Sevilla will compete for their seventh Europa League title when they take on AS Roma on Wednesday night. The Spanish club most recently won the competition in 2020, when they beat Manchester United. They also previously won the competition in three consecutive years under current Aston Villa boss Unai Emery, between 2014 and 2016.
Roma on the other hand, have not tasted much European success. They won their first European title in over 60 years last season, when they beat Feyenoord and lifted the Europa Conference League. José Mourinho has never lost a European final, winning five out of five to date. The Portuguese has changed the culture at Roma and is aiming to take them to the Champions League for the first time since 2018, with a victory against Sevilla.
This final is Sevilla’s chance of attaining European football next season. They defeated Manchester United over two legs and then beat Juventus in the semi-final in dramatic fashion, with Erik Lamela heading home from close range in extra time.
Roma have had a strong campaign, challenging for the top four in Serie A all season. They have, however, struggled for creativity, relying on their strong defensive record to pick up points. This was strongly evidenced in the second leg of the semi-final against Bayer Leverkusen. The Italians had zero shots on target in the game, and accumulated an XG of only 0.04.
Sevilla will have to be wary of Roma’s defensive strength and Mourinho’s tactics. It is set to be an intriguing final. Who will lose their first European final? Mourinho or Sevilla?
Japtej Ghura | GSFN
