Teenage sensation Marc Guiu scored a first-half hat-trick as Chelsea powered past Shamrock Rovers 5-1 to secure the top spot in the Conference League group stage, while denying the visitors automatic progression to the knockout rounds.
Already guaranteed a place in the last 16, Enzo Maresca’s youthful Blues maintained their perfect record in the competition with a dominant display.
EDITOR’S PICKS
Chelsea capitalized on early pressure when 18-year-old striker Guiu punished a mix-up between Darragh Burns and goalkeeper Leon Pohls to open the scoring.
Shamrock Rovers nearly equalized twice through Johnny Kenny before leveling the game when Markus Poom’s thunderous shot deflected off Cesare Casadei, igniting cheers from their 3,000 traveling fans.
However, the celebration was short-lived. Guiu exploited Daniel Cleary’s under-hit back pass, squeezing the ball home from an improbable angle to restore Chelsea’s lead.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall extended the margin, pouncing on a loose ball inside the box, before Guiu completed his hat-trick with a close-range header in first-half stoppage time.
Marc Cucurella added to the tally in the second half, his precise low shot bouncing off the inside of the post and into the net, capping off Chelsea’s flawless group-stage campaign in emphatic style.
Shamrock Rovers now face the knockout phase play-offs and await the results of Friday’s draw.
Prominent human rights lawyer and activist, Dele Farotimi, appeared at the Ekiti Magistrate Court…
Human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, has been granted bail by an Ekiti State Magistrate Court,…
The Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development, in partnership with the Lagos State…