Jadon Sancho and Moises Caicedo’s late goals saw Chelsea crowned 2024-25 UEFA Conference League champions with a comeback 4-1 win over Real Betis in the final.
Late goals from Sancho and Caicedo wrapped up victory for the Blues who produced a clinical second-half performance, in contrast to a second-best lacklustre first half.
Abde Ezzalzouli initially fired Real Betis into a half-time lead with his ninth-minute strike from Isco’s pass, before Enzo Fernandez nodded in Chelsea’s equaliser from Cole Palmer’s 65th-minute cross followed by Nicolas Jackson’s header five minutes later to put the Blues in front.
Chelsea are now the first team to have won every UEFA-approved European in-season competition, having previously won Champions League, Europa League, Cup Winners’ Cup and Super Cup in the past.
Blues captain, Reece James post-match admitted to TNT Sports that he is pleased that the team were able to deliver a comeback, having produced what he considered to be a “flat” first half during which he was on the bench until he came on as a half-time substitute for Malo Gusto.
“It’s a great feeling. As the game went on we grew into it and thankfully we scored four goals in the second half.
“Coming into this competition was something we had to win. Next season we go again in the Champions League.”
Having suffered just two defeats en-route to the final, Chelsea began the kick-off as title favourites but struggled to establish an attacking edge in the opening minutes.
Real Betis – managed by ex Manchester City boss, Manuel Pellegrini – however looked the more composed in their first major European final as Antony nodded over Isco’s fifth-minute cross.
Cole Palmer almost punished Antony’s wasteful header a minute later for Chelsea with a powerful run into the box, yet his shot was saved by former West Ham and Liverpool goalkeeper, Adrian.
Isco though proved an early nightmare for Chelsea’s defence as he teed up Cedric Bakambu to attempt a seventh-minute shot, which Filip Jorgensen comfortably saved.
Enzo Maresca’s Blues however didn’t heed Real Betis and Isco’s early warnings as the Spaniard teed up Ezzalzouli, who calmly rifled a shot into the far-right corner to put the Spanish underdogs deservedly in front.
Marc Bartra and Johnny Cardoso saw further chances for the La Liga club go to waste in a dominant first half against a shaky Chelsea defence, whose best chance fell to Malo Gusto but the Frenchman curled his shot over the bar from Pedro Neto’s pass.
With a chance to become the first team to every UEFA-approved European competition at risk at half time, Chelsea began the second half with more passion and intensity as Jackson nodded wide at the left post in the 55th minute.
Chelsea continued to pile on the pressure against a lethargic looking Real Betis and that intensity told in the 65th minute, as Palmer found space on the right to deliver a cross which Fernandez calmly nodded into the bottom-left corner to restore parity.
The Argentinean’s equaliser further motivated Chelsea who almost took the lead four minutes later but Palmer curled over from Sancho’s pass.
Chelsea however didn’t waste their next opportunity which saw Palmer in similar fashion to his first goal whip in a cross, only Jackson this time was able to nod into the top-right corner at the near post to turn the game around for Maresca’s Blues.
Jackson almost secured victory on a 78th-minute counter-attack but he was unable to time his control on the ball, which ultimately rolled just too far beyond his grasp and into Adrian’s arms.
Sancho however completed the comeback with a calmly-composed curled strike into the top-right corner five minutes later, having won Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s pass to the left and wiggled into space on his final appearance on loan from Manchester United.
Chelsea ultimately dug in defensively amidst a late brief clash between both teams to claim their first Conference League title, which was sealed with a clinical strike by Caicedo in the first minute of injury time from Fernandez’s pass.
The Blues’ victory also meant that England became the first country to win the competition twice after West Ham’s success in 2023.
Teams
Real Betis: Adrian, Youssouf Sabaly, Marc Bartra, Natan, Ricardo Rodriguez (Perraud 46′), Johnny Cardoso (Lo Celso 85′), Pablo Fornals (Altimira 85′), Antony, Isco, Abde Ezzalzouli (J.Rodriguez 63′), Cedric Bakambu (Ruibal 72′)
Substitutes: Sergi Altimira, Fran Vieites, Mateo Flores, Pablo Garcia, Manu Gonzalez, Giovanni Lo Celso, Nobel Mendy, Angel Ortiz, Romain Perraud, Jesus Rodriguez, Aitor Ruibal,
Chelsea: Filip Jorgensen, Malo Gusto (James 46′), Trevoh Chalobah, Benoit Badiashile (Colwill 62′), Marc Cucurella, Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Pedro Neto (Sancho 61′), Cole Palmer (Guiu 88′), Noni Madueke, Nicolas Jackson (Dewsbury-Hall 80′)
Substitutes: Josh Acheampong, Mathis Amougou, Lucas Bergstorm, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Tyrique George, Marc Guiu, Reece James, Robert Sanchez, Christopher Nkunku, Tosin Adarabioyo, Levi Colwill, Jadon Sancho
Referee – Irfan Peljto
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