Christopher Nkunku's first-half penalty was enought to send Chelsea through to Friday's Europa Conference League draw despite a 2-1 second-leg defeat against Servette, going through 3-2 on aggregate.
Nkunku's 14th-minute opener was cancelled out with goals either side of half-time from Jeremy Guillemenot and Enzo Crivelli, but the Blues were able to hold on to progress.
After a nervy start in Switzerland, Chelsea were awarded a spot-kick when Keigo Tsunemoto fouled Mykhailo Mudryk inside the box, with Nkunku stepping up to score from 12 yards as he did in the first leg.
But the hosts would draw level in the 32nd minute when Guillemenot was picked out by Dereck Kutesa before firing past Filip Jorgensen to level the game on the night.
Servette, though, won the game with just under 20 minutes to go. A header from Crivelli at the near post beat Jorgensen and gave the Swiss supporters hope of an upset.
Timothe Cognat almost sent the game into extra-time as his effort whistled past the post in the closing stages, with Enzo Maresca's side leaving Geneva a relieved group of players.
Data Debrief: Chelsea scrape through in Switzerland
The Blues are in the hat for Friday's Conference League draw, but they made difficult work of the encounter.
Maresca's side created the better of the chances, with seven of their 18 shots on target, accumulating an expected goals (xG) total of 2.23 on the night.
But they squandered some golden opportunities to make their life easier, missing five big chances as well as hitting the woodwork at the Stade de Geneve.
Enzo Maresca was pleased with Chelsea's win in their Europa Conference League play-off first leg but says they "played with fire" in the closing stages.
Christopher Nkunku and Noni Madueke both netted in the second half of their 2-0 victory, earning Maresca his first win in charge of the Blues.
However, it was almost a different story as Chelsea came under late pressure, with Jeremy Guillermenot squandering two chances in stoppage time to half the deficit for the Swiss side.
Despite seeing improvements from their Premier League defeat against Manchester City, Maresca says there is still a lot of work to do if they want to find some consistency.
"I was a bit worried because in the last 10 minutes, we played a little bit with fire because we could manage the game completely differently," he said after the game. "It was good that we didn't concede, but we can learn.
"We are learning how to manage the game. Keeping the ball is the correct intention at 2-0 up but where is not good, in our half.
"We need to do the same on the opposite side. It was important to win the game with nine changes. There were many good things."
With as big a squad as Chelsea's, this game was the perfect chance for Maresca to give more players minutes.
Mykhailo Mudryk's performance caused some frustration with the Italian as he struggled to make an impact, especially in a hesitant first half, but Maresca is keen to help him find his consistency.
"This is the mission, this is Mudryk, not only tonight but since he joined the club," he added.
"I think he had good moments but when he has the ball you don't know if you'll get one thing or another. It is consistency.
"We are going to try and help him to change. When he is in the final third, it is making the right decision. Most of his mistakes are about the choice."
There was also some cause for concern among Chelsea fans as Cole Palmer was seen holding his hamstring as he left the pitch, but Maresca brushed off any worries, claiming it is only a minor problem.
"Cole felt something but he looks fine. Hopefully, it is no problem, and he can be available for Sunday's game [at Wolves]," he said.
Christopher Nkunku and Noni Madueke's second-half goals gave Chelsea a 2-0 advantage over Servette in their Europa Conference League play-off tie.
The Blues put the disappointment of their Premier League defeat to Manchester City behind them, taking control of qualifying in the first leg at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea made a slow start to the game, with Gael Ondoua causing an early scare for Filip Jorgensen from a tight angle, though the goalkeeper was equal to it.
The Blues then stepped up the pace after the break – Nkunku darted in behind Servette's defence before being taken out by Jeremy Frick, and he made no mistake with the resulting penalty, emphatically firing it into the back of the net.
Marc Guiu should have doubled their lead moments later, picking Frick's pocket outside the box, but the goalkeeper recovered brilliantly to race back and smother both attempts by the Spaniard, who should have done better.
Madueke then made sure of the win with 14 minutes left on the clock, latching onto Enzo Fernandez's throughball before rifling his shot over Frick and into the roof of the net.
Jeremy Guillermenot should have halved the deficit in stoppage time but lifted his volley over the bar from point-blank range before Jorgensen denied him again with the last touch of the game.
Data Debrief: Blues up and running
Chelsea look like they are starting to gel in the final third, after struggling to do so in their opening league game.
They had seven shots on target out of 14, both more than they managed last Sunday, generating 1.87 expected goals, and had 56 final third entries.
