Foot/ Europa League: Sevilla won its 7th trophy over As Roma
Never 6 without 7. That’s what Fc Sevilla showed by winning its seventh trophy after waiting up during 3 years. On Wednesday,May,31st,2023, it won the match 4–1 on penalties following a 1–1 draw after extra time for their record seventh UEFA Cup/Europa League title..
The wining penalty is from Gonzalo Montiel. Five months after scoring the winning penalty in the World Cup final , Gonzalo Montiel converted the clinching spot kick in the Europa League final to earn Sevilla a seventh title in the competition at the expense of Jose Mourinho’s Roma on Wednesday.
A match full of suspense
Paulo Dybala had put Roma ahead in the 35th minute at Puskás Aréna in the Hungarian capital. Mancini sent a through ball for Dybala who netted past Bounou with a left-footed low shot. The Argentina forward had recovered from an ankle injury in time to be declared fit for the final. It was Dybala’s fifth goal of the Europa League, and 17th overall this season.
Sevilla was only slowly getting into the match but Ivan Rakitić came close to equalizing in first-half stoppage time with a low drive from some 20 meters that bounced off the post. Mendilibar sent on midfielder Suso and forward Erik Lamela, a former Roma player, as substitutes at the start of the second half to rejuvenate his team.
Sevilla equalized through Mancini’s own-goal 10 minutes into the second half when he was under pressure from Youssef En-Nesyri. Captain Jesús Navas set up the goal with a cross from the right. Navas, a 37-year-old veteran, was on the team that won Sevilla’s first Europa League title in 2006.
Substitute Andrea Belotti failed to beat Bounou in a one-on-one following Lorenzo Pellegrini’s free kick seven minutes from time. Suso had a long-distance shot saved by Patrício in the dying seconds. Sevilla held the upper hand in extra time but didn’t create a clear scoring chance.
Roma defender Chris Smalling headed the ball into the crossbar at the end. Replacing former Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli in March, Mendilibar became Sevilla’s third coach this season with the team just two points clear of the La Liga relegation zone. Mendilibar’s Sevilla has lost only two of 11 league games and is now one point off seventh place going into the final round this weekend.
As winner, Sevilla is qualified for the group stage of the 2023–24 UEFA Champions League, and earned the right to play against the winners of the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League in the 2023 UEFA Super Cup.
