Chelsea cruised to a commanding 4-1 win over Real Betis in the UEFA Conference League final on Wednesday night, completing a historic clean sweep of all four major European club trophies.
Manuel Pellegrini’s enterprising Betis side stunned the favourites early on, taking the lead through Abde Ezzalzouli. But a transformed Chelsea emerged after the break, turning the match on its head with a ruthless second-half display led by the outstanding Cole Palmer.
The winger delivered a man-of-the-match performance, assisting goals for Enzo Fernández and Nicolas Jackson within five minutes before substitutes Jadon Sancho and Moisés Caicedo added late gloss to seal the club’s first trophy under the Todd Boehly-led ownership.
History made
The win sees Chelsea complete a clean sweep of UEFA’s major club competitions: the Champions League, Europa League, Conference League, and the now-defunct Cup Winners’ Cup. It is their first silverware since Boehly’s consortium acquired the club from Roman Abramovich in 2022.
Betis strike first
After a lively start from both sides, Betis drew first blood in the ninth minute. Malo Gusto lost possession in midfield and the Spanish side broke with intent. Former Real Madrid star Isco threaded a clever ball to Ezzalzouli on the edge of the box, and the Moroccan lashed a left-footed shot across Filip Jørgensen and into the far corner.
Moments later, Marc Bartra tested Jørgensen from distance, forcing a flying save as Betis pushed for a second. Johnny Cardoso then went close from inside the area, but his shot was deflected behind by Benoît Badiashile.
Chelsea dominated possession but struggled to create clear chances, with Betis defending stoutly and Isco orchestrating play in midfield. The best chance of the half for the Blues came just before the interval when Fernández was denied by Betis goalkeeper Adrián, who raced off his line to make a crucial block.
Palmer inspires the comeback
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca responded at half-time by replacing the out-of-sorts Gusto with captain Reece James. Betis were dealt a blow shortly after when Ezzalzouli was forced off through injury, replaced by Jesús Rodríguez.
The turning point came in the 65th minute. Palmer, drifting wide, whipped in a superb cross that found Fernández between two defenders. The Argentine midfielder powered his header down and past Adrián to level the score.
With Chelsea’s fans in full voice, momentum swung firmly in their favour. Five minutes later, Palmer produced a moment of brilliance on the edge of the box before lofting a delightful ball into the area. Jackson met it with his chest, and though fortunate in the finish, the ball rolled over the line to make it 2-1.
Jackson nearly added another moments later, but a heavy touch allowed Adrián to recover and smother the ball.
Chelsea weren’t done. In the 83rd minute, Sancho, on as a substitute, combined neatly with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall before squeezing a low finish into the net from a tight angle. Deep into stoppage time, Caicedo pounced on a loose ball in the box to make it four and cap a night of dominance.
Spanish streak broken
The win also ends an extraordinary run for Spanish teams. In the previous 27 major men’s finals involving Spanish clubs or the national team—including World Cups, European Championships, Champions League, and Europa League—every title had been won by a Spanish side. Not once in that span had a Spanish club lost to non-Spanish opposition.
Tense build-up off the pitch
Earlier in the day, Wrocław’s city centre was packed with supporters from both clubs. Green-and-white clad Betis fans heavily outnumbered their English counterparts. However, tensions boiled over when clashes erupted in the city’s market square. According to Poland’s Interior Ministry, 28 arrests were made.
But by full-time, the spotlight was firmly back on Chelsea — and their place in European football history secured.
AFP
