Chelsea came within one win of the round of 16 of the Conference League with a 2-0 away win Heidenheim to maintain their perfect start to the competition.

Christopher Nkunku and Mykhailo Mudryk scored the second-half goals, Jadon Sancho’s cut-back just after the break found the France international, who scored his 11th goal of the season, and Mudryk finished things off late with a fine finish into the top corner.

Frank Schmidt was Heidenheim’s coach for 17 years, leading them from the fifth German football league to the Bundesliga and Europe. They defied their humble status and gave Enzo Maresca’s side, whose Cesare Casadei was sent off in stoppage time, their toughest challenge in Europe this season.

The breakthrough came five minutes after the break. Axel Disasi tried to win the ball in midfield with a powerful attack, so that Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall gained possession. He played the ball wide on the right to Sancho, whose cross was intercepted by Nkunku after a clever first touch, who shot the ball into the far corner to make it 1-0.

After fighting hard for their lead, it was almost taken away from them within a few minutes. The defense hesitated in trying to clear the ball from the edge of the box and it broke through to Léo Scienza, who hit it low and hard first time towards the bottom corner, but there was Filip Jörgensen with a save.

The goalkeeper has undergone the most thorough examination of his Chelsea career. He made an excellent save from Paul Wanner as the 18-year-old came through clean in the 69th minute.

The offside flag saved Chelsea after Maximilian Breunig’s header hit the top corner. But the visitors had the final say as four minutes from time Mudryk parried Sancho’s low cross with a brilliant, rising shot into the net.

Lawrence Shankland’s miserable season in front of goal continued hearts The striker missed a penalty in a 2-0 defeat against Cercle Bruges.

The captain missed the chance to equalize in the 82nd minute when he shot the ball over the crossbar.

After scoring 33 goals for club and country last season, the Scotland striker has scored just once in 20 appearances in a frustrating campaign.

Cercle Brugge took the lead in the 40th minute by passing a man on the right side of the penalty area. Malamine Efekele missed the ball on his first shot, but Gordon was wrong-footed and spun into the corner of the net.

After Shankland’s missed penalty, which Edgaras Utkus gave away after a handball, the game was finally out of reach for the visitors after a last-minute corner. Gordon initially made a good save but was beaten by a big deflection as Gary Magnée’s shot went past Hearts substitute Daniel Oyegoke.

Hearts still have six points from four games, with games against Copenhagen and Petrocub following.

The new saints Their hopes of reaching the knockout stages were dashed by a 1-0 home defeat Djurgården.

Tobias Gulliksen scored the winning goal four minutes before half-time for the Swedish visitors, who dominated possession and scoring opportunities against the Welsh champions.

Defeat at their Conference League base in Shrewsbury leaves TNS with an uphill battle to continue their European campaign beyond games against Greek giants Panathinaikos and Slovenian club Celje in December.