By Samindra Kunti in Budapest
June 1 – Sevilla won a record-extending seventh Europa League title 4-1 from the penalty spot against AS Roma following a bad-tempered and theatrical final. They remain unbeaten in Europa League finals.
The Spanish side reconfirmed their love affair with the Europa League and their strength and resolve could not be broken, not even by José Mourinho and his antics in a final that descended into 146 minutes of scrappy football with 13 yellow cards in total, the most shown in a match in the history of all the major European competitions.
Voted man of the match, Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bonou ultimately proved to be the hero with a pivotal penalty save from Gianluca Mancini. Roma’s number 23 was the anti-hero with an own goal and penalty miss.
Yet the final had begun well for AS Roma.
For days Mourinho, once upon a time The Special One, had been blowing smoke around the fitness of his star player Paulo Dybala, so it was fitting that the Argentinean opened the score in the 34th minute with a fine finish. Latching on to a Mancini ball from deep, Dybala’s finish was crisp and prompted wild celebrations among the 20,000 AS Roma fans who had travelled to the Hungarian capital.
Sevilla could feel aggrieved as Cristante had wrestled Ivan Rakitic off the ball, but on points AS Roma merited their lead. Spiritual masters of the Europa League, the Spanish were never the irresistible force of previous rounds and mustered just a single chance in the first half when Rakitic’s low screamer ricocheted off the woodwork in the fifth minute of injury time.
It was reflective of a match that was predictably intense and highly contested with the Romans in a defensive formation but Sevilla making little of their possession. This was hardly a clash of styles, but, as the first half drew to a close, tempers increasingly flared with Mourinho in theatre mode on the touchline. The match quickly became scrappy.
With fresh forces in the shape of Erik Lamela and Jesus Suso and a goal down, Sevilla streamed forward after the break. Soon they had found a way in and were level. In the 54th minute, Mancini kneed a cross from veteran full-back Jesus Navas into his own net. It was a goal Sevilla desperately needed.
Mourinho implored his side to remain calm, but the Spanish, rejuvenated, sensed their moment. Yet, Roma came close when an almighty scramble ensued near Bounou’s goal line.
In the 75th minute, Sevilla had a penalty overturned and minutes later Roma claimed a spot kick of their own when Fernando handled the ball in his box.
Substitute Andrea Bellotti should have won the match but Bounou got a fingertip to his volley. And so the players and teams dragged themselves towards penalties, fractured by eventless prolongations where the fear of committing the crucial mistake reigned. Mourinho kept on contesting every refereeing decision, but the war of attrition had only one ending.
In the shootout, Sevilla prevailed with Montiel, who also scored the winning penalty in the World Cup, converting the deciding penalty kick and handing Mourinho his first defeat in six European finals. It’s the second time in a row that Sevilla defeated Italian opposition to claim the Europa League. In 2020, they overcame Inter Milan.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1714131013labto1714131013ofdlr1714131013owedi1714131013sni@i1714131013tnuk.1714131013ardni1714131013mas1714131013