Timothé Cognat (right) and the Servettiens held up well against Chelsea (here Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall).
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Servette has a duty to believe, because the party will have to be great next Thursday, during the return match. But there is very little chance that the Grenat will play in a European Cup this year, after being beaten 2-0 by Chelsea, during the Conference League play-off first leg on Thursday. An honourable setback, but which ultimately leaves them with little hope.
At Stamford Bridge, Servette was not afraid. Should it have been? That Chelsea is a team made up of individuals from another world than those of Servette is difficult to dispute. But collectively, Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea is probably not yet in the running. Thomas Häberli’s Servette, in the continuity of those of Alain Geiger and René Weiler, knows how to recite its score. Not necessarily spectacular, but it is often mastered. Especially in big matches. But it was still necessary to be able to reproduce it in an arena like this.
On Thursday, there were a good ten minutes that were a bit difficult to live with for the Grenat, where Pedro Neto’s speed on the right side struggled to be contained. Without consequence. And Servette considered that he had the right to exist: his first half is to be remembered. For his management of the sequences of play, his ability to be compact in weak times and especially not to rush with the ball. To build goal situations.
Big opportunities for Servette
There was Dereck Kutesa’s, after a quarter of an hour, but his left-footed shot was stopped by Jorgensen, the English goalkeeper. There was also Rouiller’s header, well caught after a free kick from Cognat (38th). On the Blues side, although the danger seemed to be able to come at any moment, it was only a few shivers. There was this attempt by Mudryk (28th) which grazed the post, then this shot by Pedro Neto after Tsunemoto lost the ball (32nd).
Deep down, we say to ourselves that the second half could have been of the same ilk. Except that he had this bad reading of Jérémy Frick a few minutes after the restart. The Geneva goalkeeper came out late and mowed down Nkunku. The Frenchman converted the penalty conceded himself (50th). In the process, Frick got out of it well: after having the ball stolen by Guiu twenty meters from his goal, he intervened in a catastrophe to avoid the 2-0. Except that it ended up falling, a quarter of an hour from the end of the game, when Enzo Fernandez launched Noni Madueke deep. Forgotten by Mazikou, the Englishman ran into the area and lit Frick up at the near post.
Given the gap between the two teams on paper, the score is not very heavy. It could have even been lighter, with a few hot situations at the end of the match, like this deflected shot from Tiemoko Ouattara which ended up on the bar (86th) or this shot from Guillemenot in the last second stopped by Jorgensen. But we have to say that it will be very difficult to catch up in a week at La Praille. But nothing can take away Servette’s right to believe in it.
Chelsea – Servette 2-0 (0-0)
Stamford Bridge, 37,902 spectators. Referee: Jérémie Pignard (FRA).
Goals: 50e Nkunku (penalty) 1-0 76e Madueke 2-0
Chelsea: Jorgensen; Disasi (78e Gusto), Adarabioyo, Badiashile, Veiga; Nkunku (57e Enzo Fernandez), Caicedo (84e Lavia), Dewsbury-Hall; Neto (57e Madueke), Guiu (57e Palmer), Mudryk. Entraîneur: Enzo Maresca.
Servette: Frick; Tsunemoto, Rouiller, Séverin, Mazikou; Stevanovic (61st Antunes), Ondoua, Douline (69th Von Moos), Kutesa (69th Magnin); Cognat (85th Ouattara); Crivelli (61st Guillemenot). Coach: Thomas Häberli.
Avertissements: 53e Cognat. 92e Dewsbury-Hall.
