Inexperienced Betis and experienced Chelsea meet in the Conference League final
On Wednesday, all eyes turn to Poland and Wroclaw, where the magnificent stadium will host the Conference League final between Betis, appearing for the first time, and the experienced Chelsea.
On Wednesday, all eyes turn to Poland and Wroclaw, where the magnificent stadium will host the Conference League final between Betis, appearing for the first time, and the experienced Chelsea…
One of the key messages from Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini over the past few days has been the need for composure against Chelsea. There is great excitement surrounding the (possible) first European final that the Spanish club can win and dealing with that emotion will be crucial. Which brings us back to the importance of international midfielder Isco, who is not only Betis’ creative catalyst, but also brings all his trophy-winning experience from his time at Real Madrid.
Betis are not a team that prioritizes safety (shielding their defense) which is indicated by the fact that they have not kept a clean sheet in their last 11 matches. Something that Pellegrini has promised once again that he will do everything he can to find a solution to this issue.
On the other hand, the Italian, Chelsea coach, Enzo Maresca who has played for 4 years with the Betis jersey throughout the season, Maresca used the Conference League as an opportunity to promote and acquire talented young footballers from the academy (and elsewhere). But with trophies at stake. The question is whether he will return to experience for a game that, according to him, can turn a good season into a great one. Especially when you consider that in the last matchday of the Premier League they won 1-0 away from Nottingham Forest and secured the 4th place which gives them the right to appear in the UEFA Champions League next season.
If you add the element of master vs apprentice, when facing his old coach Pellegrini, then I expect him to lean towards his strongest available lineup.
Real Betis (based in Seville) reached their first European final, but the task they face in Wroclaw is difficult. Chelsea looked like title contenders from the start of the league phase, and Enzo Maresca's team travels to Poland aiming for a unique first: victory and they will become the first team to triumph in all five major UEFA men's club competitions, as the "Blues" have already won the UEFA Champions League twice, the Europa League twice, the UEFA Super Cup twice and the now inactive or better integrated into the Europa League, the Cup Winners' Cup twice.
But Betis can also be consoled by a statistic. Since the start of the 2001/02 season, all 23 UEFA Champions League, Europa League or Conference League finals involving Spanish hopefuls have been won by a Spanish team (including four all-Spanish finals - the 2014 and 2016 Champions League finals and the 2007 and 2012 Europa League finals). The last time a La Liga team lost a major UEFA final to a foreign team was when Valencia were defeated by Bayern in the 2001 Champions League. So we can expect an interesting duel…

Manos Staramopoulos
Journalist and Analyst of International Football and Affairs
Chief Editor English Zone of Discoveryfootball.com
Athens (Greece)