Djurgarden’s Keita Kosugi admits he simply couldn’t handle one Chelsea player, ‘he was so good…’

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Chelsea completely overpowered Swedish club Djurgarden on Thursday night in their European showdown.

In the first leg of a Conference League semi-final tie, Chelsea thrashed Djurgarden 4-1 away from home to edge them closer to the final in Wrocław.

The Blues need to finish the job in the second leg at Stamford Bridge. In between that, they host Liverpool in an important Premier League fixture.

Despite pre-match concerns from Chelsea’s players about the artificial pitch that Djurgarden plays on, it didn’t appear to be a factor in the contest. The Premier League giants ended up steamrolling their opponents across 90 minutes.

If Enzo Maresca’s side finish the job against Djurgarden in the second leg, they’ll face either Real Betis or Fiorentina in the final.

• READ MORE: Four biggest winners from Chelsea’s 4-1 win over Djurgarden as Reggie Walsh becomes the club’s third youngest debutant

Keita Kosugi admits Noni Madueke was too good

It was definitely a learning experience for Djurgarden’s defence against Chelsea, including for 19-year-old left-back Keita Kosugi.

Even though he only played the first 45 minutes, Noni Madueke was electric on the right wing for the visitors in Stockholm. He provided a constant threat with his directness, plus he got on the scoresheet with a powerful low finish into the bottom corner.

Speaking after the European tie, Kosugi delivered a glowing verdict on Madueke after suffering a tough experience against him in one-on-one situations.

He told FotbollSkanalen: “I couldn’t do anything to Madueke. He was so good. I tried to stop him but he created a lot anyway. He’s one of the best wingers in the Premier League, so it’s difficult to face him. But if I want to get there (to that level) I have to develop a lot.”

In fairness, Madueke has tormented a lot of full-backs during his time in Chelsea colours when he’s in the mood. He’s got the kind of raw pace and change of directness that makes him a nightmare to come up against.

The English wide man took his goal superbly well against Djurgarden to bring up his 11th goal of the season across all competitions.

Noni Madueke has studied Mohamed Salah with his trainer as he attempts to elevate his own game to new heights. We believe the 23-year-old’s got all the qualities to grow into a top-class winger, but he just needs to find consistency.

What Enzo Maresca said about Noni Madueke in pre-season

It’s certainly been an interesting ride for Chelsea’s group of players during the first year under this management.

Back in August 2024, Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca suggested Noni Madueke could suit his style. He said in pre-season: “There was some doubt with Noni, but in the way I like the winger, he could be a good profile for us.”

Even though his form has gone up and down, Madueke has proven enough times he does suit the Maresca system.

The left-footed speedster is a touchline winger who can beat his full-back either way. Also, he works extremely hard as an attacker when it comes to his defensive work and tracking back.

We’ve got belief that Madueke will only get better and better in the years to come.