Lincoln 1-2 Chelsea: Blues survive Carabao Cup scare as Buonanotte strikes winner | OneFootball

Lincoln 1-2 Chelsea: Blues survive Carabao Cup scare as Buonanotte strikes winner

Chelsea had to dig deep at Sincil Bank as they survived a huge Carabao Cup scare, coming from behind to beat League One side Lincoln City 2-1 and book their place in the fourth round.

A first half to forget for Chelsea

Enzo Maresca’s side, sitting 40 places above their hosts in the football pyramid, were rocked by Lincoln’s fearless start. The Imps struck the post inside two minutes through Lewis Montsma and repeatedly unsettled Chelsea’s back line with long throws and aggressive pressing.

The breakthrough arrived on the stroke of half-time when Enzo Fernández, unusually sloppy in possession, gifted the ball to Rob Street who made no mistake, drilling past Filip Jorgensen to give the home side a deserved lead.

Chelsea’s quickfire response

Whatever Maresca said at the interval had the desired effect. Within five minutes of the restart, Tyrique George unleashed a thunderous strike from the edge of the area to level the tie. Barely two minutes later, George turned provider, releasing Facundo Buonanotte who weaved his way into the box before finishing neatly to turn the game on its head.

Lincoln push back

Lincoln refused to fold and continued to carry the greater threat. Freddie Draper squandered two clear chances from close range, while Chelsea goalkeeper Jorgensen endured another nervy moment when he failed to deal with a simple pass, only for Francis Okoronkwo to miss with the goal gaping.

The Imps’ relentless pressure made for an uncomfortable evening, but Chelsea clung on to progress, leaving Maresca relieved at full-time.

Reaction

Maresca admitted afterwards that the match provided a valuable lesson for his squad. “It was a very tricky game away. Long balls, free-kicks, throw-ins — they made it hard for us. We had players who have never played this type of game and they needed that experience.”

Lincoln boss Michael Skubala was full of praise for his players’ effort and intensity. “We were unlucky not to be further ahead at half-time. We pressed them high and executed our plan superbly. I’m proud of the lads, we took Chelsea to the depths.”

Verdict

Chelsea advance, but only just. Lincoln’s performance will be remembered long after this tie, while for the Blues it was a reminder that the Carabao Cup offers no room for complacency — especially against opponents with hunger and desire.