
Cole Palmer Inspires Chelsea's Conference League Triumph Over Betis
- Soccer News 2025/05/29 01:23
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Chelsea erupted in the second half, staging a comeback to secure the Conference League title with a 4-1 victory against Real Betis at Wroclaw Stadium on Wednesday, driven by Cole Palmer's creative brilliance.
Enzo Fernández and Nicolas Jackson scored, both assisted by the outstanding Palmer, while late goals from Jadon Sancho and Moisés Caicedo sealed the win after Betis took a 1-0 lead at halftime via an early strike from Abde Ezzalzouli.
The 23-year-old Palmer delivered two assists in just five minutes during the second half, turning the tide for Chelsea and earning him the Player of the Match award.
With this victory, Chelsea became the first club to collect all four of UEFA's major competitions in their history.
Chelsea added the Conference League -- a third-tier tournament launched in 2021 -- to their previous successes: the Champions League in 2012 and 2021, the Europa League in 2013 and 2019, and the now-discontinued Cup Winners' Cup in 1971 and 1998.
"We were sluggish in the first half," admitted Chelsea captain Reece James, who entered at halftime. "The early setback drained us, but we responded strongly in the second half."
Betis started nervously but took the lead in the ninth minute when Isco set up the unmarked Ezzalzouli on the edge of the box, allowing him to fire a powerful low shot into the net.
Chelsea dominated the second half, controlling the midfield and launching relentless attacks that forced Betis to defend desperately.
The breakthrough came in the 65th minute when Fernández evaded defenders to head in a precise cross from Palmer, igniting celebrations among Chelsea supporters.
Five minutes later, Palmer outmaneuvered his defender near the byline and delivered another cross, enabling Jackson to chest the ball into the net and give Chelsea the lead.
Substitute Sancho extended the advantage to 3-1 with a curling shot into the far corner, leaving goalkeeper Adrián helpless, before Caicedo added a fourth to confirm Chelsea's seventh major European trophy.
This win ended a remarkable streak where Spanish teams had won all 23 continental finals since the 2001-02 season, including four all-Spanish finals, leaving Betis without their first European title.
Instead, Chelsea celebrated under manager Enzo Maresca in his debut season, capping it with this trophy after securing a fourth-place Premier League finish on Sunday to qualify for the Champions League. This marks their first silverware since American owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital acquired the club in 2022 and invested heavily in the squad.
The match was marred by fan disturbances in the Polish city, resulting in 28 arrests.
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