CHELSEA are on the brink of history as they prepare to take on Real Betis in the Conference League final.
Enzo Maresca will clash with “football dad” and former boss Manuel Pellegrini when the two sides collide in Warsaw on Wednesday.
And a win for Chelsea will see them become the first-ever team to win all three major European competitions.
They face a tough test in Betis though, with the Spanish side boasting strong names including Isco, Antony and Gio Lo Celso.
Here, SunSport compares the two sides for what is sure to be a lively clash in Poland.
But just who will come out on top?
SEASON SUCCESS
With both sides reaching the Conference League final, neither side can say they have fallen short in Europe.
Yet they have also enjoyed good club campaigns – to an extent.
Chelsea at one stage looked on course to challenge Liverpool for the Premier League title before a dramatic Christmas collapse.
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The Blues then faced a tough challenge to qualify for the Champions League.
They eventually sealed a return to Europe’s top table on Sunday with victory over fellow challengers Nottingham Forest.
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CHELSEA VS REAL BETIS – CONFERENCE LEAGUE FINAL STREAM AND TV INFO
And although they ultimately achieved their season goal, Chelsea undoubtedly made a meal out of it.
As for Betis, they too enjoyed mixed fortunes in LaLiga.
They ended up finishing sixth, sealing their place in next season’s Europa League regardless of the outcome of Wednesday’s final.
However, fifth place in Spain would have been enough for Champions League football.
Betis ended up finishing 10 points behind Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao, who took the last two spots.
And although Europa League qualification will be welcomed by them, they surely would have loved to have been in the Champions League instead.
BEST PLAYERS
Chelsea’s squad is worth a whole £627MILLION MORE than Betis’ – but there is always one man who stands head and shoulders above his teammates.
Despite not enjoying the same success as he did in the 2023/24 campaign, Cole Palmer undoubtedly remains Chelsea’s star player and danger man.
The midfielder has taken up a deeper role in a more central position under Maresca, allowing him to dictate more of the play.
Palmer’s brilliant technique and vision means he is often the one keeping Chelsea ticking over in possession as teammates look to make darting runs through the lines.
And if the Blues are to take control on Wednesday, he will need to be at his mercurial best once again – regardless of whether he scores or assists in the process.
As for Betis, they have been inspired in the second half of the season by a Premier League misfit.
Brazilian winger Antony, on loan from Manchester United, has been nothing short of a revelation since moving to Spain.
He has a smile on his face again after hitting the goal regularly, with fans also showing their appreciation and adoration.
A permanent transfer now looks on the cards this summer.
And Antony will be desperate to reward the faith shown by Betis by guiding them to glory in Warsaw.
TACTICS
Chelsea have adopted a possession-based style since Maresca’s arrival last summer, with players instructed to keep the ball moving as they inch their way forward to goal.
Lining up in a 4-2-3-1 system, the Blues quickly become a fluid unit as players drift out of their regular positions to line up in a 3-2-4-1 shape.
Whether it has been a raging success is up for debate, with Chelsea sometimes left exposed at the back while also failing to get enough players into the box to finish off a move.
But Maresca’s system has built some team unity, with his unquestionable plan on the pitch making the Blues a strong cohesive force when it finally clicks.
As for Betis, they too play with a 4-2-3-1 formation.
However, it is much more old-school thanks to boss Pellegrini.
There are few players who drift out of position, bar Isco as he floats around the final third before picking out a deadly pass.
The wide men are encouraged to cut inside, with overlapping full-backs holding their positions on the flank.
Betis are also happy to concede possession too, meaning there is a high possibility of them looking to hit with speed on counter-attacks against Chelsea.
TROPHIES
As far as silverware is concerned, Chelsea are undoubtedly a tour de force.
The Blues have scooped 27 domestic trophies in their time, including six titles.
They have also enjoyed resounding success in Europe, with two Champions Leagues and two Europa Leagues making up part of their eight continental triumphs.
And in 2021, Chelsea topped the globe by becoming Club World Cup champions.
Winning the Conference League will not have fans bouncing for joy by any means.
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But it will see the Blues become the first-ever side to win every European competition, making it a worthwhile piece of history for supporters and players alike.
As for Betis, they have one league title to their name… but that came in 1935.
Since then, it’s been a barren run despite winning eight other titles in Spain’s lower leagues.
They have won the Copa del Rey three times though, with their most recent success coming in 2022.
And should Betis triumph on Wednesday, fans are sure to party into the night and beyond.
BIGGEST SIGNINGS
It’s no secret that Chelsea have spent well over a billion pounds since Todd Boehly’s arrival.
In that time, the Blues have splashed out huge fees on the likes of Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk.
But their most expensive signing remains the 2023 transfer of Moises Caicedo from Brighton.
Chelsea spent a mind-blowing £115m on the Ecuadorian midfielder.
That made him not only the Blues’ biggest-ever signing, but the most expensive player in Premier League history.
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As for Betis, they are yet to top a record fee paid way back in 1998.
They spent a massive £25m on Brazilian winger Denilson from Sao Paulo, which at the time also set a new worldwide transfer record.
But he ended up being a massive flop, scoring just 14 times in 198 games while also suffering relegation to the second division.
Betis have clearly been wary about spending big numbers ever since, having only ever spent more than £20m just once.
That went on Borja Iglesias, who joined from Espanyol for £23m in 2019 but lasted just four-and-a-half seasons.
MANAGERS
Chelsea’s Italian gaffer Enzo Maresca has one of the safest seats in football – and that was before he sealed a top four finish on Sunday.
The ex-Leicester man was brought in to Stamford Bridge to provide stability while also moulding Chelsea’s youngsters into English football’s next great team.
Despite reservations over his playing style, fans appear to have finally taken to Maresca thanks to his calm approach and desire to win.
The former Man City coach isn’t the most experienced either.
But with time on his side, a trophy win in his debut season will only strengthen his position in the Chelsea hot seat.
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As for Manuel Pellegrini, he has now been at Betis for nearly five years.
Having enjoyed most of his success at Man City, the Chilean has helped build Betis into plucky underdogs.
Pellegrini broke their trophy curse by guiding them to the 2022 Copa del Rey.
And he remains a wildly popular figure with fans and players alike, having resurrected the careers of fallen men like Isco and Antony.
Pellegrini also knows Chelsea boss Maresca well, having coached him at Malaga before appointing him as assistant boss at West Ham.
And it should be a fascinating battle between the pair, with Maresca warmly branding Pellegrini his “football father.”
