In the end, money didn’t just talk. It screamed. Chelsea, one of the most consistent performers in the Champions League this century, produced a second-half blitz that overwhelmed Real Betis 4-1 in the final of the Europa Conference League – the continent’s third-tier competition. It capped a memorable four days for Enzo Maresca’s team, who had clinched Champions League qualification on the final day of the English Premier League (EPL) season last Sunday.
In the first half, Betis’ intelligent pressing had run rings around Chelsea, who struggled to get any sort of foothold despite enjoying most of the possession. With Isco, who spent nine seasons at Real Madrid, pulling the strings in midfield, Betis were a constant threat on the counter, and should have scored more than one goal.
That strike, in the ninth minute, came when Pablo Fornals dispossessed Malo Gusto inside the Chelsea half. His pass found Isco, and a lovely reverse pass to Abde Ellalzouli was beautifully finished by the Moroccan winger. Johnny Cardoso, the midfielder, whose energy was central to the Betis press, should have scored a second, again after Isco’s ingenuity, but blasted over.
Manuel Pelligrini’s team finished sixth in LaLiga, and once Reece James came on to replace Gusto at the start of the second half, the tide turned. Isco, now 33, faded and the press gradually lost its shape. Cole Palmer, in particular, started to find pockets of space, and in the 65th minute, it was his cross that Enzo Fernandez headed past Adrian.
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Five minutes later, Palmer skinned the left-back and crossed again for Nicolas Jackson to head Chelsea in front. Betis tried to respond, but were easily picked off on the counter. With seven minutes of normal time remaining, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall found his fellow substitute, Jadon Sancho, and the winger, on loan from Manchester United, finished unerringly. And in the first minute of added-on time, Moises Caicedo gave the scoreline a lopsided quality with a piledriver from distance.
By then, the Betis fans, who had created a racket in Wroclaw all night, were mostly in tears, with the gulf in resources between the two sides so ruthlessly exposed. Chelsea have spent over a billion pounds since 2022. Betis haven’t spent even half of that in their history. The transfer fees for the four-goal-scorers alone totalled well over £300m (Sancho going from Borussia Dortmund to United), with Fernandez and Caicedo in the small list of £100m footballers.
It also capped a season for success for English sides against Spanish teams in Europe. Arsenal destroyed Real Madrid in the Champions League, while Athletic Bilbao were overwhelmed by United in the last four of the Europa League. Betis have finished in the top seven in Spain in each of the last five seasons, but never higher than fifth. This is their level. Chelsea, who will once again mix it with the big boys next season, were just a cut above.
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