"Betis" - "Chelsea": preview of the Conference League final
Kyiv • UNN
Today, Wrocław will host the final of the Conference League, where the Spanish "Betis" and the English "Chelsea" will play. "Chelsea" can become the first club to win all three European cups.
Today, May 28, at 22:00 in Wrocław, Poland, the winner of the Conference League trophy will be determined, for which the Spanish "Betis" and the English "Chelsea" will compete. This match will be the first European Cup final in history for the Spaniards, and the Londoners can become the first team to win all three European Cup tournaments, writes UNN.
Today, the second winner of the European Cup trophy of the 2024/2025 season and the third most prestigious - the Conference League Cup, for which the Spanish "Real Betis" and London "Chelsea" will compete - will be determined.
"Betis"
The path of the Spanish "Betis" in the Conference League began immediately from the fourth qualifying round thanks to the 7th place in La Liga at the end of the 2023/2024 season, in which Mauricio Pellegrini's wards met with the Ukrainian "Kryvbas".
In both cases, "Betis" confidently defeated the Ukrainian team. The first match ended with the victory of the Spaniards - 2:0. Chimi Avila and Rodri scored.
The second match ended with an even more confident victory for the Spaniards - 3:0, which allowed the team to reach the group stage of the Conference League. Ayto Ruibal scored and Abde Ezzalzouli scored a double.
Barcelona became the champion of Spain in football for the 28th time16.05.25, 08:33 • 3086 views
Already in the group round, "Betis" showed a mediocre game - 3 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses, which allowed the team to reach the 1/16 finals of the tournament from 15th place. In winter, the team is replenished with several key players who will become key for the team to reach the final in the future. In particular, the "downed pilot" Antoni from "Manchester United" joins the Spaniards, who showed a vague game for the "Red Devils".
However, already in the first match of the 1/16 against the Belgian "Ghent", Antoni opens the scoring in the match, and goals from Cedric Bakambu and Sergio Altimira bring "Betis" a devastating victory - 3:0.
In the return match, "Betis" minimally loses to "Ghent" (1:0), but still advances on aggregate. The only goal in that match was scored by English defender of the Belgian club Archie Brown at the end of the match.
In the first match of the 1/8, "Betis" comes across the Portuguese "Guimarães", in which the teams "signed" a fighting draw. "Betis" opened the scoring in the debut of the second half thanks to Bakambu's goal, but Portuguese midfielder Mendes quickly equalized. 15 minutes later, Isco puts the Spaniards ahead, but Guimarães striker Nelson Oliveira equalized 9 minutes before the end - 2:2.
A week later, "Betis" confidently dealt with "Guimarães". Thanks to Bakambu's double and goals from Antoni and Isco, the team won a devastating victory - 4:0.
In the quarter-finals, "Betis" faces the Polish "Jagiellonia". The first match ends with a confident victory in favor of the Spaniards - 2:0. Bakambu and Jesus Rodriguez scored.
In the return match, the teams "skated" to a draw - 1:1. Bakambu opened the scoring, and a moment later the Polish team equalized thanks to Darko Churlinov's goal.
In the semi-finals, "Betis" faced the Italian "Fiorentina". The first match ended with the victory of "Betis" - 2:1 thanks to goals from Abde Ezzalzouli and Antoni. "Fiorentina" reduced the gap thanks to Luca Ranieri's goal, but could not do more.
A real drama unfolded in the return match. Already in the 30th minute, Antoni puts "Betis" ahead, which would seem to allow the Spaniards to confidently finish the match, having a two-goal advantage on aggregate. However, "Fiorentina" thanks to Robin Gosens' double in 10 minutes not only goes ahead, but also equalizes on aggregate.
Only in the third half did "Betis" manage to equalize, which allowed the Spaniards to advance on aggregate - 4:3. Ezzalzouli scored the saving goal, which was assisted by Antoni.
"Chelsea"
"Chelsea's" path to the final, like "Betis", began with the 4th qualifying round. In the 2023/2024 season, the Londoners took only 6th place in the Premier League, but got the opportunity to compete for the title.
In the play-offs, the "pensioners" defeated the Swiss "Servette" at home - 2:0 thanks to goals from Christopher Nkunku and Chukwunonso Madueke.
In the return match, "Servette" turned out to be stronger - 2:1, but on aggregate, "Chelsea" made it to the group. Nkunku scored again for the "Blues", and Jérémy Guillemenot and Enzo Crivelli scored for the Swiss.
In the group stage, "Chelsea" won 100% of the matches, which allowed them to take first place in the group with 18 points and immediately advance to the 1/8, where the Londoners faced the Danish "Copenhagen".
In the first match, "Chelsea" won a minimal victory thanks to goals from Rhys James and Enzo Fernandez - 2:1. Gabriel scored for the Danes.
In the return match, the "aristocrats" won a minimal victory thanks to Kiirnan Dewsbury-Hall's goal - 1:0, and advanced further, where they faced the Polish "Legia".
