Astana v Chelsea LIVE: Conference League score and updates as Marc Guiu brace gives Blues comfortable lead
The Blues travel to Kazakhstan with Enzo Maresca ready to hand out a number of debuts to the club’s best youngsters
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Your support makes all the difference.Chelsea travel to Kazakhstan in the Conference League to play Astana in a gruelling midweek trip.
The Blues have taken a young squad with many highly-rated talents set for a debut in the freezing conditions of Almaty.
Enzo Maresca will hope to maintain the good form following a thrilling comeback victory at Tottenham on Sunday, with Cole Palmer thriving, before turning attention back to league matters and a Sunday evening kick-off against Brentford.
Chelsea are top of the Conference League, level with Legia Warszawa, with just two games remaining against Astana and Shamrock Rovers back at Stamford Bridge on 19 December.
Follow all the latest build-up to the early kick-off in the Conference League in our live blog below:
Astana 0-2 Chelsea
36 mins: Oh hello, maybe they do?
A quick counter attack sees the hosts force Chelsea to back track. The ball is sent up to Chinedu who has a lot of space ahead of him. He decides to unleash a shot but mishits it and lifts the ball very high and very wide.
He sighs in frustration at his own effort.
Astana 0-2 Chelsea
33 mins: Chelsea’s dominance continues. Watching this game feels as though Chelsea are picking their moments to attack and score goals.
Their build-up is slow but controlled and Astana don’t have an answer.
Astana 0-2 Chelsea
30 mins: Marc Guiu is clattered and stays on the deck after taking a knock to the knee from Aleksa Amanovic. The Astana midfielder is booked and Guiu needs to run the pain off, especially in this cold weather.
Astana 0-2 Chelsea
27 mins: Close!
Pedro Neto works the ball onto his left foot and lifts a cross over to the back post. Renato Veiga makes a deep run the looks to turn the half-volley effort in at the near post.
He doesn’t catch it right and the ball is lofted high.
Astana 0-2 Chelsea
25 mins: There’s no escape for Astana. Chelsea are forcing them to defend deeper and deeper and when the ball is booted long the visitors win it back quickly and keep up their momentum.
Astana 0-2 Chelsea
22 mins: Marc Guiu has been awarded the second Chelsea goal after Uefa scanned the replays of it. Apparantly if hit him last before going in.
The youngster will be pleased with that outcome.
GOAL! Astana 0-2 Chelsea (Marc Guiu, 18’)
Another one!
Pedro Neto makes it with an injection in pace on the right wing and dances into the box. He laces a pass across the face of goal and forces the keeper to push it away.
He deflects it into the path of Aleksandr Marchokin and the ball bounces off the defender’s back onto Marc Guic and into the back of the net.
Astana 0-1 Chelsea
17 mins: Chelsea have the goal they wanted and they’re being allowed to stroll around the midfield without too much trouble. Now that they’ve settled, Chelsea could notch up a big score here.
GOAL! Astana 0-1 Chelsea (Marc Guiu, 14’)
It didn’t take long!
Marc Guiu receives the ball on the right wing and decides to go it alone. He takes on the nearest defender and sweeps around the outside before darting into the box and poking a fine shot past the goalkeeper.
Chelsea lead.
Astana 0-0 Chelsea
12 mins: There’s a penalty check taking place after Carney Chukwuemeka is taken out inside the Astana penalty area. Nothing comes from it though.
Neto then sweeps forward on the right and digs out a cross but Yan Vorogovskiy is on hand to clear the danger.
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