Chelsea Youngsters Shine Under Enzo Maresca Despite Freezing Conditions In Astana

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Enzo Maresca praised his young squad after Chelsea's 3-1 victory over Astana in the Conference League. Despite the harsh -10 degrees Celsius in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on Thursday, Chelsea secured their place in the last 16. Marc Guiu scored first at 14 minutes, followed by an own goal from Aleksandr Marochkin and a header from Renato Veiga, putting them 3-0 up within 39 minutes.

Astana's Marin Tomasov managed to score before halftime, but a comeback was never on the cards. Josh Acheampong, Samuel Rak-Sakyi, Tyrique George, and Guiu started the match, marking the first time four teenagers have done so for Chelsea in European competition. Several other young players joined in during the second half.

Maresca expressed his satisfaction with how his team adapted to the freezing weather. He stated: "It was quite cold. The players did fantastically in the conditions after a long journey. All of the young players have done very well. I am very happy for them and also the ones that came on in the second half."

Maresca is optimistic about these young talents' future prospects in the Premier League. He believes they can earn more playing time if they continue working hard. "For sure in the future they can play more in the Premier League," he added.

Neto's Contribution and Reflections

Pedro Neto assisted Chelsea’s second goal and felt they deserved their win. He shared with TNT Sports: "It was really cold, I think the coldest I have ever played in. Once we were warmed up it was a little bit better." Neto noted that shooting was challenging due to heavy conditions but praised their attitude and preparation.

Chelsea will face Brentford next in a Premier League match on Sunday. The team looks forward to continuing their strong performance as they transition back to domestic competition.