Chelsea advances to Conference League final against Real Betis

Chelsea rested its regular starters and still comfortably advanced to the Conference League final by beating Djurgården 1-0 in their semifinal second leg of Thursday.

The Premier League club advanced 5-1 on aggregate to set up a May 28 title match against Real Betis, which prevailed in extra time for a 4-3 aggregate win over Fiorentina to reach its first European final.

At Stamford Bridge, midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall collected a through pass from Tyrique George before scoring the winner with a low left-footed shot in the 38th minute.

“Amazing to be in the final,” Dewsbury-Hall told TNT Sports. “We set our sights at the start of the season to get as far as we can in this tournament and it has been a long couple of months but one more game to go and and hopefully we can lift that trophy.”

Chelsea remains on course to become the first club to win all major European competitions. The Blues have claimed the Champions League (2012, ’21), the Europa League (2013, ’19), Cup Winners’ Cup (1971, ’98) and Super Cup (1998, ’21).

The final takes place in Wroclaw, Poland.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca used only Marc Cucurella from the team that beat the new Premier League champion Liverpool 3-1 on Sunday.

Sixteen-year-old midfielder Reggie Walsh was given his first career start and drew frequent fouls from the opposition defense. When he was used as substitute in the first leg, he became the third youngest player for Chelsea, the club said.

The Conference League champion is rewarded with a place in the second-tier Europa League next season, hardly a desirable bonus for Chelsea given that it is fighting in the Premier League for a Champions League spot.

Chelsea, in fifth place in the Premier League, should have fresh legs Sunday when it plays at Newcastle.

In Florence, Antony crossed for substitute Abdessamad Ezzalzouli in the 97th minute to score past goalkeeper David De Gea for a 2-2 draw that sent Betis to the final.

Ezzalzouli also scored in the first-leg 2-1 victory in Sevilla last week.

Betis increased its aggregate lead from the first leg to 3-1 with a goal from Antony in the 30th. The midfielder, who is at Betis on loan from Manchester United, netted with a curling free kick that hit the post before bouncing into the net for his fourth goal in the competition.

Fiorentina’s equalizer — on the evening — came four minutes later from a header by Robin Gosens off a corner kick.

Gosens made it 3-3 on aggregate before the interval, heading home again from another corner.

Fiorentina was the runner-up in the third-tier club competition in the last two years, losing the finals to West Ham in 2023 and Olympiakos last year.

In the second-tier Europa League, Manchester United eliminated Athletic Bilbao on a 7-1 aggregate score after a 4-1 victory at Old Trafford to set up an all English final against Tottenham, which won 2-0 at Bodø/Glimt for a 5-1 overall win.

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