Manuel Pellegrini has given his thoughts on Real Betis’ 4-1 defeat to Chelsea in the Conference League final.
Betis got off to a great start after Abde Ezzalzouli opened the scoring in the first half, but Chelsea managed to turn things around in the second 45 minutes with a dominant performance.
Enzo Fernandez equalised for Enzo Maresca‘s side before Nicolas Jackson, Jadon Sancho and Moises Caicedo scored to win Chelsea the trophy.
Jackson wanted to make amends for his red card against Newcastle United earlier this month and did just that after putting Chelsea in front for the first time on the night.
Manuel Pellegrini claims Real Betis were the ‘superior’ side in the first half
Following the game, Pellegrini admitted that he is “very bitter” about his team’s loss to Chelsea.
For the 71-year-old, Betis were the better side in the first half, which is why he is so frustrated with how the match played out.
In a post-match interview with Sky Sport, which has been shared by Sky Sport journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Pellegrini said: “I am very bitter, we were superior to Chelsea in the first half. In the second half Ricardo Rodriguez came out and I opened up the left side, and it was from that side that the goals came.”
Chelsea’s victory over Betis saw the Blues win their first trophy under owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali.
After the full-time whistle, Boehly and Eghbali were seen on the pitch embracing Jackson, whom they bought for £32m back in 2023.
How Enzo Maresca inspired Chelsea comeback
No Chelsea fan would disagree with Pellegrini; Betis certainly were the better team in the first half.
However, Enzo Maresca made some tweaks at the break and in the second half, which completely changed the game.
Reece James replaced Malo Gusto at half-time before goalscorer Sancho and Levi Colwill were introduced. Cole Palmer also started to take up positions on the right side and set up the Blues’ first two goals.
The Spanish media were really impressed with Palmer‘s second-half display, and it is easy to see why. The attacking midfielder and Maresca both deserve credit for Chelsea’s turnaround.
