Chelsea win UEFA Conference League to complete set of European club trophies

Wroclaw, May 29 (IANS) Chelsea have become the first team in history to win all five European club trophies after coming from behind to beat Real Betis 4-1 at Stadion Wroclaw in Poland, courtesy of a magnificent second-half display from Cole Palmer.

This is Chelsea's first Conference League success following two UEFA Champions League triumphs, two in the UEFA Europa League, two in the UEFA Super Cup and two in the now defunct UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

Chelsea's total of 42 goals in the UEFA Conference League this season (league phase onwards) is a record for the competition, beating Fiorentina's total of 37 in the 2022/23 season.

Betis strove to break up Chelsea's play high up the field and were rewarded. After nine minutes, Isco pulled the ball across the box for Abdessamad Ezzalzouli, and the Moroccan took a touch before firing a low shot into the bottom corner of Filip Jørgensen's net.

The goalkeeper was at full stretch to deny Marc Bartra as the Betis No5 tried to catch him off balance with a shot from distance a few minutes later, and Benoît Badiashile delivered a crucial diving interception to block a Johnny Cardoso effort after the busy Ezzalzouli had battled his way into the box to set him up, UEFA reports.

Possession stats had Chelsea on 65 per cent at the break, but Enzo Maresca's side had created little in terms of tangible chances, outstretched Betis legs repeatedly stifling their approach play. Captain Reece James came on at half-time, a limping Ezzalzouli was taken off after 53 minutes, and all of a sudden it was Betis who were being hustled off the ball, and looking like a side that had not kept a clean sheet in their previous 11 games.

James thumped a shot straight at defender Natan as Betis struggled to clear a corner, and there was no let-up for Manuel Pellegrini's side, Cole Palmer's splendid lofted ball into the box invited Enzo Fernández to nod the equaliser past the exposed Adrián on 65 minutes, and five minutes later Palmer produced another superb assist, turning a defender and lifting a ball across the box for Nicolas Jackson to force in at the near post.

A wall of green noise throughout, Betis' fans did their best to reinflate their side, but there was no way back. First, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall picked out fellow substitute Jadon Sancho, with the Manchester United loanee calmly curling the ball in from an angle, before the masked Moises Caicedo made it 4-1 in added time with a low shot from the edge of the box.

--IANS

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