Conference League Semi-Finals: Chelsea and Real Betis on Brink of Final Berths
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The Conference League semi-final second legs take place on Thursday, with Chelsea and Real Betis both holding first-leg leads. Chelsea host Djurgarden, while Betis travel to Fiorentina as they look to complete the job and go through to the Conference League final.
According to Yahoo Sports, Chelsea have one foot and four toes in the Conference League final – even a repeat of their heaviest-ever home European defeat, 3-0 at the hands of Bayern Munich in the 2019/20 Champions League last 16, would still take the tie to extra time. Goals from Jadon Sancho and Noni Madueke gave the Blues a 2-0 half-time lead over Djurgarden in last week’s first leg in Stockholm; Nicolas Jackson doubled that advantage with a second-half brace off the bench, before Isak Alemayehu Mulugeta pulled one back for the Swedish side.
Chelsea’s perfect record in the 2024/25 Conference League proper may have gone with their 2-1 quarter-final second-leg loss to Legia Warsaw at Stamford Bridge, but Enzo Maresca’s men are still hot favourites to go all the way and lift the trophy. Doing so would seal Europa League qualification for next season, although the Blues will hope to clinch more than that by finishing in the top five of the Premier League and, in doing so, securing a return to the Champions League for 2025/26.
As Yahoo Sports reports, Sunday’s 3-1 victory over newly crowned Premier League champions Liverpool made it four wins on the spin for Chelsea in all competitions, and they’ll be confident of making it five in a row for the first time since Christmas. Djurgarden are Sweden’s first semi-finalists in a major UEFA competition since IFK Goteborg in the 1986/87 UEFA Cup; they’d have to pull off an absolutely monumental upset to follow in their footsteps and reach the final.
In the other semi-final, Fiorentina have work to do if they’re to have a chance of making it third time lucky this time around. Beaten finalists in each of the last two editions of the Conference League, La Viola trail 2-1 to Real Betis, who Abdessamad Ezzalzouli and Antony put into a 2-0 first-leg lead – before captain Luca Ranieri pulled back a potentially crucial goal for the Serie A side.
As noted by Yahoo Sports, Betis had never made it to the last four of a major European competition until this term; can Manuel Pellegrini’s team complete the job and reach their first final? The LaLiga outfit are in better form: they’re looking to make it five straight wins inside 90 minutes in all competitions, whereas Fiorentina have only won two of their last six inside 90 minutes.
Real Betis are on the brink of reaching their first European final, and they will look to make the most of their advantage in the second leg. As Yahoo Sports states, “Beaten finalists in each of the last two editions of the Conference League, Fiorentina have work to do if they’re to have a chance of making it third time lucky this time around.”
The Conference League semi-final second legs will take place on Thursday, with Chelsea hosting Djurgarden and Fiorentina welcoming Real Betis. Both Chelsea and Real Betis will look to book their places in the final and make their way to the Conference League title.
According to Yahoo Sports, the Conference League has provided some exciting matches so far, and the semi-finals are expected to be no different. With Chelsea and Real Betis holding the upper hand, they will look to make the most of their advantages and secure their places in the final.
With reference to Yahoo Sports, it’s clear that Chelsea and Real Betis have a significant advantage heading into the second leg, but Djurgarden and Fiorentina will look to cause an upset and book their places in the final. The Conference League semi-finals promise to be an exciting and closely contested affair, with both teams looking to make their way to the title.
The semi-final ties have been finely poised after the first legs, and Yahoo Sports analysis suggests that both Chelsea and Real Betis will be confident of progressing to the final.
The Conference League has thrown up some interesting match-ups this season, and Yahoo Sports has all the latest news and updates.
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