The first of three European finals is here! Sevilla, the Spanish heavyweights who have managed to claw their way back from disaster at just the right time, prepare to face Roma, led by a Jose Mourinho in renaissance, in the highly-anticipated UEFA Europa League final this Wednesday at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest.
A few months back, the idea of winning silverware this season would have been laughed off by Sevilla fans. The Spanish side had crashed out of the UEFA Champions League group stage and had been through two managers – Julen Lopetegui and Jorge Sampaoli.
Not only that, but the Palanganas were also hovering dangerously close to the relegation zone in La Liga. However, Jose Luis Mendilibar's arrival in late March following Sampaoli's exit sparked a spectacular turnaround, with En Nesyri and Co. losing only two games under the helm of their current head coach.
The Andalusian club head into this tie on the back of their 2-1 loss at home to Real Madrid, which was one of those two aforementioned defeats under the current boss, the other being a 2-0 slip-up against Girona. However, the Europa League kings should enter the final high in confidence given the manner in which they qualified for the showdown in Budapest.
The six-time champions drew Ten Hag's high-flying Manchester United in the quarterfinals, with many tipping the Primera Division side to crash out at this stage. The Red Devils had just beaten Barcelona in the Knockout Round Playoffs and were 2-0 up at home until the final few minutes of the first leg.
However, two late own goals from Manchester United helped Sevilla turn the deficit around and take a draw to the daunting Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium. The English giants were plagued with injuries but that should not take away from the brilliant performance from the Spanish side as they triumphed 3-0 to progress 5-2 on aggregate.
Then came Juventus in the semifinals and once again, the Palanganas emerged triumphant, with En-Nesyri and Co. beating the Italian giants 3-2 on aggregate to book their spot in the final. 90 minutes stand in the way of Sevilla and a seventh Europa League crown. Unfortunately, though, there is another huge obstacle standing between them and the trophy: the man in the opposition dugout.
Roma, similar to Sevilla, albeit not to the same degree, have been inconsistent domestically. The Italian heavyweights sit in sixth in Serie A, which would secure them a return to the Europa League next season, but are only a point ahead of Juventus with only a game left to go.
However, the Giallorossi are on the brink of securing back-to-back European titles and the man behind this all is Jose Mourinho. The Special One, who most recently left Tottenham with his reputation damaged following that sacking, is now inches away from adding another continental trophy to his belt.
Last season, he led his side to the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League title, spearheading a 1-0 victory over Feyenoord in the final. Fast forward to today and he has his eyes set on a third UEFA Europa League crown. The stats favor the former Chelsea and Manchester United boss, with the Portuguese tactician featuring in five European finals and winning all of them – two Champions League finals, two Europa League finals, and last season's Europa Conference League bow.
In the quarterfinals of this competition, Mourinho masterminded another win over Feyenoord, this time beating the Eredivisie champions 4-2 on aggregate. In the penultimate round, the Special One crossed paths with Leverkusen, led by his former player Xabi Alonso, with Roma triumphing 1-0 on aggregate.
The Giallorossi are currently on a four-game winless run, which is concerning. In fact, the last time Tammy Abraham and Co. won a game was the 1-0 victory over Leverkusen in the 1st leg of their semifinal matchup. However, with Jose at the helm, Roma fans should be able to dream big.
Team news
Sevilla: Yassine Bounou, the club's no.1 goalkeeper, should return to the lineup for this crucial clash while Joan Jordan and Suso are fit and in line to feature. Unfortunately, Marcos Acuna is suspended and Tanguy Nianzou and Marcao are doubts.
Roma: The Italian heavyweights have received a huge boost as Paulo Dybala has been deemed fit for this tie. Additionally, Leonardo Spinazzola could be back, leaving Rick Karsdorp and Marash Kumbulla as Mourinho's only absentees. Lorenzo Pellegrini, Nemanja Matic, and Rui Patricio did not feature in the weekend defeat at Fiorentina but all three should return to the lineup.
Key stats
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This is the seventh time Sevilla have reached a Europa League final, two more than any other club.
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The Spanish side have won all of their previous six appearances in a Europa League final.
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This is Roma's second appearance in a Europa League final, having lost the 1991 edition against Inter Milan.
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Jose Mourinho could become the first manager in history to win this competition with three different clubs, having achieved success with Porto and Manchester United.
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Sevilla and Roma have met only once before and that was in the 2019/20 Europa League round of 16. The Spanish side won 2-0 and ended up lifting the title.
Broadcast listings
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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