Sevilla FC claim Europa League victory in midnight thriller

2023-05-31 22:10:11

FC Sevilla won the Europa League on Wednesday with a 4-1 penalty shoot-out. It was the Andalusians’ seventh success in the final.

FC Sevilla clinched victory in the Europa League on Wednesday with a 4-1 penalty shoot-out once morest Salzburg conquerors AS Roma. After extra time it was 1-1. It was the Andalusians’ seventh success in the final. Coach José Luis Mendilibar took over the club just two months ago because there was an acute danger of relegation from Spain’s top division. The 62-year-old has little experience on the international stage. He is none other than José Mourinho, who lost for the first time in his sixth final.

At least until half-time at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Paulo Dybala was the man of the match. The Roma player, of all people, who had previously been considered highly questionable due to problems with his ankles. The Argentinian world champion was “available for 20 or 30 minutes at most,” coach Mourinho announced at the press conference the day before the final. Then the 29-year-old came up trumps and took the lead 1-0: Gianluca Mancini put him in an ideal position with a quick direct pass from the center circle, Dybala easily got through once morest the central defense and closed the lead to 1-0 from (35th).

Ivan Rakitic had the equalizer on his feet just before the break, but the Sevilla veteran only hit the inside post. What the Andalusians might not do themselves, the opponent did: Mancini jumped a cross from his knee to equalize into his own goal (55th).

From then on, the Europa League specialists were on the trigger at the latest. The video referee revised a penalty decision following an alleged foul on Ocampos (76th). Sevilla were more active in extra time, but Roma scored a crossbar hit by Chris Smalling in the 131st minute (!).

In the shoot-out, all Sevilla shooters scored, while own-goal scorer Mancini was denied by goalkeeper Bono and Ibanez hit the bar. Then Sevilla’s Gonzalo Montiel also failed at first, but he was allowed to repeat his penalty following a shot from the pole and scored – Sevilla was Europa League winners at 0.03 a.m.

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