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    Nicolas Jackson can repay debt to his teammates in final

    Chelsea are set to face Real Betis in Wroclaw in less than 24 hours, attempting to complete the European set, becoming the first side to win all four major UEFA competitions.

    The Blues have already won the Cup Winners’ Cup (1971 & 1998), the Europa League (2013 & 2019) and the Champions League (2012 & 2021).

    The UEFA Conference League would complete their European trophy set, but they will have to beat Enzo Maresca’s tactical tutor, Manuel Pellegrini and his relentless Real Betis side.

    Pellegrini’s side often set up in a 4-2-3-1 shape and have an emphasis on playing in a vertical fashion, looking to go from back to front in minimal actions.

    Real Betis average 505.64 passes attempted per game in the Conference League this season with 48 of those passes being “long passes”.

    Chelsea on the other hand, average 687.5 passes attempted per game which is the most in the Conference League this season, but only 31.25 of those are “long passes” which is the least of any Conference League team this campaign.

    Out of possession, Pellegrini’s side tend to press in a 4-4-2 shape with Isco joining the striker to create the front two and the two wingers dropping off slighter deeper and slightly more narrow to protect the centre.

    When Real Betis look to go direct with a vertical ball forwards and lose possession, the central defenders can be slow to jump forwards, leaving a gap between the backline and second line (midfield) in their press.

    This is one area Enzo Maresca will look to exploit, as Nicolas Jackson will want to repay his Chelsea teammates after being sent off against Newcastle two weeks ago.

    Nicolas Jackson has only made two appearances in the UEFA Conference League this season, playing 45 minutes against Legia Warsaw and 45 minutes against Djurgarden.

    Against Djurgarden, Jackson scored two goals in the first half, scoring from his only two shots in the competition this season, giving him an 100% shooting accuracy in the Conference League.

    Up against Betis defenders who are likely to be Natan and Marc Bartra, Jackson will be looking to cause chaos, making runs in behind to stretch the defensive line and create chances in and around the box.

    Natan and Bartra have averaged 1.64 and 1.7 aerial duels lost per 90 respectively, which shows you can put the pair under pressure with direct balls forward and in behind them.

    Both of their central defenders also like to stay in the backline, hesitating to jump out in the press and apply pressure if the ball is received between the lines.

    This tactical nuance could allow Jackson to pin the defensive line deep, which could in turn allow Chelsea’s best player to flourish in the final.

    The beneficiary of creating this space between the lines would ,of course, be Cole Palmer, operating in the half spaces and looking to create chances for the Blues’.

    Palmer has only averaged 0.68 big chances created in the UEFA Conference League this season, with a shooting accuracy of just 27.27%.

    The 23-year-old is yet to score in the Conference League, only managing one assist in his five appearances in the competition this season.

    But with space to operate between the lines and the stage being a European final, Cole Palmer could be the one to secure victory for Maresca’s Blues’.

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