3️⃣ things we learned as Chelsea won the UEFA Conference League

Yahoo

a day ago

Chelsea came back from a goal down to defeat Real Betis 4-1 in a captivating Conference League final.
Here are our main takeaways from the action in Wrocław.
📸 WOJTEK RADWANSKI - AFP or licensors
With 60 minutes gone in the final, Chelsea were scrambling for any kind of response against a well-organised and threatening Real Betis side.
Eventually, the Blues' big-name players produced the moments of match-winning quality.
Cole Palmer's drop-off in form has been the source of much discussion this season, but the attacker certainly showed he's a man for the big occasion here..
Palmer first set up Enzo Fernández's equalising header with a beautifully weighted cross as he took the game by the scruff of the neck.
The England international then played a role in the second, picking out Nicolas Jackson with a pinpoint delivery, allowing the striker to apply a simple finish.
To wrap up the victory, Jadon Sancho, another player who has been subject to much scrutiny this season, came off the bench to curl in a stunning third into the top corner from a tight angle before Moisés Caicedo lashed in a devastating fourth.
It was a night for Chelsea's top players to deliver and they certainly did when the club needed them most.
📸 JOHN MACDOUGALL - AFP or licensors
The 2024/25 campaign hasn't been the smoothest for Enzo Maresca.
In his first season, the Italian has had to deal with a huge squad of strong players and exciting youngsters, whilst trying to remain competitive on all fronts.
However, an excellent end to the season of seven wins from the final eight games has led the Blues to a top-five Premier League finish and their first trophy since lifting the Champions League in 2021.
After several periods of patchy form this season, including early exits in the FA Cup and EFL Cup, Chelsea seem to have clicked and found their rhythm under a coach whose stature in the game is growing season by season.
The Blues' togetherness and willingness to perform for their boss was epitomised by an excellent second-half display team performance in Wrocław.
With a settled summer and carrying the positivity of lifting some silverware into the next campaign, Maresca will have the foundations to push this talented Chelsea squad on to greater things in 2025/26.
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This Conference League final wasn't as one-sided as the scoreline suggests.
Real Betis had the better first-half chances and scored a sensational opener, created by a visionary player in Isco.
The former Real Madrid man showed why he's still an elite talent with a perfectly weighted pass to tee up Abde Ezzalzouli inside the area, who drilled past Filip Jörgensen.
That moment perfectly encapsulates the quality that Isco has always possessed, but his ability to dictate the forward-thinking play for Real Betis in the first half got Verdiblancos on the front foot on several occasions.
The 33-year-old has been rewarded for a rejuvenated campaign by earning his first Spain call-up in six years and there will be plenty of eyes on the technical master in La Roja's upcoming Nations League semi-final against France.
📸 Stuart Franklin - 2025 Getty Images