Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca shared his thoughts after the 2–2 draw against Qarabag in the UEFA Champions League League stage.

Offsideplus.az reports that, Maresca said his side started well but lost control after early mistakes:

“We started the game in the right way, scored the opening goal, but then conceded twice — one of them even when Qarabag were down to 10 men. Both goals were avoidable. In their box, we needed to be more clinical.”

The Italian manager also explained that several key players were rested:

“We decided to rest Moisés (Caicedo), Enzo (Fernández), Malo (Gusto) and a few others. They can’t play every three days. The Club World Cup took a lot out of us, so we tried to rotate the squad.”

On Romeo Lavia’s injury, Maresca expressed concern:

“Romeo will likely be out for quite a long time. We’re still assessing the situation, but it seems to be a quad problem.”

Reflecting on the game, Maresca said Chelsea improved after the break:

“We were in control, but after conceding the first goal, we allowed another within a few minutes. In the second half, we were much better. Every match is a chance for players to prove why they deserve to be here.”

He also praised Qarabag’s performance:

“Qarabag are a strong side, and it’s never easy to play here. The big difference today was inside the box. The goals we conceded were soft, and we weren’t sharp enough in attack. That’s what made the difference.”

Maresca highlighted the efforts of his young players:

“Everyone who started was ready to deliver. Alejandro Garnacho played well in the second half — he’s improving step by step. Jorrel Hato started strongly too, but later made some mistakes we need to fix.”

Finally, the Chelsea boss concluded by stressing that his team’s overall play was positive:

“I don’t see a problem with our play on the ball. Qarabag pressed well, but we created plenty of chances. There are things we can improve, but overall, I saw some good moments.”

The match ended 2–2, marking another historic result for Qarabag against one of Europe’s elite clubs.