quickly responded to halve the deficit. Tsuyoshi Watanabe found himself unmarked at the back post, heading Guðjohnsen’s cross beyond Jörgensen to make it 2-1.
Chelsea’s response was swift, and Christopher Nkunku restored the two-goal lead shortly thereafter. Having been quiet for much of the match, Nkunku pounced on a loose ball and struck through Gent goalkeeper Davy Roef from the edge of the box.
This third goal seemed to deflate Gent, who soon fell further behind when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall opened his Chelsea account by sliding the ball under Roef, making it 4-1 and effectively ending the contest.
Although Gent managed a late consolation through Omri Gandelman, the visitors were unable to mount a serious comeback. Chelsea comfortably saw out the game, taking an important first step in their UECL campaign and setting the tone as early favourites for the trophy, which would make them the first club to win all of UEFA’s major club competitions.
Key Moments
- Veiga’s Opener (12′): Renato Veiga heads in Mykhaylo Mudryk’s cross to give Chelsea an early lead.
- Neto Doubles the Lead (46′): Pedro Neto scores from a tight angle, doubling Chelsea’s advantage immediately after halftime.
- Gent’s Response (51′): Tsuyoshi Watanabe pulls one back for Gent with a well-placed header.
- Nkunku and Dewsbury-Hall Goals (55′, 68′): Christopher Nkunku and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall extend Chelsea’s lead to 4-1.
- Gandelman’s Late Strike (88′): Omri Gandelman scores a consolation goal for Gent to make it 4-2.
Conclusion
Chelsea’s controlled and clinical performance, even with a rotated squad, showed their depth and intent to dominate the UECL. With a strong start in the competition, they look well on their way to progressing to the knockout stages. KAA Gent, meanwhile, will hope for a more favourable result against Molde after the international break.
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Chelsea vs Gent | UEFA Conference League 2024/25