On Thursday, May 1st, at the 3Arena in Stockholm, Djurgarden will host Chelsea in a historic UEFA Europa Conference League 2024/25 semi-final first leg. The Swedish side has already made history by becoming the first Swedish club in nearly 40 years to reach the semi-finals of a European competition. But to advance to the final, they will have to accomplish a true football miracle, facing the team that, more than Real Betis and Fiorentina (the other two semi-finalists), is widely considered the favourite to win this year's Conference League. Djurgarden finished fifth in the group stage with 13 points. Their knockout journey saw them eliminate Pafos (Cyprus) with a 3-1 aggregate in the Round of 16, and then Rapid Vienna in the quarter-finals with a stunning 1-4 comeback win in Austria after losing the first leg at home. Chelsea, currently fifth in the Premier League, dominated their group with a perfect record. In the knockouts, they beat Copenhagen and then Legia Warsaw—suffering their only defeat in the latter tie. Enzo Maresca’s side has rotated heavily throughout the tournament and is the only semi-finalist with both the best attack and best defense. Impressively, the Blues have won all five of their away games in the competition so far.

Djurgarden's Recent Form and Key Stats

Djurgarden are enjoying a solid run of form. They recently won 1-0 against Östers in the Swedish Allsvenskan, building on their impressive 1-4 away win over Rapid Vienna and a 0-0 draw with GAIS. After five rounds of the domestic season, Honkavaara’s side sits with 7 points (2 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses).

In this season’s UEFA Europa Conference League, Djurgarden have 6 wins, 1 draw, and 3 defeats, with 18 goals scored and 10 conceded over 10 matches. At home, they’ve won 3 and lost 2, averaging 1.8 goals scored and 1 conceded per match. Standout player Tobias Gulliksen has contributed 4 goals so far.

Chelsea's Recent Form and Key Stats

Chelsea are in strong contention for a Champions League spot next season. They come off back-to-back Premier League wins over Fulham and Everton, the latter a narrow 1-0 victory thanks to Nicolas Jackson’s 10th goal of the season. With this form, the Blues sit fifth in the Premier League and remain on course to return to Europe’s top competition.

Enzo Maresca’s side has won 9 out of 10 matches in Europe, averaging 3.3 goals scored and just 0.8 conceded per match. On the road, they’ve been flawless: 5 wins from 5, averaging 2.8 goals scored and only 0.6 conceded. Leading the charge is Marc Guiu with 6 goals.

Djurgarden vs Chelsea Prediction and Tactical Overview

Djurgarden are the surprise package of this tournament. If they reach the Conference League final, they would become the first Swedish club to play in a European final since IFK Göteborg won the UEFA Cup in 1986/87.

However, they face an uphill battle. Chelsea are not only the favorites to win the competition, but they also bring far greater experience in high-pressure European fixtures. That said, given Maresca's consistent squad rotation in the competition, Djurgarden could find a way to score at home.

Chelsea, boasting the best attack in this year’s Conference League, will likely push to take control of the tie from the first leg, especially with key league matches against Liverpool and Newcastle on the horizon.

For these reasons, the BetMines Algorithm prediction for Djurgarden vs Chelsea predicts a match in which both teams will score at least one goal. 

• The BetMines Algorithm prediction for Djurgarden vs Chelsea predicts that both teams will score at least one goal at 60%
• The BetMines Algorithm prediction for Djurgarden vs Chelsea predicts that at least one of the two teams will not score any goals at 40%

Predicted Lineups Djurgarden vs Chelsea

Djurgarden (4-2-3-1): Croon; Stahl, Une Larsson, Danielson, Kosugi; Stensson, Finndell; Haarala, Gulliksen, Priske; Nhuen. Coach: Honkavaara

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Jorgensen; Acheampong, Adarabioyo, Badiashile, Cucurella; James, Dewsbury-Hall; George, Fernandez, Sancho; Jackson. Coach: Maresca