Europa Conference League: Chelsea Can Add Silverware to Cash

Real Betis vs Chelsea

This could turn out to be a near perfect week for Chelsea. On Sunday the Blues confirmed their 2025/26 Champions League place as they beat Nottingham Forest to finish fourth in the Premier League.

And now Enzo Maresca’s side are heading off to the Stadion Miekski in Poland to take on Real Betis in the Europa Conference League final where they are at SBOTOP odds of 1.43 to pick up some silverware, to add to the cash windfall that Champions League football brings. Their opponents, Real Betis, managed by former Manchester City head coach Manuel Pellegrini, have booked their European place too, landing in the Europa League following a sixth placed finish in the Primera Division. 

Betis are at 2.69 to lift the trophy so they start as underdogs, and they come into the final on the back of a 1-1 draw at home to Valencia. But they navigated a very tough semi-final against Fiorentina to become the first Spanish team to reach the Europa Conference League final, while Chelsea had a more comfortable passage against Djurgarden.

There is probably more pressure on Maresca to win a trophy as Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has authorised spending of a billion pounds on players since 2022, while Pellegrini has plenty of success already on his CV as a Premier League winner with Manchester City and a Copa del Rey triumph with Real Betis.  

As a side note, the two managers are well known to each other as Maresca played under Pellegrini at Malaga in 2012, and he was by his side when the Chilean boss was manager of West Ham United in 2019. But that is where the bonhomie ends.       

 

Maresca is no friend to Betis fans

While the Betis boss will shake his old protégée’s hand the fans won’t give Maresca any warmth in their reception. For four seasons he was a player with fierce rivals Sevilla and he scored the only goal in a Seville derby back in 2005. 

There is nothing the Betis faithful would love more than to put one over Maresca and they will be looking to Brazilian winger Antony to stretch the Chelsea defence. Since his loan switch from Manchester United, Antony has rediscovered his love for the game and he has put in some superb performances, scoring crucial goals including the opener against Valencia last weekend. And with experienced forward Isco alongside him this is a team with plenty of guile. 

Pellegrini has one big decision to make before Wednesday as keeper Fran Vieites is nursing a calf injury and veteran stopper Adrian is ready to step in.

 

Will Jackson start for Chelsea?  

The race for Champions League places was furious, coming down to the final few minutes of the campaign as Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United snapped at the Blues’ heels; but Levi Colwill’s first half goal was enough to see Chelsea through. Maresca is likely to keep the core of the winning side together but he may also chose to give more game time to the players who have performed so well in Europe, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Benoit Badiashile pushing for a start. But the big Europa Conference League 2025 news will be around the availability of star striker Nicolas Jackson who has recovered from injury and is available for selection.

The 23 year old Senegalese hit-man missed the Premier League finale after he was sent off for violent conduct during Chelsea’s recent loss to Newcastle United. But it would be a brave decision to start without the player who has taken huge steps forward this season and, alongside Cole Palmer, has been the Blues’ biggest goal threat. Another player to watch is the charismatic Marc Cucurella, a man for the big occasion who pops up with crucial goals as well as being a superb exponent of the dark arts of football…every team needs one.  

 

History

Chelsea are twice winners of the Champions League and six times English top flight champions while Los Verdiblancos are one time winners of La Liga and this is their first major European final, while winning the Copa del Rey three times.

The Blues come into the match on the back of five wins from their last six games while Betis have won just one, and drawn four of their last six.

 

Betting Tip

The Europa Conference League 2025 betting odds make Chelsea the odds on favourites, with the draw at 3.09 and a Real Betis win is at 3.50; and I’m inclined to side with the in-form Blues.

But I think it may be a tight final, as they so often are and, for an alterative bet, Under 2.50 goals is available at a price of 1.85.

   

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