There is still work to do at the back though, as they gave up 22 shots from the Swiss side, but Enzo Maresca will still take confidence from their clean sheet.
Fiorentina have left winger Nico Gonzalez out of their squad for Thursday's Europa Conference League clash with Puskas Akademia amid suggestions he is close to joining Juventus.
Gonzalez is reportedly a top target for new Juve head coach Thiago Motta, with the Bianconeri expected to sell Federico Chiesa and bring in another wide player.
The Argentina international joined Fiorentina in 2021 and has become one of their foremost attacking threats, contributing 12 goals and two assists in 29 league appearances last term.
However, he was left out by new boss Raffaele Palladino as Fiorentina started their Serie A campaign with a 1-1 draw at Parma last week.
He will also play no part when they host Hungarian side Puskas Akademia at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in the first leg of their play-off tie.
La Gazzetta dello Sport have reported Juventus submitted an improved bid of €32million for Gonzalez on Wednesday, with the 26-year-old believed to be keen on the move.
Chelsea have been drawn to face Braga or Servette in the Europa Conference League play-off round later this month.
The Blues will feature in UEFA's third-tier club competition in their first season under Enzo Maresca, after Manchester United's FA Cup triumph saw them take England's final Europa League place.
Portuguese side Braga and Swiss Super League outfit Servette face off in the first leg of their Europa League third qualifying round tie on Thursday, with the second leg taking place on August 15.
The loser of that tie will drop into the Conference League and face Chelsea for a spot in the group stage of that competition.
Stamford Bridge will host the first leg of that tie on August 22, with the return fixture taking place one week later.
Meanwhile, Rangers will face either Salzburg or FC Twente in the Champions League play-off round if they beat Dynamo Kyiv in the third qualifying round.
Philippe Clement's men go to Poland for the first leg of that tie on Tuesday, with Hampden Park hosting the second leg next week, due to delays in getting Ibrox ready for the new campaign.
Vincenzo Italiano says Fiorentina "really believed we could have a different ending", after La Viola suffered Europa Conference League final heartbreak for the second year running.
Italiano's side were beaten by West Ham in last year's showpiece, with Jarrod Bowen snatching a last-gasp winner in Prague.
Fiorentina suffered a similar fate 12 months later, as Ayoub El Kaabi struck four minutes before the end of extra time to give Olympiacos their first title in a major European competition.
La Viola embarked on a club record 13-match unbeaten run to reach their second successive Europa Conference League final.
But Italiano, who will depart the club at the end of the season, admitted it counted for nothing, with his side once again left to wonder what might have been.
"We really believed this time. It hurts," he told Sky Sports Italia. "It's disappointing for the second time.
"It's disappointing because again we had many situations to score goals, but the players did everything they could. It hurts to see my players cry. We really believed this time we could have a different epilogue to this campaign.
"Losing hurts; going all the way for two years running is something good, but naturally you have to lift a trophy, and we didn't manage it.
"The journey feels ruined when you have to watch the others lift the silverware. At this moment, I feel too bitter, disappointed, let down, because I really believed we could have a different ending."
Jose Luis Mendilibar rejoiced "it is an honour to have made the fans happy" after leading Olympiacos to their historic Europa Conference League final triumph over Fiorentina.
Thrylos became the first Greek side to win a major European competition, as Ayoub El Kaabi's extra-time winner snatched a dramatic 1-0 victory at AEK Arena.
It provided a happy ending to an eventful season for Olympiacos, with Mendilibar their third different manager of the campaign having replaced Carlos Carvahal in February.
Following his Europa League success with Sevilla 12 months ago, the Spaniard became the first coach since Rafael Benitez (2003-04 UEFA Cup with Valencia; 2004-05 Champions League with Liverpool) to win major European competitions in consecutive seasons with different clubs.
"I am very happy and satisfied, and it is an honour to have made the fans happy," Mendilibar said.
"I am very happy that we achieved something that the club had not achieved before. We will celebrate, we will cheer, and then we will get back to work for what comes next."
Olympiacos winger Giorgos Masouras added: "I have no words. It has not yet sunk in. We did it together. I was certain we would win it, and we held on and got it in the end.
"We are now part of Europe's elite and have more responsibilities. We have to maintain this level now."
Ayoub El Kaabi will be the toast of Piraeus after his match-winning heroics secured Olympiakos' first-ever European trophy following their Europa Conference League success on Wednesday.
The Olympiacos striker delivered the fatal blow against Fiorentina, bundling home with four minutes remaining of extra time to snatch a 1-0 victory at the AEK Arena.
El Kaabi is the first player to score 11 goals in a single knockout stage campaign in major European competition since the introduction of group stages.
