Abde Ezzalzouli’s Lightning Goal in the 2024/2025 UEFA Conference League Final

Abde Ezzalzouli’s early goal in the 9th minute became a crucial moment that greatly influenced the course of the UEFA Conference League final between Chelsea and Real Betis. From a mistake by Malo Gusto in the middle of the field, Isco cleverly exploited the space and delivered a perfect through ball to Ezzalzouli. With great composure, the Betis player fired a low shot into the bottom corner of Filip Jorgensen’s goal, giving Betis an early lead.

This lightning goal immediately shook Chelsea’s mentality. The Blues looked shaken and struggled to build their play during the first half. Although Betis did not dominate possession, their attacking effectiveness was clearly visible. Several dangerous chances from Marc Bartra and Johnny Cardoso nearly doubled Betis’ lead, putting even more pressure on Chelsea’s defense.

However, this early goal actually sparked a tactical response from Chelsea’s coach, Enzo Maresca. Entering the second half, Maresca made a key substitution by bringing in Reece James to replace Malo Gusto, who had a less than optimal performance. This decision became the turning point of the match—Chelsea began to dominate possession, control the tempo, and turn the game around with four brilliant goals.

On the other hand, the mental pressure on Betis from that early goal intensified when Ezzalzouli had to be withdrawn due to injury in the 53rd minute. Losing their main attacking engine significantly weakened Betis’ offensive power. Fatigue and loss of attacking rhythm made them increasingly easy to overcome by Chelsea, who kept pressing.

In short, Ezzalzouli’s early goal was a decisive moment that gave Real Betis initial momentum and pressured Chelsea throughout the first half. However, that goal also triggered a strategic change and an extraordinary fighting spirit from Chelsea until they were able to rise and achieve a dramatic 4-1 victory.