Chelsea made history last night in Wroclaw, but there is one highly criticised player who gave a performance worthy of redemption – and it is not Jadon Sancho.
Real Betis looked to have an edge over the London side with Abde Ezzalzouli putting his team a goal up in the first half.
Redemption came for Chelsea in the second half, with an air of confidence from £180k-a-week Enzo Fernandez. Goals from Jackson, Sancho and Caicedo closely followed.
Chelsea put four past the Spanish side to triumph in Poland. But while his team delivered a second-half comeback, one player’s performance truly stood out.
Benoît Badiashile steps up when needed the most
Often criticised for inconsistency and a lack of composure under pressure, Benoît Badiashile delivered a commanding defensive performance last night.
Despite negative fan reactions to seeing the £35m French centre-back in the starting lineup, Badiashile proved critics wrong.
Chelsea looked vulnerable early on as a sharp assist from big Real Betis threat Isco set up Ezzalzouli right in front of goal to secure a lead.
Badiashile completed 97.2% of his passes, before being subbed off in the 60th minute, to settle his side’s shaky first half.
The centre-back seems to have found his footing in the Conference League, starring in nearly three times more minutes than in the Premier League.
Real Betis registered seven shots before the break, but Badiashile’s assertive defence helped The Blues to not concede more than they could have rectified.
Chelsea’s half-time mentality switch
Maresca’s words in the changing room clearly worked with the Chelsea squad, giving the players a cohesive and forward-pushing plan.
Badiashile’s defensive successes may have held off the Real Betis goals, but Chelsea were behind and a stroke of goalscoring creativity was needed.
Their Spanish opposition was unable to switch momentum back in their favour after two swift assists from Cole Palmer saw Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Jackson make the scoresheet.
Two more Chelsea goals followed to secure the final trophy in the West London club’s European domination.
Last night on TNT Sports, former Chelsea winger Joe Cole called Palmer an ‘absolute genius’ for taking the game ‘by the scruff of the neck’.
Palmer addressed his own mentality to TNT Sports in his blunt style saying that he was ‘sick of getting the ball and going backwards’ and said to himself when he next gets the ball ‘I’m going to go,’
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