Europa Conference League Final Tips: Back this 16/5 shots treble in Wroclaw showpiece | OneFootball

UEFA Europa Conference League

Kev is predicting an entertaining game

Chelsea are odds-on to add the Conference League to their impressive list of European trophies, and Kevin Hatchard expects Betis to draw them into a lively game in Poland on Wednesday night.

Betis v Chelsea

Engineer Pellegrini has broken new ground

In an extraordinary coaching career that has seen him win trophies in five different countries and manage arguably the biggest club in the world (Real Madrid, before you West Ham fans pipe up), Manuel Pellegrini has picked up a trick or two. He admits his background as a qualified engineer has made him methodical and organised, and this season he has plotted Betis' progress to a first ever European final.

Betis secured a thrilling semi-final victory against Fiorentina, booking their trip to Poland in extra time of the second leg. What preceded that semi-final was a bit hit-and-miss - they only won three of their six league-phase matches, but then they comfortably disposed of Gent, Vitoria Guimaraes and Jagiellonia Bialystok in the knockout phase.

The Andalusians have been able to call on some experienced and talented players in this run. Isco and Marc Bartra have won the Champions League with Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively, while the arrival of Brazilian winger Antony on loan from Manchester United has provided a big mid-season boost. Antony has delivered four goals in the Conference League and a further five in La Liga.

However, there are some big concerns going into this final. Betis finished the La Liga season poorly, with just three points collected from four games, although they did still secure a top-six finish. More worrying is the injury situation - Diego Llorente, Chimy Avila, Hector Bellerin and Marc Roca are all expected to miss the final, while Giovani Lo Celso is struggling with a muscle injury.

Chelsea have passed first big test

It seems Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca will be afforded the one luxury that predecessors Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino weren't, which is time to bed down his ideas and develop the team. The former Leicester boss has delivered a Champions League place, and if he now wins the Conference League it will go down as a promising and successful campaign.

Maresca was in spiky mood following Sunday's critical 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest, telling his critics to go forth and multiply, but the negativity of his public messaging can be jarring. When Chelsea made a superb start to the season, they looked like they might push Liverpool hard at the top, but Maresca was at pains to stress that would be beyond his young players. He also raged at Betis getting two days extra rest ahead of this final, when he could've talked up the strength of his squad instead.

What Maresca ignores when he says these things is that Chelsea have a squad that's been built at lavish expense. Cole Palmer is one of the most exciting attacking talents in Europe, Nicolas Jackson has scored 24 goals across his two Premier League seasons, and there are blue-riband midfielders like Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia at his disposal. Marc Cucurella won the Euros with Spain, Christopher Nkunku was the Bundesliga's top scorer before he arrived, and Jadon Sancho is a complicated but undeniably talented performer.

However, credit where credit is due, and Chelsea have finished the season with a run of seven wins in eight in all competitions. They have torched the competition in the Conference League, winning all six of their league-phase games before sweeping aside Copenhagen, Legia Warsaw and Djurgardens.

Palmer and Jackson seem set to start this final, not least because Nkunku is struggling for fitness, while Filip Jorgensen has been confirmed as the goalkeeper ahead of league keeper Robert Sanchez. Jadon Sancho is expected to start after delivering a goal and five assists in the competition.

Wroclaw final to feature goals

Finals of most descriptions are cagey, fear-filled affairs, but I'm not sure that will be the case here. Betis are full of clever attacking players, but they haven't kept a clean sheet since mid-April. Seventeen of their last 20 matches have seen both teams find the net.

Chelsea do like to try to control matches under Maresca, and he has enormous respect for his opposite number Pellegrini. He played for him at Malaga and was his assistant coach at West Ham, and has referred to him as his "professional Dad". However, I think that Betis will look to open this game up on the counter where they can, and I believe that with Isco, Pablo Fornals, Antony and Cedric Bakambu (who has seven Conference League goals), they are capable of breaching Chelsea's defence at least once here.

Both Teams To Score here at 1.86.

Shots treble pays at 16/5

With Nicolas Jackson kicking his heels during his domestic suspension after a red card against Newcastle, he is fresh and raring to go here, and Nkunku is a fitness doubt. The Senegalese striker scored twice in the semi-final first leg at Djurgardens, and he has 12 goals in all competitions.

You could back Jackson to score at a hefty 2/1, but I'll simply back him to hit the target as part of a 16/5 shots treble on the Bet Builder. Jackson has had a shot on target in 23 of his 32 Chelsea games this term.

Even though it failed me against Forest on Sunday, I'll still back attack-minded Chelsea full-back Marc Cucurella to have a shot. The Spaniard has had a goal attempt in nine of his last 11 games, including in both legs of the semi-final.

Finally, I'll back rejuvenated Betis winger Antony to have a shot on target. He has had at least one effort on target in nine of his last 11 games, and across the two legs of the semi-final against Fiorentina he had a staggering seven efforts on target.

Now read the rest of our Conference League coverage here!

Recommended bets

Back Both Teams To Score @ 1.86

Back Nicolas Jackson to have 1+ shots on target, Antony to have 1+ shots on target and Marc Cucurella to have 1+ shots @ 16/5