Montiel scores the decisive shot and the people of Seville win their seventh Europa League after winning the shootout (1-1, 4-1) against Roma
MADRID, 1 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Sevilla FC was proclaimed champion of the Europa League this Wednesday for the seventh time thanks to its victory over AS Roma in a penalty shootout (4-1), with the decisive kick marked by the Argentine Gonzalo Montiel, after a final played in Budapest (Hungary) and had finished 1-1 after a nerve-racking extra time.
On the Puskás Aréna pitch, whose stands reflected the majority of ‘giallorossi’ fans, the start was quite thick for both teams. Everyone aware that a title was at stake, the first big warning came from Roma and it didn’t come until minute 12, when Zeki Çelik carried out an effective action to speed up the right wing.
Almost on the baseline, Çelik ceded the ball back down and finished off his teammate Leonardo Spinazzola almost on the penalty spot. His shot, although powerful, was too focused and goalkeeper Bono deftly repelled the ball. Although the Sevilla squad took possession, they did not respond with danger to that situation.
In fact, after an inaccuracy in midfield, the first goal of the game was forged. Bryan Cristante struggled with Ivan Rakitic in the center circle, but the referee didn’t rule anything while the people from Seville protested. Gianluca Mancini controlled the ball, who swiftly made a deep pass to uncheck Paulo Dybala.
The Argentine striker, who had been in a state of cotton the days before this final due to his physical ailments, started as a starter for his coach José Mourinho and repaid this confidence by scoring 0-1. Behind one of the center backs, the ‘Joya’ sprinted, took advantage of Mancini’s pass and stood in front of Bono.
With his left foot, Dybala executed a dribble shot on the grass, in the style of Mesut Özil, and beat the Moroccan goalkeeper in the 35th minute. In this way, the Cordovan man became his team’s top scorer in this Europa League , with five goals. Somewhat anesthetized by that blow, Sevilla only reacted in the last minutes of the first act.
José Luis Mendilibar’s pupils had a very clear chance to tie on minute 43′, thanks to a Fernando Reges header from a corner kick taken by Rakitic. The Brazilian midfielder’s shot went over the crossbar, although it served as an alert to the Roma goalkeeper.
Until then practically unprecedented, Rui Patrício accumulated work before the break. Rakitic brushed the goal, with a left-footed shot from the edge of the area at the first touch, which crashed into the post in added time. But Roma held on, achieving for their statistic not having conceded a goal in the first half in 12 of their 15 games.
Upon returning from the locker room, Sevilla’s best dynamic found the 1-1 award at 55′. Before, Alex Telles was close to scoring with a left-footed shot that went too high, but the equalizer did come by chance. After stringing together an offensive down the right flank, Jesús Navas crossed into the heart of the box to look for a friendly head.
At the nearest post, Lucas Ocampos did not reach; but Youssef En-Nesyri appeared from behind with Mancini. The Giallorosso centre-back, in his goal of marking the Moroccan striker, accidentally hit the ball and put it into his own goal. This situation encouraged Sevilla, who had come back from their last three Europa League finals.
SALVADOR BONO AFTER A MESS
Rui Patrício had a couple of saves, but it was the Roman team that got close to scoring. As a result of a set piece, a commotion broke out that ended with Chris Smalling’s shot from point-blank range in the small area. Bono made an impressive save and the rebound knocked Roger Ibañez out, when he had the goal in front of him.
The tension was ‘in crescendo’ and that was reflected in an apparent foul by Ibañez himself against Ocampos inside the area. In the first instance, the referee Anthony Taylor appreciated tripping and awarded a penalty. However, the English ‘braid’ annulled his decision after consulting the VAR. Shortly after, Roma claimed another maximum penalty, by the hand of Fernando.
Taylor did not whistle anything either and the match headed towards a tachycardia outcome. At 85′, a free kick in three quarters of the field was kicked by Lorenzo Pellegrini mischievously; Seeing his teammate Andrea Belotti standing out between the lines, the captain chipped the ball in search of him; Belotti stretched out, foreshortened, and played with the toe.
Despite not finishing squarely, the ball was on the right track and forced Bono to make another providential save. Both coaches, who respectively had spent two substitutions, were reluctant to move more pieces from their bench because extra time was looming. En-Nesyri was about to avoid it, with a header over the crossbar.
However, both squads reserved forces for the following 30-minute battle. Then the thickness of the start of the game returned, afraid of making a mistake and without any of the contenders threatening in the opposite area. Rakitic barely took a corner, but without finding a finisher, and the first chapter of extra time ended there.
LOSS OF TIME AND FINAL PENALTY FOR MONTIEL
A long shot from Sevilla’s Nemanja Gudelj, at mid-height, opened the hostilities for that second half of extra time. But energy was in short supply at both clubs, including a couple of stoppages for medical attention for Smalling and then Matic, both with muscle ailments. With this, the ‘giallorossi’ rushed the stopwatch through any art.
There was very little until the extension expired, according to a clash that left Gudelj hurt on the pitch. The referee gave 10-minute extension, and at the last breath Smalling headed a corner kick off the crossbar. Thus, the third consecutive Europa League final with extra time gave way to the third straight penalty shootout.
In said round, Mancini and Ibañez missed the second and third launch of the Romans, respectively. Ocampos, Lamela and Rakitic from Sevilla did score, before Gonzalo Montiel emerged to score the decisive penalty after the referee ordered it to be repeated, since Rui Patrício had stopped it illegally.
The Argentine defender, who already gave his team the title of champion in the last World Cup converting another maximum penalty in the final shootout, lived glory again from 11 meters. He deceived Rui Patrício, with his second shot to the opposite side, and fastened the seventh wound for Sevilla in their fetish competition.
DATASHEET.
–RESULT: SEVILLA, 1 – ROME, 1. (0-1, at halftime).
–LINEUPS:
SEVILLE: Bond; Navas (Montiel, min.95), Badé, Gudelj (Marcao, min.120 8), Telles (Rekik, min.95); Fernando (Jordán, min.120 9), Rakitic, Óliver Torres (Suso, min.46), Ocampos, Bryan Gil (Lamela, min.46); In-Nesyri.
ROME: Rui Patricio; Mancini, Smalling, Ibañez; Çelik (Zalewski, min. 91), Cristante, Matic (Bove, min. 120), Pellegrini (El Shaarawy, min. 106), Spinazzola (Llorente, min. 106); Dybala (Wijnaldum, min. 68) y Abraham (Belotti, min. 75).
–GOALS:
0-1, min. 35: Dybala.
1-1, min.55: Mancini (p.p.).
— SIGNS OF DE PENALTIES.
1-0: Ocampos.
1-1: Cristante.
2-1: Coverslip.
2-1: Mancini, miss.
3-1: Rakitic.
3-1: Ibanez, misses.
4-1: Montiel.
–REFEREE: Anthony Taylor (ENG). He yellow carded Mir (min.36), Rakitic (min.66), Lamela (min.110), Jordán (min.120 1) and Ocampos (min.120 10) in Sevilla; and Matic (min.21), Pellegrini (min.45), Mancini (min.48), Cristante (min.65), Çelik (min.74), Zalewski (min.105) and Karsdorp (min.120 10) in the Rome
–ESTADIO: Puskás Arena, 61,476 spectators.
