Enzo Maresca sang the praises of his young players after Chelsea comfortably beat Astana 3-1 in the Conference League in brutally cold conditions.
A temperature of -10 degrees Celsius was reported in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on Thursday, but that did not stop Maresca's side from selecting winners and confirming their place in the last 16.
Marc Guiu opened the scoring after 14 minutes before an Aleksandr Marochkin own goal and Renato Veiga header put the Blues 3-0 ahead after 39 minutes.
Marin Tomasov scored one goal for Astana before half-time, but there was never any danger of a comeback.
Josh Acheampong, Samuel Rak-Sakyi, Tyrique George and Guiu all started the match, the first time four teenagers have done so in European competition for Chelsea, with several other youngsters appearing in the second half.
Maresca was delighted with the way they adapted to the harsh weather.
He said: “It was quite cold. The players did fantastic under the conditions after a long journey.
“All the young players have done very well. I'm very happy for them – and also for those who came on in the second half.
“They can definitely play more in the Premier League in the future. They have to work hard to earn the opportunity, but they are doing very well.”
For those of you who have made the journey from London to Almaty, your support has been incredible. Thank you. #CFC | #UECL pic.twitter.com/kz8Gbk97Yb
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 12, 2024
Pedro Neto assisted Chelsea's second goal of the match and felt his side were a worthy winner.
He told TNT Sports: “It was really cold, I think it's the coldest I've ever played in.
“Once we warmed up, things got a little better. On the shootout it was a bit tough, it's not easy to play in this weather.
“We had the right attitude, played the match we had prepared and we are very happy with the three points.”
Chelsea are next in action against Brentford in the Premier League on Sunday.
Comments