Is Astana v Chelsea on TV? How to watch Conference League ...
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Chelsea travel to Kazakhstan in the Conference League to play Astana in a gruelling midweek trip.
The Blues have taken a young squad with many highly-rated talents set for a debut in the freezing conditions of Almaty.
Enzo Maresca will hope to maintain the good form following a thrilling comeback victory at Tottenham on Sunday, with Cole Palmer thriving, before turning attention back to league matters and a Sunday evening kick-off against Brentford.
Chelsea are top of the Conference League, level with Legia Warszawa, with just two games remaining against Astana and Shamrock Rovers back at Stamford Bridge on 19 December.
Follow all the latest build-up to the early kick-off in the Conference League in our live blog below:
22 mins: Marc Guiu has been awarded the second Chelsea goal after Uefa scanned the replays of it. Apparantly if hit him last before going in.
The youngster will be pleased with that outcome.
Mike Jones12 December 2024 15:55
Another one!
Pedro Neto makes it with an injection in pace on the right wing and dances into the box. He laces a pass across the face of goal and forces the keeper to push it away.
He deflects it into the path of Aleksandr Marchokin and the ball bounces off the defender’s back onto Marc Guic and into the back of the net.
Mike Jones12 December 2024 15:51
17 mins: Chelsea have the goal they wanted and they’re being allowed to stroll around the midfield without too much trouble. Now that they’ve settled, Chelsea could notch up a big score here.
Mike Jones12 December 2024 15:49
It didn’t take long!
Marc Guiu receives the ball on the right wing and decides to go it alone. He takes on the nearest defender and sweeps around the outside before darting into the box and poking a fine shot past the goalkeeper.
Chelsea lead.
Mike Jones12 December 2024 15:46
12 mins: There’s a penalty check taking place after Carney Chukwuemeka is taken out inside the Astana penalty area. Nothing comes from it though.
Neto then sweeps forward on the right and digs out a cross but Yan Vorogovskiy is on hand to clear the danger.
Mike Jones12 December 2024 15:44
9 mins: Chance!
That’s a fine pass from Josh Acheampong to thread Pedro Neto in behind the Astana left-back. Neto cuts into the box, gets into space and then shoots.
The effort is low and heading for the near post but Mukhammejan Seisen drops down and smothers the ball.
Mike Jones12 December 2024 15:40
6 mins: Astana have one of the worst expected goals against in the entire competition so Chelsea should be confident of securing a big win today.
Enzo Maresca’s team are trying to find their feet and get used to these unusually conditions. Samuel Rak-Sakyi is brought down in the middle of the pitch and Chelsea win a free kick.
Mike Jones12 December 2024 15:38
3 mins: There are a lot of gloves on display as the game itself begins to heat up. Geoffrey Charles Chinedu bombs down the left wing and recovers a long ball.
The host work it over to the opposite side of the pitch where Marin Tomasov dinks the ball into the box and fizzes one over the top.
Mike Jones12 December 2024 15:36
Chelsea get the ball rolling with their breaths visible in the cold air. They’ll want to get warmed up quickly so expect a quick tempo to start with.
The Blues look to keep the ball around the defence and draw out the home side.
Mike Jones12 December 2024 15:31
Here come the teams.
The players head out onto the pitch in cold, frosty conditions. Enzo Maresca has named an inexperienced team for the most part but the are some leaders on the pitch including captain for this evening Axel Disasi.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Carney Chukwuemeka will be hoping to impress as well. Can the Blues come away with a win?
Let’s find out, kick off is up next...
Mike Jones12 December 2024 15:26
