Eternal Sevilla FC! The Andalusians did not lose their magic in the Europa League on Wednesday night. Six-time winner of the competition before the final (2006, 220, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2020), a record, the Sevillian club tore itself away at the end of the suspense to snatch a 7th European crown at the Ferenc-Puskas stadium in Budapest against AS Roma. After eliminating Manchester United in the quarter-finals and Juventus Turin in the semi-finals, the Andalusian team got the better of the Italians at the end of the suspense while the score was 1-1 at the end of regulation time.
Yet the latter had a weight asset in their pocket with their technician Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese coach has also been a magician on the European stage for 20 years. The "Special One" had won all the European Cups without losing a single final: two Champions Leagues with Porto (2004) and Inter Milan (2010), two Europa Leagues on the bench of Porto (2003) and Manchester United (2017) and the latest European competition, the Conference Europa League won last year with AS Roma. But this invincibility stopped against the 11th of La Liga who becomes a completely transformed team when they are on the European scene.
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Solid, the Romans start this final better by dominating the Sevillians. A strike by Spinazzola, alone at the penalty spot, is pushed away with bio by Bouno (12th). Dominators, Mourinho's men are rewarded at the half hour of play. Mancini recovers the ball in front of Rakitic and immediately throws Dybala on the left. The Argentina international deceived Bounou with a cross from the left, which went into the opposite net (0-1, 35th). Sevilla responded with Croatian midfielder Rakitic whose shot hit Rui Patricio's left post in added time of the first act. On the return of the locker room, the Spaniards find the flaw... Thanks to a Roman! Navas centre to Ocampos who misses his recovery in front of goal. The ball falls on the right knee of Mancini, who takes his own goalkeeper on the wrong foot (1-1, 55th).
The meeting becomes bitter. Both teams surrender blow for blow. Moroccan goalkeeper Bounou worked miracles on his line on recoveries from Abraham (66th) and Belotti (85th). It was then his Portuguese counterpart who repelled a last attempt by Suso at the last minute. Both teams exhausted by the efforts struggled to create chances in overtime. A Smalling header hits Bounou's bar at the... 131st minute.
SEVILLA WINS THE EUROPA đ
LEAGUE
Thanks to 2 saves from Bounou on penalties, the Spanish club wins the competition for the 7TH TIME in its historyđ±#SEVROM | #UELFinal pic.twitter.com/YOZSENrr3q
â CANAL+ Foot (@CanalplusFoot) May 31, 2023
The final started in May and ended on June 1 at 0:03 with the victory of Sevilla FC in the penalty shootout (4-1). The hero is called Yassine Bounou with his two saves on the attempts of Mancini, decidedly cursed, and Ibanez. "It's magnificent, a first trophy for me after a complicated season," said Sevilla defender Loïc Badé at the microphone of Canal +. It was a crazy game but we didn't give up. This victory is beautiful! This success in the Europa League comes with a ticket to the next Champions League and a place in the hat one at the time of the draw. Royal!
