Chelsea Bounce Back to Claim European Glory—But It Wasn’t All Smooth Sailing
Wednesday night’s clash between Chelsea and Real Betis in the Europa Conference League final gave fans a tale of two halves. While the final scoreline read 4–1 in favor of the Blues, the path to victory was anything but straightforward.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca didn’t shy away from admitting that the team’s early performance lacked sharpness. Fresh off securing a Champions League spot over the weekend, the squad appeared to carry a little too much celebration into the final.
“We didn’t start with the right mindset,” Maresca shared in a post-match chat. “The emotional high from our last match lingered a bit too long.”
That early dip in focus gave Real Betis the opening they needed. A slick move from Isco set up Abde Ezzalzouli for the game’s first goal, leaving Chelsea trailing and unsettled.
But halftime brought more than a team talk—it brought a transformation.
“The second half felt like a different team,” Maresca said. “I reminded the players that the weekend’s success was already behind us. If we want to be taken seriously, we have to show up in finals.”
And show up they did. Chelsea’s response was ruthless. Enzo Fernández opened the scoring spree, followed by Nicolas Jackson, Jadon Sancho, and Moisés Caicedo, flipping the game on its head and sealing the trophy with authority.
On the other side of the field, Isco was left reflecting on what could’ve been. For Real Betis, the first half held promise—but the second half told a familiar story.
“We played well early on. They barely created any real chances,” Isco noted. “But once again, we couldn’t capitalize when it mattered most.”
The midfielder pointed to the fine margins that define European finals. One mistake, one missed moment—and the game slips away.
“In matches like these, one error can cost you everything. And in the second half, they just overwhelmed us. It hurts.”