Radamel Falcao, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema all only ever managed 10 such goals in one campaign of UEFA competitions, and El Kaabi moves next to greatness in another aspect, too.
The Moroccan forward is the first non-European player to score 14 goals in major European competition in a single season, since Lionel Messi in 2011-12 (also 14).
Olympiakos have their star striker to thank after becoming the first-ever Greek side to lift a trophy in major European competition, while Fiorentina will be wounded by another failure in this tournament.
Having lost to West Ham in last season's Conference League final, Fiorentina have now lost five of their last six finals in Europe, their only success coming against Rangers in the 1961 Cup Winners' Cup.
Defeat also ended La Viola's longest unbeaten run in Europe in their history, halting a 13-match undefeated streak in abrupt fashion.
Ayoub El Kaabi was the hero as Olympiacos won their first major European honour in history as they snatched a dramatic 1-0 extra-time victory over Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final.
After nothing could separate the sides inside 90 minutes, talisman El Kaabi scored a 116th-minute winner at the AEK Arena as they became the first Greek side to win a major European competition.
Once again, Fiorentina fell at the final hurdle of this competition, with La Viola also losing out to West Ham in the Prague showpiece last season.
However, the success belonged to Olympiacos and head coach Jose Luis Mendilibar, who secured continental glory in successive seasons following his Europa League triumph with Sevilla this time last year.
Daniel Podence tested Pietro Terracciano early on before Fiorentina thought they had opened the scoring just nine minutes into the final.
Cristiano Biraghi's cross crept into Konstantinos Tzolakis' bottom-right corner, but Nikola Milenkovic was ruled offside for his position in front of the Olympiacos goalkeeper.
Despite their celebrations being cut short, Fiorentina continued with the greater attacking impetus throughout the first half.
Yet La Viola's dominance paid little dividends as Giacomo Bonaventura – their scorer in last season’s final defeat to West Ham – wasted the best chance, shooting straight at Tzolakis from close range after 21 minutes.
Opportunities remained elusive after the break but Fiorentina again went close in the 69th minute as Dodo found Christian Kouame, whose scuffed effort was pushed away by Tzolakis.
Olympiacos almost struck 11 minutes later when Francisco Ortega's free-kick was met by Iborra, but the 36-year-old's header missed the inside Terracciano's right-hand post as the final headed for extra-time.
Mendilibar had earlier introduced former Fiorentina striker Stevan Jovetic, who almost came back to haunt his old club in the 96th minute, when cutting inside before fizzing a strike that Terracciano tipped away.
A penalty shoot-out appeared likely when Tzolakis denied Jonathan Ikone, until El Kaabi ghosted in to nod home Santiago Hezze's cross with just four minutes remaining and send Olympiacos' fans into ecstasy after a lengthy VAR check for offside in Athens.
Vincenzo Italiano has urged Fiorentina to use their "bitterness" from last year's defeat in the Europa Conference League final against Olympiacos on Wednesday.
Fiorentina lost the 2023 Europa Conference League final in Prague to West Ham 2-1, conceding in the 90th minute to miss out on the chance to lift the trophy.
The Viola have not lost a game in the competition on the way to the final, holding off Club Brugge 4-3 on aggregate to reach the final for the second consecutive year.
Despite suffering disappointment last year, Italiano is hopeful his team can use that as a lesson to lead them to the trophy this time around.
"The only thing that's different is that we've already experienced certain things," Italiano told a press conference before Wednesday's final.
"We have a bit of experience; we carry that with us and tomorrow we have to show it. We can't make any mistakes; we must stay alert and focused.
"Last year we didn't have a good ending. We'll bring that bitterness to make it end differently."
Meanwhile, Olympiacos are aiming to make history by becoming the first Greek side to win a European trophy.
Jose Luis Mendilibar, who won the Europa League with Sevilla last season, took over Olympiacos in February and is leading the team out for the final in their home city of Athens.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Mendilibar said he would not be making any changes, approaching this game as they have the rest.
"We have to stay calm and relaxed and do what got us to the final. To change anything would be a mistake.
"We have to treat this game like any other because that's how we managed to get to the final.
"Along the way, we've crossed the whole of Europe, playing against a lot of opponents.
"At times we were favourites, and then underdogs again. There are so many different moments and I think we could call it a marathon, and now we've reached the end."
John McGinn is quickly turning his focus to the "astronomical achievement" of Champions League qualification after Aston Villa suffered heartbreak in the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League.
Villa were among the favourites to lift Europe's third-tier trophy but a 2-0 defeat at Olympiacos on Thursday consigned Unai Emery's men to a 6-2 aggregate loss over the two-leg tie.
