The Premiership flag was kept flying in Europe, but not without a few scares on the way, as Chelsea restored English pride to reach the last four of the Cup Winners' Cup.
Even though Chelsea had never lost in 21 previous home European ties, Gianluca
Vialli might have feared his decision to bench two-goal first leg hero Tore
Andre Flo and start himself would turn into an albatross around his neck.
Nigerian Finidi George levelled the tie on aggregate mid-way through the first
half and it did not look like 'Lucky Luca' as both the player-boss and
Gianfranco Zola struck the woodwork.
The skills of Finidi, midfielder Robert Jarni and striker Alfonso were
threatening to undermine all the good work done in Seville.
But that was the cue for the much-derided Frank Sinclair to come up with the
goods, the simplest of headers to put the Blues back in the ascendency.
With Betis coach Luis Aragones banished from the bench by lenient German
referee Bernd Heynemann - and later dragged kicking and screaming from his seat
among the visiting fans - the Spanish side lost their way.
Four minutes into the second half, Roberto Di Matteo took advantage of
hesitancy in the heart of the Betis backline to steal through and claim his
third goal in the competition and eighth of the season.
And after that, while at times the Blues were chasing green and white shadows,
they were never going to go the way of Aston Villa and Manchester United before
them, holding on to keep alive the prospect of equalling their triumph of 1971.
And with a minute to go, Zola crashed home Chelsea's 100th European goal, a
milestone that showed what direction the Blues were going.
That was the perfect end, but the real damage, as expected, had been done with
that lightning start in Seville, when Flo struck twice in the opening 12
minutes.
And tonight, while the goals did not come, the start was equally frantic.
Betis were the first to threaten, Croatian schemer Jarni's searing free-kick
bringing a fine save from Ed de Goey, matching the stops he pulled off in the
first leg.
Alfonso, given acres of space, headed wide, before Chelsea picked up the
baton, Dennis Wise finding Zola, who picked out Vialli with a crossfield ball,
the player-manager forcing a save from keeper Prats.
In the ninth minute, they came even closer. Defender Moreno was adjudged to
have handled on the edge of the box, and Zola's viciously-bent free-kick beat
the keeper all the way only to bounce off the post.
Chelsea were up and running, but Betis were not here just to make up the
numbers and levelled the tie on aggregate in the 23rd minute.
Alfonso took the ball with his back to goal and slipping between Michael
Duberry and Frank Leboeuf for Finidi to take one touch before lashing low past
De Goey.
Still Chelsea, by virtue of that extra away goal, were ahead, although if
Finidi had shown more composure within a minute that would have changed.
An escape, and one which Chelsea almost took instant advantage of, Zola again
patrolling down the right and delivering to the back post, where Vialli
stretched out his neck to power a header against the bar.
Thrilling stuff, nothing in it, with Chelsea forcing the pace but finding no
joy. Roberto Di Matteo was denied by Prats, Duberry and Vialli just failed to
turn the loose ball home from the resulting corner.
In the 31st minute though, relief. Vialli, put away down the right by Wise,
was cynically hacked down by Josete, and the retribution, as well as the yellow
card, was instant.
With Betis looking at the Chelsea big guns, Sinclair stole into space six
yards out, unmolested by supposed marker Josete, and when Zola floated in, the
defender's downward header found the back of the net.
It was only Sinclair's second of the season, celebrated wildly, and as Betis
saw the tie slipping away, and with Herr Heynemann showing more leniency than
many home officials, tempers on both sides flared.
A spat between Wise and midfielder Canas spilled over after the half-time
whistle, and as the players went down the tunnel, coach Aragones said more than
he should have.
He was banished from the touchline, and when Herr Heynemann came out for the
start of the second half and spotted Aragones lurking in the rear of the
dug-out, he pointedly sent him back to the dressing room.
Almost before Aragones had got there, Di Matteo struck, muscling midfielder
Marquez off the bouncing ball, surging into the box and inside Moreno, before
steering low beyond Prats into the same corner Finidi had found in the first
half.
Surely the tie was all over, and for the next 10 minutes, with the fourth
official trying to calm the Spanish bench, attention switched off the pitch.
Stewards had spent all match trying to make the Betis fans sit down, and
suddenly Aragones was there among them, sitting 10 yards from the dug-out and
making his furious points.
Not just the stewards but the police as well were called, trying to remove him
bodily, clearly manhandling the coach before he reluctantly went away. What UEFA
will make of it is anybody's guess.
Vialli, on the end of a sweeping move involving Dan Petrescu and Zola, did
everything but score as he poked wide after jinking inside two defenders,
although Betis' mood did not improve when a flag denied Alfonso in the 70th
minute.
That would certainly have made for a fraught climax but Zola was to have the
last word, crashing home from Vialli in the final minute. They must feel it is
their year, and a Cup double is really in the offing.
Teams
Chelsea: De Goey, Petrescu (Lambourde 88), Leboeuf, Clarke, Vialli, Wise, Duberry, Di Matteo, Sinclair, Newton, Zola.
Subs Not Used: M. Hughes, Hitchcock, Myers, Flo, P. Hughes, Morris.
Booked: Petrescu.
Goals: Sinclair 30, Di Matteo 50, Zola 90.
Real Betis: Prats, Luis Fenendez (Cuellar 73), Nerino, Alexis, Marquez, Canas (Oli 63), Alfonso, Jarni, Olias, George, Josepe.
Subs Not Used: Urena, Ivan, Nadj, Otero, Pinto.
Booked: Josepe, Marquez.
Goals: George 21.
Agg (5-2)
Att: 32,300
Ref: B Heynermann (Germany)
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