Updated at 22.26
JOAO FELIX ended his goal drought with a brace as Chelsea powered to a 4-1 win against Panathinaikos in the Uefa Conference League, while Welsh club The New Saints made history with a 2-0 victory against Kazakh side Astana on Thursday.
Portugal forward Felix has struggled to make an impact since returning for a second spell with Chelsea in August in a £46.3 million (€55 million) deal.
Portugal forward Felix has struggled to make an impact since returning for a second spell with Chelsea in August.
Yet to start a Premier League game following his move from Atletico Madrid, the 24-year-old seized the chance to prove a point to Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca.
Felix’s only goal in seven previous appearances this season came on his debut at Wolves on 25 August.
He ended his six-game barren run in the first half against out-classed Panathinaikos and netted again after the interval.
Mykhailo Mudryk and Christopher Nkunku were also on target as Chelsea made it two wins from two games in the tournament.
“The most important thing is no matter how many players we change, you can see the identity of the team. The identity is quite clear,” Maresca said.
“What we want is exactly what they’re doing, taking the chance when we give it to them. Tonight once again they showed that.”
Before kick-off, Panathinaikos paid an emotional tribute to their defender George Baldock, who drowned in his swimming pool in Athens aged 31 earlier this month.
Maresca made 11 changes from the side that lost at Liverpool last weekend but still fielded a strong side that was far too dynamic for the Greeks.
Felix put Chelsea ahead in the 22nd minute, starting the move with a cushioned header to Mudryk before sprinting into the six-yard box to slot home from the Ukrainian’s cross.
After setting up Chelsea’s opener, Mudryk bagged the second himself in the 49th minute with a fierce strike from Neto’s cross.
Felix scored again in the 55th minute, putting the result beyond doubt with a 20-yard drive that took a wicked deflection into the net.
Nkunku’s 59th-minute penalty, awarded for Daniel Mancini’s foul, underlined Chelsea’s superiority.
Facundo Pellistri got one back for Panathinaikos with a close-range finish in the 69th minute.
- TNS fairytale -
The New Saints are the first club from the Cymru Premier League to win a match in the group phase of a European competition.
Playing at English League One side Shrewsbury’s New Meadow instead of their own stadium, which was too small for Conference League regulations, the Welsh minnows took the lead in the 40th minute when Rory Holden headed home from Jordan Williams’ cross.
Craig Harrison’s side, the first team from the Welsh domestic system to make a European group stage, were beaten 2-0 at Fiorentina in their opener, but they would not be denied a fairytale victory this time.
In the 78th minute, Adam Wilson’s cross was handled by Islambek Kuat in the penalty area and Declan McManus drilled his spot-kick down the middle.
Beaten by West Ham and then Olympiakos in the last two Conference League finals, Fiorentina survived a scare in their 4-2 win at St Gallen.
The Swiss side took a shock lead through Felix Mambimbi’s 23rd-minute goal but Lucas Martinez equalised in the 50th minute.
Jonathan Ikone struck for Fiorentina four minutes later before St Gallen’s Lukas Gortler levelled in the 62nd minute.
Ikone restored the lead in the 69th minute and Robin Gosens’s stoppage-time goal secured the Serie A team’s second successive victory in the competition.
UEFA Conference League results on Thursday:
Viking Reykjavik (ISL) 3 (Sigurpalsson 17, Djuric 76, Vatnhamar 83) Cercle Brugge (BEL) 1 (Olaigbe 16)
APOEL (CYP) 0 FK Borac (BIH) 1 (Savic 63)
Celje (SLO) 5 (Svetlin 5, Brnic 30, Seslar 34, Kucys 51, 77) Istanbul Basaksehir (TUR) 1 (Pelkas 75)
Djurgarden (SWE) 1 (Stensson 62) Vitoria Guimaraes (POR) 2 (Manu 58, Nuno Santos 79)
Gent (BEL) 2 (Fadiga 24, Brown 90+5) Molde (NOR) 1 (Moller Daehli 78)
Hearts (SCO) 2 (Forrest 16, Spittal 23) Omonia Nicosia (CYP) 0
Jagiellonia Białystok (POL) 2 (Pululu 69, 72) Petrocub (MDA) 0
Larne (NIR) 1 (Gallagher 48) Shamrock Rovers (IRL) 4 (Honohan 3, Kenny 24, Cosgrove 30-og, Burke 53)
Panathinaikos (GRE) 1 (Pellistri 69) Chelsea (ENG) 4 (Joao Felix 22, 55, Mudryk 48, Nkunku 59-pen)
Rapid Vienna (AUT) 1 (Beljo 31) Noah (ARM) 0
St. Gallen (SUI) 2 (Mambimbi 23, Goertler 62) Fiorentina (ITA) 4 (Martinez 50, Ikone 54, 69, Gosens 90+3)
HJK (FIN) 1 (Moeller 46) Dinamo Minsk (BLR) 0
Mlada Boleslav (CZE) 0 Lugano (SUI) 1 (Steffen 38)
Olimpija (SLO) 2 (Alex Blanco 14, Lucas 80) LASK (AUT) 0
Pafos (CYP) 0 Heidenheim (GER) 1 (Mainka 25)
Real Betis (ESP) 1 (Ezzalzouli 8) Copenhagen (DEN) 1 (Diks 77-pen)
The New Saints (WAL) 2 (Holden 40, McManus 78-pen) Astana (KAZ) 0
TSC (SRB) 0 Legia Warsaw (POL) 3 (Kapustka 11, Luquinhas 47, Chodyna 62)
