Chelsea cruise to victory against Astana as Maresca turns to youth | Chelsea

Chelsea confirmed passage to the last 16 of the Conference League with a 3-1 win against Astana in Kazakhstan as Enzo Maresca handed two academy graduates full debuts.

Defender Josh Acheampong, 18, and 19-year-old midfielder Samuel Rak-Sakyi each played for the club at under-eight level and enjoyed comfortable first starts in the senior team as the visitors triumphed in temperatures of around minus 10 in the Kazakh capital Almaty.

Fellow teenager Marc Guiu, a relative veteran with six previous Chelsea starts, scored twice in the opener on 18 minutes before Renato Veiga headed in his second for the club before the break.

Playing themselves 600 miles from home as their regular stadium underwent renovations, Astana gave those who had made the arduous journey reason to cheer when Croatian striker Marin Tomasov pinged one in off the post in a moment of rare quality from the hosts .

Maresca handed a second senior start to 18-year-old Tyrique George and left the majority of the XI at home that started Sunday’s 4-3 win over Tottenham, with Pedro Neto – who is suspended for this weekend’s meeting with Brentford – the only player to make it 7,000 miles round trip.

Neto had Chelsea’s first chance in freezing conditions in Kazakhstan, skating in from the right and striking low at the near post, goalkeeper Mukhammedzhan Seysen got down low to his left to save.

Guiu’s opener was a fine solo effort. Collecting the ball almost on the touchline wide right, he teed up full-back Aleksandr Marochkin before slotting the ball past him in the box and nudging the ball onto the post for his second Chelsea goal.

Astana already looked hopeless. Neto was next to take advantage, rocketing around the outside of his defender and crossing low towards Guiu. Seysen dived to grab the ball but could only return it to danger where it ricocheted between Guiu and Marochkin and over the line. Carney Chukwuemeka had a shot deflected wide after being given space, but Astana did not heed the warning. From the resulting corner, Veiga earned Almaty the freedom to rise and plant his header past the keeper.

A torrid night for Astana was made more palatable when Tomasov slipped Veiga’s attention and whistled home the goal of the night, his strike sailing up and beyond Filip Jörgensen’s reach and off the post.

Ato Ampah replaced Neto in the second half for his first senior Chelsea appearance, while Harvey Vale was sent on for a first appearance since 2022. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall had an effort inches wide as he sought his second goal since joining this summer, as Chelsea conceded to their hosts in the second half.

Striker Shim Mheuka also made his Chelsea debut at the age of 17 to become the club’s second-youngest player in Europe behind Dominic Solanke, then 18-year-old midfielder Kiano Dyer completed the list of those bowing out in blue.