Chelsea kept their UEFA Champions League ambitions firmly on track with a narrow but vital 1-0 victory over Pafos at Stamford Bridge today. The result, which extended the Blues’ impressive home record in Europe, came in a match they dominated for long spells but had to work hard to win.
Ahead of the encounter, SoftFootball had highlighted Chelsea’s confidence at home and their intention to build on that strength against the Cypriot side, a theme that played out as expected on the night in west London. The win was also another small step in Liam Rosenior’s early reign as Chelsea head coach, coming shortly after a positive start domestically.
That growing sense of stability under Rosenior has been evident since his arrival, including the momentum gained from his Premier League debut victory, which SoftFootball covered when Chelsea beat Brentford in his first league match in charge. Against Pafos, the performance was not flawless, but the outcome mattered most.
Chelsea controlled possession from the outset, enjoying more than 70 percent of the ball and pinning Pafos deep in their own half. Chances came and went in the first half, with Pedro Neto firing over early on and Enzo Fernández seeing a header ruled out for a foul.
Despite the pressure, Pafos remained dangerous on the counter, coming closest when Jajá’s deflected effort struck the post, briefly silencing the home crowd. After the break, the pattern remained the same. Chelsea pushed, Pafos resisted.
Jay Gorter was outstanding in goal for the visitors, denying Moisés Caicedo on multiple occasions and producing sharp saves to frustrate the likes of Neto and the lively Estêvão after his introduction.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 78th minute when a corner caused chaos in the box. Benoît Badiashile’s flick-on found Caicedo, who reacted quickest to head home from close range.
That goal proved decisive. Pafos threw bodies forward late on but could not find an equaliser, leaving Chelsea to celebrate a crucial three points. The result shared on the club’s official X account, lifts the Blues into the top eight on goal difference and sets up a decisive final league phase match away at Napoli.
For Chelsea, the path to automatic qualification remains difficult, but nights like this ensure it is still very much possible.
