Chelsea, despite taking an early lead, were defeated 2-1 by Servette on Thursday night.
However, they advanced to the league phase of the UEFA Conference League with a 3-2 aggregate win.
Nkunku, who had scored a penalty in the first leg, again converted from the spot after 14 minutes to give Chelsea the lead, bringing his season’s goal tally to three.
Servette equalized with a goal from Jeremy Guillemenot after 32 minutes, sparking celebration among the home fans.
Timothe Cognat assisted Enzo Crivelli, who scored in the 72nd minute to give Servette a 2-1 lead.
With much of the damage done at Stamford Bridge in the first leg, Chelsea only needed a result—win, lose, or draw—to progress. They managed to hold on to their lead and advance to the next stage.
The draw for the league phase of the Conference League will occur on Friday, August 30, 2024, at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, a departure from the previous UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
A major change in the updated format is the transition to a single 36-team ‘league stage’ for the group phase. Each team will play eight different opponents, with four matches at home and four away.
The top eight teams will advance directly to the round of 16. Teams finishing in the ninth to 24th positions will compete in knockout play-offs, with the winners moving on to the last 16.
The final will be held in Poland, where Chelsea aims to become the first English club to win the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League trophies.
