Europa League Final Preview: Specialists Sevilla vs The Special One’s Roma
The stage is set. 2023’s Europa League final on 31st May between Sevilla and Roma offers both clubs an opportunity for European silverware and a ticket into the Champions League next season. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the showpiece match in Hungary.
Sevilla vs Roma: Europa League Final talking points
It’s football heritage for Sevilla in this competition
The Andalusians are the most successful side in the history of the Europa League, formerly known as the UEFA Cup. Across its 2 guises, they’ve won it 6 times, including a three-peat of successes in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Their most recent win was in 2020 when they beat Inter 3-2 in a thrilling final.
Navas is Sevilla royalty
No matter who is at the helm, Sevilla simply know how to get the job done in the Europa League. Skipper and club icon Jesús Navas won the UEFA Cup in 2006 and 2007 with Sevilla, and tasted Europa League success with them in 2020 in his second stint at the club, some 13 years later. Talk about career longevity.
José Mourinho the pioneer
Nobody needs to be reminded of the pedigree and track record possessed by “The Special One” down the years. Mourinho’s ability to win trophies and get the job done in finals is legendary. He’s the first and only manager to win all 3 of the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League crowns.
Some pundits feel as though his best work is behind him. However, taking Roma to Conference League glory in its inaugural season and then Europa League success a year later would be a reminder there’s life in the old dog yet.
Road to the final
Sevilla eliminated Fenerbahce in the round of 16, Manchester United in the quarter-finals (with a convincing 3-0 win in the second leg) and Juventus in the semis after extra time. If they go all the way, they would have definitely earned it.
Roma advanced 2-0 on aggregate against Real Sociedad in the round of 16, produced a stirring 4-1 win after extra time in the quarter-final second leg against Feyenoord and snuck past Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 on aggregate in a cagey semi-final. So, here we are.
Roma “did a José” on Leverkusen
The Serie A side pulled off a true Italian job on Bayer Leverkusen in the semi-final second leg. Mourinho’s team had just 28% of the ball and managed zero shots on target, compared to 23 shots and 6 on target from Leverkusen.
0-0 was enough to guide them through to this final, and it evoked memories of Mourinho’s legendary Inter side which lost a semi-final second leg battle to Barcelona in the 2010 Champions League, but won the war and advanced to the final on aggregate, despite having almost none of the ball. A repeat of that here surely won’t bother him too much at all, especially if it’s him holding the trophy aloft in Budapest.
Miracles from Mendilibar
José Luis Mendilibar has only ever been involved in 6 UEFA competition matches in his career, the Europa League final against Roma will be his seventh. Mendilibar took over as recently as March with the club in disarray, and he won 13 points from his first 5 LaLiga matches to start steering them clear of the relegation zone. They’re now in contention for a top-half finish, with Mendilibar’s simple football philosophy paying instant dividends.
Spaniards out to ruin the Italian party in Europe
With Inter in the Champions League final, Fiorentina in the Conference League final and Roma in this one, 3 Italian clubs are contesting UEFA finals in the same season for the first time since the 1997/98 campaign when Inter met Lazio in the UEFA Cup and Juventus faced Real Madrid in the Champions League (stat via Opta Paolo).
Latest team news
World Cup winner Marcos Acuña is suspended for Sevilla after his red card against Juve, so Alex Telles is likely to start at left-back. Mendilibar must choose between experienced hardman Fernando or Senegalese midfielder Papa Gueye to function alongside Ivan Rakitić in the engine room.
As for Roma, Acuña’s compatriot and fellow World Cup winner Paulo Dybala faces a race against time to prove his fitness. The same can be said for Gini Wijnaldum.
Most recent H2H
Sevilla beat Roma 2-0 as recently as 2020 in a pandemic-shortened one-legged Europa League round-of-16 tie in Duisburg. Youssef En-Nesyri’s clinching goal was assisted by Lucas Ocampos that evening and both men are still key figures for the Spanish outfit in attack.
Likely XIs
Sevilla (4-2-3-1): Bono; Navas, Badé, Rekik, Telles; Gueye, Rakitić; Ocampos, Lamela, Gil; En-Nesyri
Roma (3-4-1-2): Rui Patrício; Mancini, Smalling, Ibañez; Çelik, Cristante, Matić, Spinazzola; Pellegrini; Belotti, Abraham
The Danger Men
Ex-Tottenham man Erik Lamela grabbed a goal and an assist off the bench against Juventus in the semis and is pushing for a start in an attacking midfield trio for Sevilla alongside his unpredictable, mercurial countryman Ocampos. They’ll be supporting the ever-dangerous Moroccan front man En-Nesyri.
Leonardo Spinazzola provided excellent width, flair and unpredictability from left wing-back for Italy at the last Euros in 2020, and he does much of the same for his club. His crossing service for twin strikers Tammy Abraham and Andrea Belotti will be a feature of their play. Ultimately, though, everything flows through academy graduate and club captain Lorenzo Pellegrini in the number 7 jersey.
What can we expect in this final?
Roma will likely let Sevilla have the ball for long periods and attempt to pose a transitional threat of their own. With both sides possessing vast experience in midfield with Rakitić for Sevilla and Nemanja Matić anchoring for Roma, it could be a cagey and cautious watch at first.
There’s also plenty of star quality in reserve for either of the managers to change the game in an instant.
Stats to tell your friends
Roma have reached the final of a major European competition for the second season in a row, as many finals as the Giallorossi had previously reached in their history: the 1983/84 European Cup and 1990/91 UEFA Cup (stat via Opta Paolo).
So, it’s José vs José in the 2023 Europa League final and the stakes could hardly be higher.
