Chelsea write dream of setting record

In the eyes of many fans, Chelsea's victory over Nottingham Forest in the final match of the Premier League season was actually more meaningful than the UEFA Conference League final. Winning all 3 points against "The Forest", Chelsea officially finished in the Top 4 of the Premier League and will return to the prestigious Champions League next season.

9th trophy?

Although the goal was difficult but meaningful, it helped Chelsea complete the most important goal of this season. However, this does not mean that coach Enzo Maresca's team will give up the Conference League final in Wroclaw - Poland in the early morning of May 29 as long as they still have the motivation to fight and have the opportunity to shine in the continental arena.

Chelsea viết giấc mơ lập kỷ lục- Ảnh 1. — The match for honor in Wroclaw between Chelsea (left) and Real Betis promises to be very exciting. Photo: UEFA

Having won the Champions League (twice), the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (twice), the Europa League (twice) and the European Super Cup (twice), Chelsea are on course to become the first team to win all five UEFA club titles. Entering their 13th final in the continental arena, "The Blues" are full of hope to add the ninth trophy to their collection of glorious achievements.

Motivation and determination are indisputable, what Chelsea need to address is the issue of form as well as the effectiveness of their playing style, even though they are considered the brightest candidate for the Conference League championship. Until the final, Chelsea only had 2 stumbles against Servette and Legia Warsaw in not-so-important matches.

Coach Enzo Maresca's team is showing quite good form in the final stage of the season, winning 7/8 recent matches in all competitions. However, if we evaluate carefully, only the 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest in the final round of the Premier League shows the determination and will of "The Blues". Meanwhile, their remaining victories were all against weaker opponents or with little motivation to compete.

Dream of an earthquake

Chelsea's problems are not only focused on defense but also on attack. Apart from goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, who is always very fragile, especially with his inconsistent footwork, Chelsea's attack rarely scored more than 1 goal/match in the last 4 matches. Nicolas Jackson has declined a lot after injury, Cole Palmer is pale while Jadon Sancho, Noni Madueke and Pedro Neto are all not up to the mark.

Bringing such a disorganized squad to Poland, Chelsea could not help but worry that they would become "easy prey" for Real Betis. Coach Maresca also did not hesitate to express his respect for the coaching ability of his former teacher Manuel Pellegrini. Real Betis only participated in a continental final for the first time while captain Pellegrini was too familiar with lifting titles.

It has been almost 20 years since Real Betis and Chelsea last met in an official competition - when the "The Blues" won 4-0 at home and lost 0-1 in the second leg of the 2005-2006 Champions League group stage. Now, the situation could be reversed and Real Betis dream of a seismic event in Wroclaw to win a first continental tournament.

Before the match, Chelsea were worried because they only had 2 days of rest before flying to Poland. Meanwhile, Real Betis were given the opportunity by La Liga to play earlier and had nearly 2 more days of rest than "The Blues". Fitness is an extremely important factor, which can make a big difference in big matches.

Real Betis is quite brave against powerful opponents. In 6 encounters with 3 strong teams of La Liga, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, Real Betis only lost 2. Notably, they did not lose to Barca in both meetings.

Pellegrini has led 'Los Verdiblancos' to the final of the 2024-2025 Conference League after a strong revival, especially the brilliant performances of Isco and Antony in the past few months. Even if Real Betis fail to win their last four La Liga games, they will not be too worried because they have already secured a place in the Europa League next season.