UEL PREVIEW: The Road to Budapest

There are less than twenty-four hours until kickoff at Budapest’s Puskás Aréna, as Sevilla are set to face AS Roma in the final of the UEFA Europa League. Ahead of the match, we’ve taken a look back through the road to the final for both sides and identified key players that could write their name in history on Wednesday night.

Sevilla

The Journey

MD1: Sevilla (0 – 4) Manchester City

Coming up against Manchester City would always prove difficult, and it took just twenty minutes for Pep Guardiola’s side to take the lead courtesy of Erling Haaland – who tapped Kevin De Bruyne’s cross past the Sevilla ‘keeper. Phil Foden added the second with a tidy finish, and Haaland completed his brace with a rebounded strike in the 67th minute. Ruben Dias rounded off the scoring in injury time to complete an emphatic victory on the opening day.

MD2: FC København (0 – 0) Sevilla

It’s fair to say that Sevilla needed to pick up three points against København if they were to progress to the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League. Unfortunately for Julen Lopetegui’s men, they were held to a goalless draw in Denmark – meaning they’d picked up just a single point from their opening two games.

MD3: Sevilla (1 – 4) Borussia Dortmund

Bad turned to worse for the Spanish side as they hosted Borussia Dortmund at the beginning of October. Raphaël Guerreiro opened the scoring with just six minutes on the clock, and it looked as if bad would turn to worse as Youssef En-Nesyri was shown a straight red card for a foul on Navas. A VAR appeal would overturn it though. Two quick-fire goals saw Dortmund take a three-goal lead into half-time, as Jude Bellingham and Karim Adeyemi got on the scoresheet.

Having escaped dismissal in the first half, En-Nesyri was able to clinch one back for Sevilla in the 51st minute with a headed effort. With fifteen minutes remaining, Julian Brandt capped off a rampant performance with yet another header – bringing an end to Julen Lopetegui’s tenure at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán.

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MD4: Borussia Dortmund (1 – 1) Sevilla

The return fixture followed just a week later, with Jorge Sampaoli taking charge of the Spanish side. A much improved performance saw Tanguy Nianzou bag the opener for Sevilla in little under twenty minutes, though Jude Bellingham was able to equalise before half-time and ensure the spoils were shared.

MD5: Sevilla (3 – 0) FC København

Having been held to a goalless draw on their trip to Denmark, the return fixture offered Sampaoli’s men a chance at revenge. It took an hour for the first goal to arrive courtesy of Youssef En-Nesyri, but two goals in four minutes from Isco and Gonzalo Montiel right at the end of the match helped to counteract Sevilla’s woeful goal difference.

MD6: Manchester City (3 – 1) Sevilla

Sevilla’s final match of the UEFA Champions League group stages saw them travel to Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium. Rafa Mir was able to break the deadlock after 31 minutes, and the Spanish side took the lead into the break.

Unfortunately though, that would be as good as it got for Jorge Sampaoli’s side. Rico Lewis brought City level just moments after half-time, and goals from Julián Álvarez and Riyad Mahrez rounded out a sublime second half performance from the hosts.

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MD7: Sevilla (3 – 0 ) PSV Eindhoven

Having dropped out of the Champions League, Sevilla were given a second chance – by means of qualification for the UEFA Europa League. They’d face PSV Eindhoven, and the Spanish side got off to a flying start in the two-legged tie as Youssef En-Nesyri propelled them into the lead with a composed finish on the stroke of half-time.

By the 55th minute, Sevilla led 3-0 – as Lucas Ocampos and Nemanja Gudelj had both worked their way onto the scoresheet. Having been introduced as a half-time substitute, Ocampos’ thunderous effort looked to be enough to see out the first-leg win, but Gudelj added the third with a powerful strike into the roof of the net.

MD8: PSV Eindhoven (2 – 0) Sevilla

The second half was a nervy encounter, despite the first-half remaining goalless. With little over ten minutes still to play, PSV took the lead on the night through Luuk de Jong – and Wolves loanee Fábio Silva added a second deep into stoppage time. Ultimately though, Sevilla had done enough to wrap up the tie in the first leg and progressed to the round-of-sixteen.

MD9: Sevilla (2 – 0) Fenerbahçe

There were plenty of chances for both sides in the first half of this encounter, but it wasn’t until the 56th minute that Joan Jordan opened the scoring for Sevilla. The Spanish side bagged a second with five minutes left on the clock, as Erik Lamela finished off a lovely move to ensure his side held a comfortable advantage ahead of the second leg.

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MD10: Fenerbahçe (1 – 0) Sevilla

Fenerbahçe looked to put Sevilla under immense pressure from the get-go, but ultimately they could only muster a single goal from the penalty spot as Alex Telles committed a handball offence inside the area. Enter Valencia was on hand to tuck the resulting kick past Marko Dmitrović, though his side crashed out upon conclusion of the ninety minutes. This would also be Jorge Sampaoli’s last Europa League match in charge of Sevilla, as he was replaced by José Luis Mendilibar.

