Chelsea roar back to beat Real Betis in UEFA Conference League final
WROCLAW: Chelsea roared back to beat Real Betis 4-1 in the UEFA Conference League final in Wroclaw on Wednesday, becoming the first club to claim all four major European trophies. Manuel Pellegrini’s enterprising Betis caught the favorites cold in Poland through an early goal from Abde Ezzalzouli but Enzo Maresca’s team were a changed side in the second half. Two goals in five minutes changed the complexion of the game, with man-of-the-match Cole Palmer creating both openings for Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Jackson. Substitute Jadon Sancho made the game safe in the 83rd minute, finishing from an tight angle and Moises Caicedo added gloss to the scoreline. It means Chelsea become the first club to win the full set of Champions League, Europa League, Conference League and the now-defunct Cup Winners’ Cup. It is also the first silverware for the club since Todd Boehly’s consortium took over from former owner Roman Abramovich in 2022, following an era of unprecedented success for the club. After a bright start from both sides, Betis broke the deadlock in the ninth minute through Ezzalzouli, who scored the goal against Fiorentina that took his side to the final. Malo Gusto lost the ball in midfield and Betis surged forward.