Chelsea and Real Betis are going for firsts when they clash in the Conference League final this Wednesday. While Chelsea seek to be the first club to win all three tiers of club football in Europe, Betis are eyeing their first European title. This match was also supposed to usher in European football for either side next season, but they’ve both clinched slots way before kickoff. Whichever way this goes, we have the preview and at least two predictions as attention shifts to Wroclaw, the host city.
Real Betis come into this clash as the underdogs, and rightfully so. They had never made it to the semi-finals of a European club competition before this season. The Spaniards didn’t just tick that box but went on to eliminate two-time finalists, Fiorentina.
Chelsea, on the other hand, had a smooth ride in the semis, seeing off Swedish side Djurgarden to book their slot. Will the Conference League title end up in Spain or in England? Read on for our preview.
Real Betis had Champions League ambitions, but that fell short after only securing three points from the last four La Liga matches. Most recently, Los Verdiblancos were held to a 1-1 draw at home with Valencia, their fourth stalemate in their last five appearances across all competitions. The consolation for the side from Seville is that at least they secured a Europa League place after finishing sixth.
With domestic action over, the experienced Manuel Pellegrini is crafting a way past a Chelsea side with massive European pedigree. As he does that, he will also be plotting against a man he knows too well.
He coached Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca at Malaga before working together as coaches at West Ham United.
While Betis missed the Champions League spots, Chelsea secured theirs on the final day in the Premier League with a 1-0 away win over Nottingham Forest. The Conference League title remains the only club competition in Europe that Chelsea haven’t won.
Perhaps it was because they’d never participated in it. This is their chance. From the start of the competition, Chelsea were tipped favorites to win this, and they haven’t had much trouble getting here.
There was only one scare: a home loss to Legia Warsaw in the quarter-finals. While their manager Enzo Maresca is fondly known to the Betis coach, his history as a former Sevilla player doesn’t make him likable to the Betis faithful.
