History-makers Chelsea roar back to beat Real Betis in UEFA Conference League final
First club to complete clean sweep of European trophies
WROCLAW: Chelsea roared back to beat Real Betis 4-1 in the UEFA Conference League final in Wroclaw on Wednesday, becoming the first club to complete a clean sweep of European trophies.
Manuel Pellegrini's enterprising Betis caught the favorites cold with an early goal from Abde Ezzalzouli against a flat-footed and listless Chelsea. But Enzo Maresca's second-half substitutions injected energy and Cole Palmer changed the complexion of the game in a five-minute spell, setting up Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Jackson to score.
Substitute Jadon Sancho made the game safe in the 83rd minute as the Spanish side faded in their first European final and Moises Caicedo added gloss to the scoreline.
Chelsea are the first club to win the full set of five UEFA club tournaments - the Champions League, Europa League, Conference League, Super Cup and the now-defunct Cup Winners' Cup.
They have also won their first silverware since Todd Boehly's consortium took over from former owner Roman Abramovich in 2022, following an era of unprecedented success for the club. Boehly was on the pitch at the end, savoring the win that seemed unlikely when Betis were in control in the first half.
Chelsea have ended the season with a flourish after also securing a place in next season's Champions League following a fourth-placed finish in the Premier League. Maresca, in his first season at Stamford Bridge, said he hoped Conference League glory would be a launchpad for the club.
'The club have invested lots of money in the last three or four years, so they are also waiting for results,' Maresca told TNT Sports. 'Hopefully this can be a starting point and from tonight, from this season, (we are) building something important.'
The Spanish side went ahead in the ninth minute through Ezzalzouli, who scored the goal against Fiorentina that took his side to the final. Malo Gusto lost the ball and it broke to Betis captain Isco, who produced a clever pass to find Ezzalzouli on the edge of the box, with the Moroccan drilling a left-footed shot across Filip Jorgensen.
Minutes later Marc Bartra tried his luck from distance but this time Jorgensen was equal to the task, producing a flying save. Urged on by their massed ranks of fans, Betis went close again when Johnny Cardoso's shot from inside the box was deflected behind.
The Premier League side were enjoying the bulk of possession but struggling to create meaningful chances, with Betis defending well and Isco, a five-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid, pulling the strings.
Palmer magic
Maresca brought on James for the struggling Gusto at the break and the English side looked livelier. Pellegrini was forced a change when goalscorer Ezzalzouli was forced off, with Jesus Rodriguez coming on to replace him.
Maresca also made a number of other changes, including bringing on Sancho, but it took two moments of magic from Palmer to turn the tide. The England man produced a pinpoint in swinging cross from the right that found onrushing Argentina midfielder Fernandez, who got between two defenders to head the ball past Adrian in the 65th minute.
Suddenly Chelsea's tails were up and the fans behind the goal were in full voice. Five minutes later Palmer twisted and turned before producing another superb cross that Jackson bundled into the net.
Jackson should have scored a second goal but a heavy touch allowed the Betis goalkeeper to gather. But Sancho made it 3-1 when he combined with fellow substitute Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and finished from an angle and Caicedo added a fourth from the edge of the box.
Victory for Chelsea breaks an astonishing cycle of wins for Spanish teams. Taking into account World Cups, European Championships, Champions League and the UEFA Cup/Europa League, of the previous 27 men's finals involving Spanish teams, all 27 had had Spanish winners. Four Spanish club sides had been defeated in that time, but in all cases by fellow La Liga sides.
Earlier, the center of Wroclaw was packed with fans from both clubs, with green-and-white clad Betis fans outnumbering their English rivals. Poland's Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said police made 28 arrests after supporters clashed in the city's market square. — AFP
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