Chelsea handed last-16 Conference League draw with Copenhagen

Chelsea will face Danish Superliga leaders Copenhagen for a place in the quarter-finals of the Conference League.

Enzo Maresca’s side were handed a two-legged last-16 tie against the Danes in Friday’s draw in Nyon, the reward for their 100 per cent group-phase record which allowed them to top the table with 18 points.

Copenhagen made it to the knockout stage the hard way, losing the home leg of their play-off against Germany’s Heidenheim 2-1 before securing a nail-biting 3-1 extra-time victory in the return to secure their passage.

The sides met in the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1998 with the Blues going through 2-1 on aggregate after Brian Laudrup scored the decisive goal in Denmark.

However, they last went head-to-head in the last 16 of the Champions League in 2011 when Nicolas Anelka’s double in the away leg handed the Blues a 2-0 advantage to take to Stamford Bridge, where a 0-0 draw pitched them into last-eight battle, ultimately unsuccessfully, with Manchester United, who would go on to lose to Barcelona in the final at Wembley.

The ties will take place on March 6 and 13.