MD11: Manchester United (2 – 2) Sevilla

In one of the craziest games of this European season, Manchester United threw away a seemingly comfortable two-goal lead at Old Trafford to ensure that the sides were level ahead of the second leg. Marcel Sabitzer had bagged a super brace that saw United ahead after just 21 minutes, but a pair of own goals late in the match from Tyrell Malacia and Harry Maguire saw the scoreline levelled.

MD12: Sevilla (3 – 0) Manchester United

With United perhaps lacking confidence after the events of the first leg, Sevilla looked to capitalise on a shaky defence and took the lead just eight minutes into this fixture. Youssef En-Nesyri remained calm during a one-on-one with David De Gea, picking out the bottom corner to put his side ahead for the first time across this tie. Sevilla’s second goal was disallowed before half-time as Marcos Acuña was offside in the buildup to Lucas Ocampos’ strike.

Loïc Badé handed Sevilla a two-goal lead mere minutes after play resumed, and this was topped off by another goal from En-Nesyri within the final ten minutes – who had capitalised on yet another defensive mistake to punish Erik Ten Hag’s side.

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MD13: Juventus (1 – 1) Sevilla

Sevilla took the lead at the Allianz Stadium within thirty minutes, as Youssef En-Nesyri managed to get on the end of Lucas Ocampos’ low cross into the area before slotting home past Szczesny. José Luis Mendilibar’s side conceded an agonisingly late goal though, with Federico Gatti heading in a 97th minute equaliser to put the pressure on the Spanish side ahead of the second leg.

MD14: Sevilla (2 – 1) Juventus

The first half in southern Spain was a display of incredible attacking football – but legendary performances from both Szczesny and Bono ensured that the game remained level at half-time. Dušan Vlahović gave Juventus the lead twenty minutes into the second half as he lofted a ball over the ‘keeper – but Suso was able to bring Sevilla back into contention just six minutes later with a stunning curled effort.

With the game headed into extra time, it was Erik Lamela that proved to be the hero. Bryan Gil’s cross into the area was delivered with pinpoint accuracy, allowing Lamela to guide it beautifully past Szczesny to send Sevilla into the final of the UEFA Europa League.

The Stars

Youssef En-Nesyri is arguably Sevilla’s brightest star. Across the club’s European campaign, he’s netted a respectable six goals, but plaudits must also be given to the man keeping things clean at the other end of the pitch – Bono. He’s made 31 saves across the Champions League and the Europa League this season.

The Numbers

It’s hard to look past Sevilla when talking about the UEFA Europa League. Since the tournament was renamed ahead of the 2009/10 season, the Spanish side have reached the final on four occasions – lifting the silverware every time. They are by far the most successful side in the competition’s history.

AS Roma

MD1: Ludogorets (2 – 1) AS Roma

Roma’s UEFA Europa League campaign got off to a shaky start, as i Giallorossi traveled to Bulgaria. There, they were defeated by Ludogorets – Cauly opened the scoring in the 72nd minute, though Eldor Shomurodov was able to level the scoring with four minutes remaining. That would prove to be enough time for Ludogorets to reclaim their lead though, with Nonato the hero for the hosts.

MD2: AS Roma (3 – 0) HJK Helsinki

HJK Helsinki travelled to the Stadio Olimpico next time round, and an early red card for the visitors should have made things easy for Roma. Unfortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case, and it took until the 47th minute for half-time substitute Paulo Dybala to open the scoring with a composed finish. Lorenzo Pellegrini doubled the advantage a mere two minutes later, chesting the ball over the line from close range. With just over twenty minutes still to play, Andrea Belotti rounded off a dominant second-half performance against the Finnish side to make it 3-0.

MD3: AS Roma (1 – 2) Real Betis

It was the Spanish side that dominated the first half at the Stadio Olimpico – but somehow, the teams headed into the break level as Paulo Dybala was able to fire his side ahead from the spot following Ruibal’s handball offence. Guido Rodríguez was able to equalise for Real Betis before the break though, ensuring the second half would be action-packed.

The final few minutes were certainly dramatic, as Luiz Henrique sent the travelling fans into a frenzy when he equalised in the 88th minute. The chaos wasn’t over yet though, as Nicolò Zaniolo was shown a straight red card in stoppage time for lashing out at an opponent.

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MD4: Real Betis (1 – 1) AS Roma

In the return fixture, it looked as if bad would turn to worse for José Mourinho’s side – as Sergio Canales put Real Betis ahead after a little over thirty minutes. With Roma trailing at the break, a much-improved second-half performance would be needed. Andrea Belotti seemed to get the memo, with his equaliser being awarded eight minutes into the final period after a lengthy VAR stoppage for a potential offside offence.

MD5: HJK Helsinki (1 – 2) AS Roma

Roma could have taken the lead within thirty minutes in Finland, as Bryan Cristante rose highest to nod a header past the ‘keeper from a corner – but a VAR check found that Volpato was offside and interfering with play, so the goal was disallowed.