It means Villa end what has largely been viewed as an excellent season without a trophy but they can still finish on a high by securing a top-four finish in the Premier League.
They lead fifth-place Tottenham by seven points with two games left in their domestic season, albeit Spurs do have a game in hand.
McGinn apologised to the travelling support in Piraeus but, speaking to TNT Sports after the game, said there is still an opportunity to finish the season on a high.
"We went into this competition as favourites and we handled that pressure throughout the competition, I think it’s been a huge learning curve for us," he said.
"It's not been a smooth journey, we got to the semi-finals down to the bare bones a bit.
"However, those of us who were out there over the two legs, we lost to who were the better team and I think the scoreline proves it."
"Our instant feeling is absolutely gutted. We all wanted to be back here for the final.
"Olympiacos gave it absolutely everything, played out of their skin in both legs, and overall the scoreline proves they were the better team.
"We'll reflect, there's a lot of things we could have done better, but over the season, of course, we can be proud of the journey.
"Obviously, we need to apologise to the supporters who have travelled here, they've travelled the whole campaign with us.
"We wanted to deliver a trophy to them, we all wanted it as players. We’'e all bitterly disappointed, but we need a big push in the last two games to try and get over the line for the Champions League, which would be an astronomical achievement.
"But here, the overriding feeling is disappointment, frustration and an opportunity missed. Congratulations to Olympiacos and we wish them all the best in the final."
Unai Emery says Thursday's Europa Conference League clash with Olympiacos is Aston Villa's "biggest challenge" of the season.
Villa are 4-2 down after a shock defeat in the first leg of the semi-final tie at Villa Park last week.
While they are pushing for a top-four finish in the Premier League, Emery believes attempting to overturn the deficit in Greece will prove to be Villa's biggest test yet.
"This is the challenge tomorrow, the biggest challenge we’re going to face this year, playing in this semi-final," Emery said.
"I will find the best performances tomorrow and really be competitive.
"Of course, it's going to be very difficult here away because the atmosphere supporting the home team could be more difficult.
"In 90 minutes, we have to be focused with everything tactically, being in control of our emotions, set-pieces as well, everything."
Olympiacos or Villa will face Fiorentina in the final on May 29, after the Serie A club overcame Club Brugge on Wednesday.
Lucas Beltran was Fiorentina's hero as his late penalty in a 1-1 draw with Club Brugge ensured they progressed to the Europa Conference League final.
Beltran held his nerve from the spot to score an 85th-minute equaliser, earning a draw on the night but a 4-3 aggregate victory.
Fiorentina won the first leg 3-2, but Hans Vanaken's 20th-minute opener levelled the tie, on Wednesday.
Christian Kouame hit the woodwork twice for Fiorentina, but the pressure finally told when Brandon Mechele caught M'Bala Nzola with a high boot.
Beltran made no mistake, with Fiorentina holding firm to seal their place in the final in Athens on May 29.
Fiorentina lost last season's final to West Ham, and the Serie A club will now face either Olympiacos or Aston Villa.
Data Debrief: Back-to-back finals for Viola
Fiorentina have reached a European final for the sixth time in their history, and the second time in a row, though they have only won one of their previous five attempts.
They have only achieved that feat once before, which was back in 1961 and 1962.
Aston Villa captain, John McGinn said that “everything that could have gone wrong, did” after their Europa Conference League semi-final first-leg defeat to Olympiacos on Thursday.
Ayoub El Kaabi scored a hat-trick for Olympiacos, netting twice in the first half, though Villa fought back through Ollie Watkins and Moussa Diaby.
El Kaabi converted a spot-kick before a deflected Santiago Hezze strike put the visitors back in control.
Douglas Luiz also missed a late penalty, leaving Villa with a two-goal deficit to overturn in the second leg next Thursday.
Asked what he felt went wrong for the Villans, McGinn, speaking to TNT Sports, said: "Not the game we wanted. We wanted a lot more control. We started the game well.
"They're a good side. We wanted a victory going to Greece. We showed we're capable of coming back.
"Mistakes all round tonight. We'll take responsibility, but it's up to us to go to Athens and turn it around because we're capable.
"They played very well tactically. They played the way we expected, so there were no surprises.
"Everything that could have gone wrong tonight did."
He added: "The manager was still positive in there. There's still a long way to go.
"We need to play a lot better than we did tonight, but we're more than capable of doing it.
"Hopefully we'll have a few players back. The onus is on us to attack Olympiacos and score some goals.
"We have a mountain to climb, but we know we're capable."
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