Chelsea wrapped up the Conference League group stage in style with a commanding 5-1 victory over Shamrock Rovers at Stamford Bridge, maintaining their perfect record and securing top spot.
Teenage sensation Marc Guiu stole the spotlight, bagging a first-half hat-trick in a dominant display by Enzo Maresca’s rotated squad. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Marc Cucurella also found the net as the Blues extended their unbeaten run to six games in Europe’s tertiary competition.
The night started with energy from Shamrock’s 3,000 traveling fans, whose antics briefly delayed play. However, defensive blunders cost the visitors dearly, with Guiu capitalizing on two errors to open the scoring and restore Chelsea’s lead after an early Shamrock equalizer.
Dewsbury-Hall’s clinical finish and Guiu’s pinpoint header just before halftime left Chelsea firmly in control. Cucurella rounded off the scoring in the second half with a precise finish off the post, capping off a strong team performance.
Shamrock Rovers, who had hoped to secure a top-eight finish, dropped to 10th and now face a knockout play-off in the New Year. Meanwhile, Chelsea advance confidently to the last 16, with Marc Guiu’s breakout performance adding excitement to their European journey.
