Conference League Final Betting Tips: Real Betis vs Chelsea
A final between two teams who finished in the top six of La Liga and the Premier League adds some gravitas to the renamed UEFA Conference League final this season, as Real Betis prepare to play Chelsea in Wroclaw, Poland, on Wednesday night (20:00 kick-off).
After a Europa League final between two teams who finished 11 and 13 places below Chelsea in the English top flight, the third-tier competition looks set to produce a fascinating finale.
Chelsea are hoping to follow 2022/23 champions West Ham as the second English winners of the competition, with Roma and Olympiakos the other successful sides in what was previously known as the Europa Conference League.
Tip 1 - Chelsea to win in regular time @ 41/50
Chelsea have not always convinced in Enzo Maresca's first season as manager but there's a real chance the former Leicester boss could end his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge with a European trophy.
Having secured Champions League football after a tense Sunday afternoon in Nottingham, where Chelsea won 1-0 against Forest to seal fourth place in the Premier League, the goal is now to lift the UEFA Conference League trophy.
The Blues have won seven of their last eight games, with the only setback coming in a 2-0 defeat at Newcastle United when Nicolas Jackson was sent off after just 36 minutes.
Chelsea were not particularly fluent in the first half of their crucial match against Forest, but they got the job done and they have been ruthless in this competition this season, winning 11 of their 12 Conference League games.
Betis finished a solid sixth in La Liga this season but there was a 10-point gap between them and the top five and Manuel Pellegrini's team ended the campaign in tame fashion, failing to win any of their final five matches in 90 minutes.
Their league campaign ended with three draws and a 4-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid and they failed to win on either of their two visits to Poland this season, losing 1-0 at Legia Warsaw in the League Phase and drawing at Jagiellonia Bialystok in the quarter-finals.
Chelsea won 3-0 at Legia in their quarter-final first leg and were 14 places above Betis when topping the League Phase table. The Spanish side have a rest advantage having not played since Friday, but Maresca's team look capable of ending the season on a high note with a win in 90 minutes before heading to the Club World Cup.
Tip 2 - Chelsea to win 2-1 correct score @ 7/1
Betis have not been shut out in their last 20 matches but their last 11 fixtures have all featured goals by both teams, so any correct score predictions on the final should probably include goals on both sides of the scoresheet.
Chelsea are the top scorers in this competition with 38 goals, which is 16 more than Betis even though the Spanish club have played two more games.
The Blues' tally was boosted by some soft draws and they thrashed Noah, Shamrock Rovers, Gent and Djurgardens, but their scoring rate has dipped since their semi-final.
Striker Nicolas Jackson can play in the final, giving Maresca a welcome option he did not have for the last two league games, and a 2-1 Chelsea win looks worth an interest.
Tip 3 - Cole Palmer anytime goalscorer @ 7/4
Cole Palmer's 15 goals this term have been very much concentrated in the first half of the season but he got back on the scoresheet with a late penalty against Liverpool at the start of the month and could be the man for the big occasion again.
Palmer netted the equaliser for England against Spain in last summer's Euro 2024 final and he has been used sparingly in this competition, playing only 45 minutes of the semi-final.
Maresca will want his big guns on the pitch against Betis - although he has said that regular Conference League goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen will keep his place - and Palmer could step up in Poland.
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to fluctuation