Chelsea secure another routine win despite freezing temperatures

Enzo Maresca was delighted with his Chelsea youngsters as they beat Astana 3-1 in a freezing cold Kazakhstan.

The Chelsea boss sang the praises of his young players after the Blues comfortably saw off Astana 3-1 in the Conference League in brutally cold conditions.

There was a reported temperature of -10 degrees Celsius in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on Thursday, but that did not stop Maresca’s side from running out winners and confirming their spot in the last 16.

Marc Guiu opened the scoring 14 minutes before Aleksandr Marochkin’s own goal, and Renato Veiga’s header had the Blues 3-0 up inside 39 minutes.

Marin Tomasov pulled one back for Astana before halftime, but there was never any danger of a comeback.

Josh Acheampong, Samuel Rak-Sakyi, Tyrique George, and Guiu all started the game. It was the first time four teenagers had done so in a European competition for Chelsea, while several other youngsters appeared in the second half.

Maresca was delighted with the way they adapted to the harsh weather.

Speaking after the game, the manager revealed how cold the temperature is but delighted overall how the players performed fantastically in the conditions after a long journey.

“All of the young players have done very well. I am very happy for them – and also the ones that came on in the second half.

“For sure, in the future, they can play more in the Premier League. They need to work hard to deserve the chance, but they are doing very well.”

Despite the wholesome changes made by Maresca, the visitors didn’t look a side that traveled with a lot of youngsters.

With the absence of big names in the squad, Maresca’s men did a pretty good job in the torrid conditions, which is a testament to the squad depth they’ve got on the side. 

It’s league action once again for Chelsea as they host Brentford on Sunday.