Last Updated on 06/01/2023 by てんしょく飯
After 120 minutes of play, and with neither team scoring in added time, it was down to a penalty shoot-out.
The Europa League final took place on 31 May between Sevilla (Spain) and Roma (Italy).
Sevilla, who were in the Champions League (CL) for the first half of the season, finished second in the group stage behind Manchester C (England) and Dortmund (Germany). They entered the EL from the play-off stage of the final tournament. In the same round, they defeated PSV (Netherlands) 3-2 in two games, and in the round of 16 they defeated Fenerbahce (Turkey) 2-1 in two games. In the quarter-finals, they eliminated favourites Manchester U (England) 5-2 in two games, and in the semi-finals they won a deadly battle with Juventus (Italy), also from the CL to the EL, 3-2 in two games that went into extra time.
The club had a hectic season, with two coaching changes during the season, but results have stabilised under current club manager José Luis Mendilibar. They are confirmed as remaining in La Liga with four games to go, and have also won the EL so far as the ‘leaders’ of the competition. It is the first time in three seasons since the 2019-20 season that they have reached the final. They have played in six finals and never lost a single one, making them the most successful team in the history of the competition (*including the previous UEFA Cup era). In this season’s final, they will be aiming to rewrite that record and win the competition for the seventh time.
Roma, meanwhile, finished second in the EL group stage this season, behind Betis (Spain). They beat Salzburg (Austria) 2-1 in the play-off stage and won 2-0 against Kanehide Kubo’s Real Sociedad (Spain) in the round of 16. In the quarter-finals they beat Feyenoord (Netherlands) 4-1 in two games, and in the semi-finals they beat Leverkusen (Germany) 1-0 with a ‘solid defence’.
Roma’s chances of finishing the season in the top four disappeared before the final day of the season as they competed for a place in the CL in Serie A. By winning this EL, they hope to qualify for next season’s CL. This is the club’s first final appearance since the 1990-91 UEFA Cup season. Back then, they were in tears in front of Inter (Italy). Time passed and last season they won the European Conference League (ECL) and achieved their long-cherished goal of winning the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) competition for the first time. Jose Mourinho’s side have won all five of their last five UEFA competition finals and will be aiming for a long-sought first victory in the EL as well.
The final will be played at the Puskács Arena in the Hungarian capital Budapest. Sevilla were led by captain Jesús Navas, with Ivan Rakitic and Youssef En Nesiri among the main players in the starting line-up. Marcos Acuña, who has been a regular at left-back up to this point, is out through suspension, so Alex Telles is in the same position. Roma, in contrast, also have Gianluca Mancini, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Tammy Abraham on their list. Paulo Dybala returned to the starting line-up after being out for two weeks with an ankle problem, while veteran Nemanja Matic also started.
Sevilla held possession from the start, but the first real chance came for Roma in the 12th minute when Dybala received a side change ball deep down the right flank and passed it between two oncoming opponents before Zeki Celik ran up the inside and turned it into the net. Leonardo Spinazzola, who was free, fired a right-footed shot that went just wide of goalkeeper Bono.
The two sides then went on to engage in a fierce battle for possession, and the game remained evenly matched. The game was level on 35 minutes when Bryan Cristante and Rakitic clashed in midfield over a loose ball, and Mancini, looking to take advantage, turned forward and played a through ball through the middle. The onrushing Dybala swept his left foot out from the centre of the penalty area and his well-targeted strike found the back of the net. Roma took the lead in the first half.
Sevilla were unable to make the decisive goal, but gradually created scenes where they came close to scoring, taking advantage of En Nesiri’s height. In first-half added time, Oriber Torres played a deft touch to the right, danced past an opponent and connected in the middle, where the waiting Rakitic flashed a left-footed shot. His low, mid-range shot was deflected against the right post and the first half ended with Roma leading by one goal.
In the second half, Sevilla sent Suso and Erik Lamela out onto the pitch. In the 55th minute, Suso kept the ball deep down the right flank. Rakitic made time to connect again on the right and J. Navas, who was running up, sent in a sharp right-footed cross-ball. The ball hit Mancini and was sucked into the net. The high-precision cross-ball led to an own goal and Sevilla were back in the game.
Roma were back in front in the 66th minute when they won a free kick on the right side of the box. Pellegrini sent over a right-footed cross and Rogier Ibáñez’s drop gave Abraham the chance to head home, but goalkeeper Bono was on hand. 83 minutes later, Andrea Belotti volleyed over again from a surprise Pellegrini free-kick, but the ball was blocked by the onrushing Bono, Goalkeeper Bono left his right hand to defend the goal. Ultimately, the game was not decided in the 90th minute and the match went into extra time.
In extra time, the two sides literally fought to the death. After a period in which both sides created some decent chances but failed to find the net, Sevilla had a big chance in second-half added time. A throw-in high up the right flank found Gonzalo Montiel, who broke well to the right of the penalty area and turned the ball into the negative. The 120 minutes and added time saw no further goals for either team, and the game went to a penalty shoot-out.
In the penalty shoot-out, Roma’s second man Mancini’s shot was blocked by the left foot of goalkeeper Bono. Sevilla’s third man, Rakitic, succeeded, while Roger Ibáñez, Roma’s third man from the back, saw his shot deflected off the left post. Sevilla’s fourth man, who would have won the game if he scored, was Montiel, the right-back who was also Argentina’s final kicker in the final of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, who tried a shot right at goal, but goalkeeper Rui Patricio made a big save. However, VAR revealed that the goalkeeper had stepped forward without fully leaving his foot on the goal line, and the kick was re-kicked. In a tense finish, Montiel took his second kick to the left of the goal and the game went to time.
The result secured Sevilla’s place at the top of the EL for the first time in three seasons. They were crowned champions for the seventh time, breaking the record for most in the competition.
Score.
Sevilla 1-1 (Penalty shoot-out: 4-1) Roma
Scorers.
0-1 35 mins Paulo Dybala (Roma)
1-1 55 min Gianluca Mancini (OG/Sevilla)
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