In the first match, "Chelsea" confidently dealt with "Legia" thanks to Madueke's hat-trick - 3:0
In the second match, the Londoners relaxed a bit, losing 2:1, but this result allowed them to advance on aggregate - 5:1. First, "Legia" striker Tomasz Pekhart opened the scoring from the penalty spot, 20 minutes later "Chelsea" defender Marc Cucurella equalized, and at the beginning of the second half "Legia" took the lead thanks to Steve Kapuadi's goal.
In the semi-finals, the "pensioners" met with the modest "Djurgården", who were crushed in the first match - 4:1. First, Jadon Sancho opened the scoring, and at the end of the first half, Madueke doubled his team's advantage. Already in the second half, Nicolas Jackson scored twice. "Djurgården" only managed a prestige goal, which was scored by Isak Mulugheta.
The return match ended with a minimal victory for "Chelsea" - 1:0 thanks to a goal by Kiirnan Dewsbury-Hall.
Before the match
The match at the stadium in Wrocław starts at 22:00 Kyiv time. The broadcast of the match will be available on the MEGOGO media service by subscription Sport, Maximum, Maximum + charity, MEGOPACK XL.
In their history, the teams have met only 4 times. The teams first met in the 1997/1998 season in the quarter-finals of the Cup Winners' Cup, where "Chelsea" won twice on aggregate - 5:2. As a result, "Chelsea" reached the final, where they won the trophy.
"Chelsea" - "Betis" of the 1997/1998 season
The teams met for the third time in the 2005/2006 Champions League. In the first match, "Chelsea" defeated the Sevillians - 4:0. Didier Drogba, Ricardo Carvalho, Joe Cole and Hernan Crespo scored.
However, in the second leg, "Betis" celebrated the victory over the "pensioners" - 1:0. Dani scored the only goal in the match.
As a result, the Spaniards took third place and moved to the Europa League. "Chelsea" reached the Champions League play-offs from the second step, but already in the 1/8 finals lost to "Barcelona", which eventually took the main trophy, defeating London "Arsenal" in the final - 2:1.
In addition, it is worth noting that "Chelsea" has won the Champions League and the Europa League in its history, and therefore, if it wins the Conference League, it will become the first club to win all three major European trophies.
This is the first European Cup final for "Betis", but at the same time it has many experienced players: 33-year-old midfielder Isco (four-time winner of the UEFA Champions League final as part of "Real"), 34-year-old striker Cedric Bakambu and, of course, coach Manuel Pellegrini. He knows English football very well, because in the 2013/14 season he won the Premier League at the head of "Manchester City", and later headed "West Ham", and one of his assistants was the current "Chelsea" coach Enzo Maresca.
Enzo Maresca (Chelsea coach) and Manuel Pellegrini (Betis coach) in West Ham
This season, "Chelsea" won 11 of 12 Conference League matches, while "Betis" won only half. In addition, the London club is the most productive in the current draw with 38 goals. This is eight more than "Fiorentina", which is in second place, and 16 more than "Betis".
The victory will allow the teams to receive not only the coveted trophy, but also a ticket to the general stage of the next Europa League draw, if they do not qualify for the Champions League through the national championship.
I consider him (Pellegrini - ed.) one of my fathers in professional football. I am where I am now thanks to him. I worked with Manuel for four years - two as a player and two as part of his coaching team. So I owe him a lot in terms of what I have achieved. I am grateful for our relationship and for his advice. He told me never to change. He said that often players and coaches in football are in a hurry to change themselves. But he always advised to stay true to yourself
He also stressed that it was a good season for "Chelsea", but "it could be great if we manage to win the Conference League and finish in the top four or five of the Premier League."
It would be a way to say that we are back and that we are winning in Europe. And we hope to achieve just that. We can become the first club to win all European Cups - this is important
Pellegrini said before the match that the secret of "Betis'" success is "belief in their ability to go out on the field and fight any opponent".
As a coach, I have always supported the idea that teams on the field should put on a show. I don't think football will be viable if it all comes down to trying to score a goal and then digging into defense with all your might, forgetting what the game is for. We all know that victory is very important, but I think the way it is won makes it even more significant. Knowing Enzo Maresca, I will say that "Chelsea" is a team that comes out to play from the first minutes. The match should be spectacular on the part of both teams, with all the caution that opponents are obliged to show in conditions where the forces are approximately equal. But "Chelsea" will also play to win
Interestingly, Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk, who was disqualified on suspicion of doping, will also be able to receive his medal if the pensioners win. In the current Conference League draw, Mudryk played 6 matches, in which he scored 3 goals and gave 3 assists.
Mykhailo Mudryk as part of Chelsea
Bets on Chelsea's victory are accepted with a coefficient of 1.84. Betis' success is estimated at 4.50. The probability that the final match of the Conference League will end after extra time is estimated at 6.70, and the probability that a penalty shootout will be needed to determine the winner is 5.75.