Tammy Abraham found the back of the net in the 41st minute with a headed effort – and this time, the goal would be allowed to stand. But just ten minutes into the second half, Perparim Hetemaj levelled the scoring for HJK – though an own goal from Attu Hoskonen would hand Roma the lead again shortly after. The hosts could have drawn themselves level again with ten minutes to play though David Browne, though that too was disallowed for a rather soft foul in the buildup.

MD6: AS Roma (3 – 1) Ludogorets

Having suffered a shock defeat to Ludogorets on the opening matchday, AS Roma looked to make amends as they welcomed the Bulgarian side to Italy. Unfortunately though, it looked as if things wouldn’t go their way as Rick fired the visitors ahead just before half-time – and as things stood, José Mourinho’s men would crash out of the Europa League.

A spirited second-half performance saw Lorenzo Pellegrini bag two goals from the penalty spot – fouls from Cicinho and Verdon were at fault. With i Giallorossi seemingly cruising through to a second-place finish, Nicolò Zaniolo was able to add a third goal with five minutes remaining to wrap up what turned out to be a rather comfortable victory.

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MD7: RB Salzburg (1 – 0 ) AS Roma

Roma’s second-place finish meant that they had to navigate the playoffs though, where they were drawn against RB Salzburg. Both teams had chances to take the lead throughout the game, but it was the Austrian side that took the lead late on through a headed effort from Nicolás Capaldo.

MD8: AS Roma (2 – 0) RB Salzburg

Needing to overturn the one-goal deficit, Roma scored twice within the first-half of the second leg to ensure they held the momentum heading into half time. Andrea Belotti opened the scoring with 33 minutes on the clock, before Paulo Dybala was able to get on the end of a lovely delivery from Spinazzola to double the Italians’ lead.

MD9: AS Roma (2 – 0) Real Sociedad

Roma got off to a flying start against Real Sociedad, as Stephan El Shaarawy powered the hosts into the lead with a rather simple finish. It looked as if they’d have to settle for a one-goal margin ahead of the second leg, but a thunderous late header from Marash Kumbulla gave José Mourinho’s side an extended advantage.

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MD10: Real Sociedad (0 – 0) AS Roma

Deep into first-half stoppage time in Spain, it appeared as if Chris Smalling had added a further insurance goal to diminish any remaining hopes of a Sociedad comeback. Unfortunately for the Englishman, he was judged to have handled the ball – and the goal was rightly disallowed. Late drama saw Carlos Luna dismissed following two yellow cards, having only appeared as a substitute on the hour mark – but ultimately it would be irrelevant as the Spaniards bowed out.

MD11: Feyenoord (1 – 0) AS Roma

Roma were handed a golden opportunity to take the lead ahead of half-time, as Mats Wieffer handled the ball inside the penalty box. Lorenzo Pellegrini missed from the spot though, ensuring both sides headed into the interval level. Wieffer was able to make amends for his near-catastrophic error though, finding the back of the net with a sublime volleyed effort from the edge of the box to propel Feyenoord into the lead.

MD12: AS Roma (4 – 1) Feyenoord

It took an hour for Feyenoord’s slender advantage to unravel, but Leonardo Spinazzola was able to bring his side level on aggregate with sixty minutes played. It looked as if Feyenoord would be able to knock out their Italian opposition though, as Igor Paixão found the back of the net with a near-post header – and just ten minutes remained.

Paulo Dybala rose to the challenge though, and with a minute of the ninety still to play, his acute movements inside the box allowed him to bring his side level once more – sending the game into thirty minutes of extra time. Just over ten minutes in, Stephan El Shaarawy fired Roma into the lead and it looked as if they’d be able to see out a tiring Feyenoord side. Lorenzo Pellegrini put the final nail in the coffin five minutes into the second half of extra time.

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MD13: AS Roma (1 – 0) Bayer Leverkusen

Leverkusen enjoyed a flurry of attacks at the start of the first half, but ultimately the visitors weren’t able to capitalise on their early dominance – and as the tempo died down, the two teams headed into half-time with nothing to separate them. Edoardo Bove was able to find the opener shortly after the hour mark though, firing home a rebounded effort after Tammy Abraham’s initial strike was parried away by the ‘keeper.

MD14: Bayer Leverkusen (0 – 0) AS Roma

As had been the case in the first leg, the first half was dominated by Bayer Leverkusen – though they still couldn’t find a breakthrough against a resolute Roma defence. Ultimately, the Italian side were able to hold on to their narrow one-goal lead and progress to Budapest’s final.

The Stars

Paulo Dybala is without doubt one of the stars of this Roma side, and he’s bagged five goal contributions in the UEFA Europa League this term to prove it. It’s Lorenzo Pellegrini that has really stolen the show though with a remarkable four goals and four assists – he’ll look to add to that tally on Wednesday.

The Numbers

Roma don’t tend to keep the ball all too much – and across the Europa League this season, they’ve managed just 45% possession. It clearly works for Mourinho’s men though, as this is their second successive European final. They’ll look to repeat the success they enjoyed in the UEFA Europa Conference League last time out.