30/05/2025

FRIDAY | MAY 30, 2025

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Chelsea player ratings vs Real Betis Filip Jorgensen: 7/10 – Could not do much about the Ezzalzouli goal and pro duced a top save to deny Marc Bartra in the first half. Malo Gusto: 3 – Extremely poor defen sively right from the off. His careless pass led to the Ezzalzouli goal, and although it wasn’t entirely the Frenchman’s fault, his inversion into midfield gave Betis so much joy. No surprise to see him hooked at halftime. Trevoh Chalobah: 6 – Only made a half hearted attempt to block the Ezzalzouli goal but shut up shop with the rest of his Chelsea teammates in the second period. Benoit Badiashile: 6 – His pace came in handy from time to time but an otherwise quiet display. Marc Cucurella: 6 – The early Betis reign of terror occurred down the opposite flank as, by and large, Cucurella kept Antony quiet. Moises Caicedo: 7 – Took his goal well to notch Chelsea’s fourth in stoppage time after being given the runaround by Isco in the first half. Enzo Fernandez: 7 – Made a good run and produced a decent finish to head Chelsea level. Set up Caicedo’s late strike. Pedro Neto: 3 – Pretty much everything he tried did not come off. Gave the ball away countless times through loose passes and unsuccessful dribbles. Also skied a shot miles off target. Cole Palmer: 9 – Redemption after an underwhelming second half of the season. Constantly asked questions of Betis, and then put the team on his back by assisting two goals - an exceptional cross onto the head of Fernandez, and a brilliant bit of skill before laying one on a plate for Jackson. Noni Madueke: 5 – Dribbling and passing was sloppy at times. More bad than good on the whole, but he did create a chance for Jackson with a precise ball in behind. Nicolas Jackson: 6 – All credit to Jackson for scoring the goal that put Chelsea ahead, but the truth is it does mask a display that was mediocre at best. Didn’t make it stick or bring others into play, and produced a clumsy touch after racing clean through on goal. SUBS Reece James: 7 – Should have started the game. Chelsea were far better after he came on at halftime. Jadon Sancho: 7 – Had the pick of the goals with a curled finish into the far corner. Levi Colwill: 6 – Got skinned by Youssouf Sabaly immediately after coming on but stood firm as Betis threw in the kitchen sink late on. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall: N/A Express Newspapers

Chelsea’s Reece James (2nd left) lifts the trophy as he celebrates with teammates after winning the Conference League. – REUTERSPIC

History makers Chelsea roar back to beat Real Betis in Uefa Conference League final C HELSEA roared back to beat Real Betis 4-1 in the Uefa Conference League final in Wroclaw yesterday, becoming the first club to complete fourth-placed finish in the Premier League. Maresca, in his first season at Stamford Bridge, said he hoped Conference League glory would be a launchpad for the club. side looked livelier. Pellegrini was forced a change when goalscorer Ezzalzouli was forced off, with Jesus Rodriguez coming on to replace him. Maresca also made a number of other changes, including bringing on Sancho, but it took two moments of magic from Palmer to turn the tide.

“The club have invested lots of money in the last three or four years, so they are also waiting for results,” Maresca told TNT Sports . “Hopefully this can be a starting point and from tonight, from this season, (we are) building something important.” The Spanish side went ahead in the ninth minute through Ezzalzouli, who scored the goal against Fiorentina that took his side to the final. Malo Gusto lost the ball and it broke to Betis captain Isco, who produced a clever pass to find Ezzalzouli on the edge of the box, with the Moroccan drilling a left-footed shot across Filip Jorgensen. Minutes later Marc Bartra tried his luck from distance but this time Jorgensen was equal to the task, producing a flying save. Urged on by their massed ranks of fans, Betis went close again when Johnny Cardoso’s shot from inside the box was deflected behind. The Premier League side were enjoying the bulk of possession but struggling to create meaningful chances, with Betis defending well and Isco, a five-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid, pulling the strings. Maresca brought on James for the struggling Gusto at the break and the English

a clean sweep of European trophies. Manuel Pellegrini’s enterprising Betis caught the favourites cold with an early goal from Abde Ezzalzouli against a flat-footed and listless Chelsea. But Enzo Maresca’s second half substitutions injected energy and Cole Palmer changed the complexion of the game in a five-minute spell, setting up Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Jackson to score. Substitute Jadon Sancho made the game safe in the 83rd minute as the Spanish side faded in their first European final and Moises Caicedo added gloss to the scoreline. Chelsea are the first club to win the full set of five Uefa club tournaments – the Champions League, Europa League, Conference League, Super Cup and the now defunct Cup Winners’ Cup. They have also won their first silverware since Todd Boehly’s consortium took over from former owner Roman Abramovich in 2022, following an era of unprecedented success for the club. Boehly was on the pitch at the end, savouring the win that seemed unlikely when Betis were in control in the first half. Chelsea have ended the season with a flourish after also securing a place in next season’s Champions League following a

The England man produced a pinpoint inswinging cross from the right that found onrushing Argentina midfielder Fernandez, who got between two defenders to head the ball past Adrian in the 65th minute. Suddenly Chelsea’s tails were up and the fans behind the goal were in full voice. Five minutes later Palmer twisted and turned before producing another superb cross that Jackson bundled into the net. Jackson should have scored a second goal but a heavy touch allowed the Betis goalkeeper to gather. But Sancho made it 3-1 when he combined with fellow substitute Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and finished from an angle and Caicedo added a fourth from the edge of the box. Victory for Chelsea breaks an astonishing cycle of wins for Spanish teams. Taking into account World Cups, European Championships, Champions League and the Uefa Cup/Europa League, of the previous 27 men’s finals involving Spanish teams, all 27 had had Spanish winners. – AFP

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