Real Betis 1-4 Chelsea: Cole Palmer inspires Blues comeback to win Conference League final | OneFootball

Palmer provided two superb assists as Blues recovered from sluggish first-half

The Spanish club, bidding to win their first ever European trophy, held firm for 20 minutes in the second period but when one Chelsea goal came, a second swiftly followed.

Enzo Fernandez headed home the equaliser from a brilliant Cole Palmer cross and the Englishman was involved soon after, twisting and turning and putting in another superb cross, this one bundled in off the shoulder of Nicolas Jackson.

That lead never looked like being surrendered and Jadon Sancho put the match to bed with just under ten minutes remaining, cutting inside onto his right foot and curling a stunning finish into the top corner.

There was still time for Moises Caicedo to add a fourth, firing in as the clock ticked into stoppage-time, as Chelsea claimed Conference League glory to go in the trophy cabinet with the club’s previous successes in the Champions League and Europa League.

Chelsea had gifted Betis the lead after nine minutes.

Malo Gusto's careless pass through midfield was cut out, the ball breaking to captain Isco who reversed a sumptuous pass in-field to find Ezzalzouli who peeled away. The winger took a touch to make space with his right foot then with his left drilled in into Filip Jorgensen's bottom corner.

It would have been two moments later had Jorgensen not produced a fine reach to keep out Marc Bartra's curling long-range shot.

There was the unmistakable sense of Betis, whose fans dominated the stadium in noise and number, having begun their first European final with the greater desire.

Isco, a five-time Champions League winner but never as skipper, suggested before kick-off the game might mean more to his side than to Chelsea and in the first half there was no doubting Betis' extra energy.

Gusto, who has had a poor season, was at fault again with an ineffective challenge to be robbed by Ezzalzouli. The goalscorer then bamboozled Caicedo before squaring it for Johnny Cardoso who from a glorious position blazed over.

Pedro Neto then thumped the ball high and wide, a wild miss that summed up a poor Chelsea half in which they attacked at walking pace and Betis, superbly marshalled tactically by Manuel Pellegrini, coped with ease.

Reece James replaced Gusto at the break and slowly Chelsea began to squeeze Betis in their own half.

Finally 65 minutes into the final they produced their first clear opening, or rather Palmer did it alone.

It was he who spotted the forward dart of Argentina midfielder Fernandez, and his arcing cross from wide on the right that the World Cup-winner nodded down through the grasp of Adrian and in.

Chelsea were now awake and no one more so than Palmer, so when he picked up the ball on the far side of the penalty area five minutes later there was a ready feeling a second goal was imminent.

So it proved, Palmer's chipped ball to the near post finding Jackson who adjusted his body well and guided home with his shoulder.

The shock clearly affected Betis who were beginning to tire following a mammoth effort.

What was left of their spirit drained away when Sancho lifted a wonderful curling finish into the top corner with seven minutes left, before Caicedo drilled home a late fourth.