“I was afraid” – Enzo Maresca finally explains tactical surprise that almost cost Chelsea in Copenhagen win
Chelsea secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over FC Copenhagen in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League knockout tie, but Enzo Maresca admitted his side struggled due to an unexpected tactical setup from the Danish club.
“Very important for many reasons,” Maresca said when assessing the result. “It was away, it’s a knockout game.”
The Blues had just five shots throughout the match and found it difficult to break down Copenhagen’s defensive structure. The Chelsea boss revealed that his team had not anticipated the opposition’s tactical shift.
“They surprised us. They played with a line of five, so we didn’t expect that,” Maresca explained.
Despite securing a narrow lead ahead of the second leg at Stamford Bridge, the Italian manager remains cautious about the return fixture. When asked if he feared the second leg, he admitted:
“I’m always afraid. Now the focus is on Sunday’s game and then we have two or three days to prepare for another difficult game.”
Chelsea must avoid defeat in the second leg to secure a place in the quarterfinals of the competition.