Chelsea Maintain Perfect UEFA Conference League Run with 2-0 Victory Over Heidenheim

Chelsea secured their fourth triumph from four matches in the group stage of the UEFA Conference League, defeating European newcomers Heidenheim 2-0 at the Voith-Arena.

Meeting as two of the six teams with flawless records in this year’s Conference League, Heidenheim showcased a commendable display during an evenly-balanced opening 20 minutes, where they exhibited glimpses of offensive creativity. Indeed, after Marc Guiu and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall forced stops from Kevin Müller at the opposite end, it was the hosts who nearly opened the scoring through Paul Wanner, who glided into the area before firing a sharp attempt at Filip Jörgensen.

That opportunity turned out to be something of a wake-up moment for Chelsea, who came close through their leading marksman Christopher Nkunku’s chipped effort shortly afterward. The Blues then had a penalty claim overturned when referee Serdar Gözübüyük reversed his call to award Mykhailo Mudryk a spot-kick following a VAR review. Concluding the half on the front foot, the visitors failed to convert their superiority into a lead before the break, with Müller once more stepping up to deny Nkunku from close range.

Having achieved a competition-best 8-0 triumph over Noah in their previous Conference League fixture, Chelsea encountered a Heidenheim squad who had allowed just one European goal, proving significantly tougher to break down. However, six minutes into the second half, Nkunku maintained his streak of scoring in each of Chelsea’s five European matches this term, collecting Jadon Sancho’s assist and finishing clinically from within the box.

Now trailing, the German side created numerous opportunities, with Léo Scienza unleashing a couple of efforts towards the Blues’ net before Jörgensen made a crucial save, stopping Wanner from netting what seemed to be a certain goal. An open-ended second half continued delivering chances as Nkunku produced a weak shot in a one-on-one situation, giving Maximilian Breunig the chance to seemingly equalise with a diving header, only to be flagged offside.

Ultimately, Chelsea sealed the win in the 86th minute when a precise strike from Mudryk left Müller helpless. That goal ensured Cesare Casadei’s injury-time red card didn’t hinder Enzo Maresca’s men as they snapped a three-game winless streak in Germany, reclaiming their place atop the Conference League table. For Heidenheim, another disallowed goal from Breunig in the dying moments meant they’ve now failed to find the net in four of their last six home games. This is far from ideal for a team battling domestically, but with three victories out of four in Europe, Frank Schmidt’s men remain in the automatic qualification spots with two matches remaining.