Chelsea laboured to an unconvincing 2-0 win over Servette in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League play-off at Stamford Bridge, second-half goals from Christopher Nkunku and Noni Madueke sufficient to give Enzo Maresca's side the lead in the tie.
It was the Italian head coach's second game in charge but already signs of discontent were heard from home supporters, who booed the team off at the end of a first half in which they failed to muster a serious attacking threat against the side currently fifth in the Swiss league table.
It took Nkunku's 50th-minute penalty, won thanks to the game's first genuinely incisive pass played by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, to finally break down Servette, who had coped defensively with relative ease until that point and might have taken the lead through winger Dereck Kutesa.
Madueke came off the bench to score Chelsea's second and hand them a healthy lead ahead of the return leg in Geneva next Thursday.
