Pat Nevin has warned Chelsea over five Real Betis players ahead of their UEFA Conference League final clash in Wroclaw on Wednesday night.
The Blues have been strong favourites to clinch the trophy all season and easily topped the league phase, winning all six pre-knockout games.
Chelsea then eliminated FC Copenhagen, Legia Warsaw and Djurgårdens IF – without their strongest XI – to stroll into the Conference League final.
But former Chelsea star Nevin has rejected talk of Chelsea being ‘heavy, heavy favourites’ for the showdown against Manuel Pellegrini’s Real Betis.
In an exclusive interview with Metro, Nevin has pointed out that Real Betis beat Real Madrid 2-1 in La Liga earlier this season – and also drew twice with Barcelona in the Spanish top-flight – showing just how good they are.
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There are a number of former Premier League players in Real Betis’ squad including Giovani Lo Celso and Pablo Fornals, who featured for Tottenham and West Ham respectively.
Antony is currently on loan at Real Betis from Manchester United and Nevin believes the winger – along with Lo Celso and Fornals – are more than capable of causing Chelsea some problems.
Nevin also highlighted Isco – who played for Real Madrid from 2013 to 2022 – and Colombia international striker Cucho Hernandez as top players.
‘I’d say Chelsea are heavy, heavy favourites in England, I’m not sure everyone else (in Europe) feels that way if you’ve watched Real Betis this season,’ Nevin said via NewBettingOffers.co.uk.
‘I look at their team and think, well, Isco isn’t bad. Cucho Hernández is alright as well. Antony, we know he’s capable on his day. Giovani Lo Celso is an interesting one in the creative area at well.
‘It didn’t happen (for Lo Celso) at Spurs – and you could say the same for Pablo Fornals at West Ham as well – OK, quite good, they go away and I used to think ‘Oh, Premier League rejects’ – but it’s not always like that.
‘Sometimes, the timing can be wrong or the wrong style of club for that type of player.
‘Look at what Real Betis did to Real Madrid this season – they beat them 2-1. Both their games against Barcelona in La Liga have been draws.
‘You think, wait a minute, how does that make Chelsea a heavy, heavy favourite? It doesn’t.
‘It’s two teams who are well above the standard of this competition. I actually think we have a good final.
‘It’s not right final, because this competition isn’t for Chelsea or the top teams. It’s for the teams that never get to a (Champions League or Europa League) final.
‘It’s maybe more a fitting final for Real Betis but Chelsea will say they’re just on their way back (to the top) and need to get through this.’
Should Chelsea land the Conference League title, which was only introduced in the 2021-22 season, they’d become the first team to win all three European club competitions and it’d be their debut trophy under their owners, BlueCo, who replaced Roman Abramovich three years ago.