The Blues remain firm favourites to win Europe’s revamped tertiary club competition this season, having stormed to top spot in the new league phase by winning all six matches and scoring 26 goals while conceding just five in reply with a second-string team.
Chelsea easily avoided a two-legged knockout play-off tie and advanced directly through to the last 16, where they will now face FC Copenhagen next month.
The Danish outfit finished down in 18th place during the league phase after winning only two games and had to contest a dramatic play-off clash against Heidenheim, whom Chelsea beat earlier in the competition, losing 2-1 at home last week before bouncing back to win the second leg 3-1 in Germany on Thursday night as Mexico winger Rodrigo Huescas popped up with the crucial goal in extra time.
Chelsea will visit Copenhagen’s Parken Stadium for the first leg on March 6 before returning to Stamford Bridge for the decider one week later, on March 13. The latter fixture comes just three days before Enzo Maresca’s side travel to Arsenal for a London derby in the Premier League before the international break.
If Chelsea get past Copenhagen as expected, then they will face either Norwegian team Molde or Polish side Legia Warsaw in the quarter-finals, with the second leg away from home.
Win that too and a semi-final looms against either Cypriot side Pafos, Djurgarden of Sweden, Bosnian team Borac or Austrian outfit Rapid Vienna, with the second leg again away.
If Chelsea were to get to the final in the Polish city of Wroclaw on May 28, then it could be that the likes of Real Betis or Fiorentina are waiting for them.
