Betis Sevilla squanders lead: Ex-BVB star makes it clear: Chelsea win Conference League

Even an early deficit didn't faze Chelsea FC, and in the end, the final score was even more impressive in the Conference League final. Betis took an early lead but couldn't build on it. Chelsea, on the other hand, took control and consistently capitalized on their chances.

Thanks to ruthless efficiency, Chelsea FC secured the Conference League title and achieved a first in European Cup history. The favored Blues, led by their ingenious assist king Cole Palmer, came from behind to win 4-1 (0-1) against Real Betis in the final of the "third-tier" competition.

Sevilla's defeat in the final in Wroclaw, Poland, also ended an impressive streak in Spanish football: for the first time since the start of the 2001/02 season, a final with Spanish participation in the Champions League, Europa League or Conference League did not end with a victory for a Spanish team.

World champion Enzo Fernández (65th), Nicolas Jackson (70th), Jadon Sancho (83rd) and Moisés Caicedo (90th+1) scored for the Londoners in Wroclaw, Poland, who won their first title since a consortium led by US billionaire Todd Boehly took over Roman Abramovich's club in 2022. Chelsea also became the first club ever to win their fourth European competition after triumphs in the Champions League, the Europa League and the European Cup Winners' Cup.

For Betis, however, an early goal wasn't enough. After a pass from the impressive Isco, who was called up to the Spanish national team for the first time in six years this week, Abdessamad Ezzalzouli (9') put veteran coach Manuel Pellegrini's Andalusians in the lead. The wait for the first European title in the club's history continues, however.

There are fan riots in the city center

Betis played more decisively before the break and immediately seized their first chance. Isco, who spent almost a decade at Real Madrid and won the Champions League four times, repeatedly boosted the underdog's game. Former Dortmund player Marc Bartra (14th) and Johnny Cardoso (21st) almost increased the lead, but the lead was still deserved.

Chelsea, who secured their Champions League ticket for next season in the league this weekend, initially had little success attackingly. In the second half, the Blues vehemently demanded a penalty, but Betis goalkeeper Adrián had played the ball in (55').

The Londoners, coached by Enzo Maresca this season, increased the pressure by the minute – with success. Fernández headed home a precise cross from Palmer. Less than five minutes later, Palmer was on target again, and Jackson only had to tap in after the English European runners-up's assist. Sancho sealed the victory with a curling shot.

In the run-up to the final, clashes broke out between supporters of both clubs in the city center. Poland's Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak initially reported 28 arrests early Wednesday evening. According to police, "several hundred" officers were deployed "to restore public order."