Chelsea on Wednesday night in Wroclaw, will attempt to etch their name in European football history by becoming the first team to conquer all four major UEFA club competitions.
Their final hurdle in the UEFA Europa Conference League? A rejuvenated Real Betis side led by cup-winning tactician Manuel Pellegrini.
The Blues booked their place in the competition’s showpiece event with a dominant semi-final performance against Swedish side Djurgardens IF.
Meanwhile, Betis dashed Fiorentina’s hopes of another final appearance in dramatic fashion to secure their own maiden European final.
A Conference League title would be a cherry on top, but Enzo Maresca’s men already secured the real prize on the final day of the Premier League season, Champions League qualification.
A narrow 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest, decided by Levi Colwill’s decisive second-half goal, ensured Chelsea finished fourth in the league, rendering the Conference League final a shot at legacy rather than necessity.
The Blues’ 1-0 beating of Nuno Espirito Santo’s side triggered the customary celebrations from Maresca’s men, who knew that victory by any scoreline would suffice regardless of what happened elsewhere, and a fourth-placed ranking in the Premier League table is something for the manager to shout about.
That top-four finish means the usual Europa League reward for winning the Conference League is off the table, but Chelsea are still playing for something far more prestigious: a piece of football history.
With Champions League, Europa League, and UEFA Super Cup victories already under their belt, a triumph in Wroclaw would see Chelsea complete a clean sweep of UEFA’s club competitions.
This will be their 13th European final and with eight wins from the previous 12, they know how to get the job done.
Despite early expectations that they would dominate the Conference League, the Blues had a couple of hiccups against Servette and Legia Warsaw.
Still, Maresca’s side has largely delivered, though they’ve yet to face an opponent of Betis’ calibre in this tournament.
In contrast, Real Betis are breaking new ground, reaching a European final for the very first time. Yet they do so under a manager well-versed in winning, Pellegrini, who has sparked a mid-career revival for both Isco and Antony.
Heading into the second leg in Florence with a 2-1 advantage, Betis looked to be heading to penalties after conceding twice. But Antony’s free-kick goal and a 97th-minute assist for Abde Ezzalzouli turned the tide and earned the Spanish side their golden ticket.
However, that 2-2 draw marked the start of a demoralising run for Pellegrini’s side, who failed to win any of their last four La Liga games of the campaign, although their sixth-placed ranking in the Spanish top-flight table means that they are already assured of Europa League football.
Almost two decades have passed since Chelsea and Betis last faced off in the 2005-06 Champions League group stage. The Blues took a commanding 4-0 win at Stamford Bridge before a narrow 1-0 defeat in Seville.
Now, Maresca has the chance to outshine his former West Ham colleague Pellegrini in a high-stakes reunion.
Form Guide:
Real Betis (Conference League): D-W-W-D-W-D
Real Betis (All competitions): W-D-D-D-L-D
Chelsea (Conference League): W-W-W-L-W-W
Chelsea (All competitions): W-W-W-L-W-W
Team News:
Chelsea’s suspended Premier League striker Nicolas Jackson will be available to lead the line in Wroclaw, a key boost as Christopher Nkunku, recovering from a knock, missed the weekend but may return.
Maresca had declared him fit before that game, suggesting the absence may have been precautionary.
However, Chelsea remain without Aaron Anselmino, Wesley Fofana, Omari Kellyman (all hamstring injuries), and the suspended Mykhaylo Mudryk. Romeo Lavia is also ineligible for European competition.
A few fresh faces could feature in the lineup for the final, with Filip Jorgensen, Malo Gusto, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and Trevoh Chalobah pushing for starting roles.
Betis, meanwhile, suffered a blow with Hector Bellerin’s hamstring injury in the semi-final second leg, ruling him out for the rest of the season.
He joins Marc Roca, Diego Llorente, and Chimy Avila on the sidelines. Giovani Lo Celso’s status remains uncertain due to muscular discomfort, but both Youssouf Sabaly and Johnny Cardoso have returned to training.
Sabaly’s availability will be particularly crucial in the wake of Bellerin’s season-ending injury, while Cedric Bakambu ought to lead the line; now 34, the striker has scored seven Conference League goals this term, one shy of top scorer Afimico Pululu of Jagiellonia Bialystok.
Expected Lineups:
Real Betis:
Vieites; Sabaly, Bartra, Natan, R. Rodriguez; Cardoso, Altimira; Antony, Isco, Fornals; Bakambu
Chelsea:
Jorgensen; Gusto, Chalobah, Badiashile, Cucurella; Dewsbury-Hall, Fernandez; Sancho, Nkunku, George; Jackson
However, Chelsea’s bench will pack a much bigger punch than Pellegrini’s, so if an additional 30 are needed, Maresca can call on the cavalry to see his side over the line and win a trophy in his first season.
