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Djurgarden and Chelsea trade tackles in the first leg of the UEFA Conference League semi-final on Thursday at 3Arena.
The hosts are coming off a 1-0 victory over Oster at the same venue in the Swedish Allsvenskan last Friday. Mattis Adolfsson's own goal three minutes from time decided the contest.
Chelsea, meanwhile, triumphed over Everton by the same scoreline at home in the Premier League. Nicholas Jackson broke the deadlock in the 27th-minute with a shot from outside the box, and his strike proved to be the difference between the two sides.
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The Blues now shift their focus to the continent. They booked their spot at this stage with a 4-2 aggregate victory over Legia Warsaw despite suffering an embarrassing 2-1 home defeat in the second leg. Djurgarden, meanwhile, needed extra time to eliminate Rapid Vienna with a 4-2 aggregate victory.
Both sides resume their continental sojourn as they square off for a chance to face Real Betis or Fiorentina in the final in Wroclaw, Poland, next month.
Djurgarden vs Chelsea Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- This will be the first meeting between the two sides.
- Eight of Djurgarden's last nine games across competitions have seen at least one side keep a clean sheet, with seven producing less than three goals.
- Eight of Chelsea's last nine games to produce a winner have been decided by one-goal margins.
- Djurgarden's victory over Oster ended their run of four home games without a win, losing three.
- Chelsea have never lost against Swedish opposition in eight meetings, winning five.
- Chelsea have progressed from 12 of their last 14 double-legged ties in UEFA club competition.
Djurgarden vs Chelsea Prediction
Djurgarden have defied expectations by getting here. The Iron Stoves are in the last four of a European competition for the first time are the first Swedish club to compete at this stage since IFK Goteborg's UEFA Cup triumph in 1987.
The Stockholm outfit started their Conference Leaue campaign poorly, but a strong finish saw them advance to the knockouts automatically. They have also proven their mettle by overcoming first-leg deficits in the last two rounds. Their reward is undoubtedly the toughest task of all, as they face a two-time UEFA Champions League winner.
Chelsea, meanwhile, have fallen from those heights of four years ago and will instead aim for glory in Europe's tertiary competition. The Blues were the overwhelming favourites to win the tournament, and the manner in which they dispatched their opponents in their first nine games highlights the difference in class between them and the rest of the competition.
Winning the Conference League might not do much to ease the pressure on Enzo Maresca, considering it was almost a given, while the Stmaford Bridge outfit are also engaged in an intense top five race domestically.
Nevertheless, expect the visitors to claim a routine victory and also keep a clean sheet.
Prediction: Djurgarden 0-2 Chelsea
Djurgarden vs Chelsea Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Chelsea to win
Tip 2 - Both teams to score: No
Tip 3 - Over 1.5 goals
