Sevilla v Roma is the final of the 2022-23 Europa League and will be played on Wednesday at 21:00: free-to-air TV, streaming, likely line-ups, predictions
In the stadium named after legend Ferenc Puskas, the Magyar striker who made Hungary great in the 1940s and 1950s, José Mourinho’s Roma are chasing another continental trophy, their second in a row.
A year ago, the Giallorossi broke a long title drought by triumphing in the Conference League opener in Tirana, beating Feyenoord by a narrow margin with a goal from Nicolò Zaniolo, now at Galatasaray. This year, they have the opportunity to make a remarkable leap forward, grabbing an even more prestigious cup: the Europa League. And, in addition to replenishing their trophy cabinet, the Capitolini, in the event of victory, would qualify, as top seeds, for the next Champions League, which they have not been able to achieve through their placing in the league. Roma, who like Fiorentina (Conference) and Inter (Champions) have gone as far as the final act of an international event – this has not happened since 1994 – will be the first to take the field in chronological order.
In front, however, it will have one of the worst opponents that can happen in this competition. Not so much for the quality of the squad, but for a question of palmares. Sevilla, also nicknamed ‘king of the Europa League’, has a special relationship with this cup, having won it six times in the last 20 years. The first was in 2006, when it was still called the Uefa Cup. The last one is quite recent: in 2020, in a stadium empty due to the pandemic, the Andalusians won against Antonio Conte’s Inter. To understand this, it is enough to think that Sevilla has twice as many cups as Inter, Juve, Liverpool and Atletico Madrid, who are second in the roll of honour behind the red and white. Roma, at the same time, can count on their coach, who has lifted the Europa League twice in his career. The first with Porto (2003), the second at the helm of Manchester United (2017). The Special One also has his own mystique when it comes to finals: he has never lost one.
How Roma arrive in Budapest
A double-faced Roma. As in the past season, the Giallorossi were put to the test by the double weekly commitment. Even Mourinho himself doesn’t deny this, and in interviews he often reminds us that he doesn’t have a long enough squad to cope with two competitions such as the Europa League and the league
Mourinho
The Giallorossi took a big risk in the group stage, finishing second behind Betis – another Sevilla side – and only qualified thanks to a success over Bulgarians Ludogorets on the final day. Forced to play in the play-offs for access to the round of 16, it was in the knockout phase that they brought out their best, thanks to excellent defensive performances, but above all by always making the home factor count. At the Stadio Olimpico, Roma came back against Salzburg after losing the first leg, while with Real Sociedad in the round of 16 it was the other way round: 2-0 in the capital and then defending the lead tooth and nail on Basque soil. How much suffering, finally, with Feyenoord and Bayer Leverkusen. Against the Dutchmen, Pellegrini and his team-mates needed a magic goal from Dybala to go into extra time, where they then went on to dominate.
Against Xabi Alonso’s Germans, in the semi-final, however, they needed the ‘barricades’ in the return match in Germany to maintain the 1-0 first leg lead. A feat achieved despite a crowded infirmary, with the Portuguese coach in a constant emergency situation. The expenditure of energy has obviously ended up affecting the championship, where Roma seem to have pulled the plug, focusing everything on the Europa League. In the last nine games Mourinho’s men have only beaten Leverkusen and last Saturday, in Florence, came a defeat (2-1) after three draws.
The Sevilla ‘rollercoaster’
Sevilla’s season, which could be divided into at least two sections, is almost paradoxical. Until last March, in fact, Rakitic and his teammates were clamouring above the relegation zone. And the goal of the season seemed to have become salvation. In fact, the red and white club changed two coaches.
Mendilibar
The turning point came during the last break for the national teams with Jose Luis Mendilibar, former coach of Eibar and Alaves, taking over from the exonerated Sampaoli (who in turn had taken over from Lopetegui). Initially he was only supposed to act as a ferryman, but in a short time he has changed the face of the team, bringing order where before there was chaos. Sevilla, relegated from the Champions League in the autumn, like Roma also had to overcome the play-offs to qualify for the round of 16. The Andalusians also exploited their home vocation: against Psv Eindhoven, Fenerbahçe, Manchester United and Juventus they barely conceded a goal in the Sanchez Pizjuan bowl.
The real masterpiece, however, was when they eliminated the Red Devils – overwhelmed 3-0 in Spain – and came back against Massimiliano Allegri’s Bianconeri in the semi-finals with Suso and Lamela, two old acquaintances of Serie A. Meanwhile in La Liga, the situation is back to normal: Sevilla have long since left the hot spots in the standings and on paper could still finish seventh. However, their minds are already on the final in Budapest: since the match against Juventus, the Andalusians have collected two draws and a defeat.
The Prediction
Roma and Sevilla have only faced each other once in European cups. The only previous one was in the 2019-20 Europa League, when due to Covid the competition was played in the middle of the summer, in a dry match and behind closed doors: it ended 2-0 to the Andalusians. The Spaniards have won all six finals played in this event. And they also have a good record with the Italians, eliminated five times out of seven in the knockout phase. But the odds, in this case, tell of great balance.
With Mendilibar, Sevilla no longer obsessively seeks ball possession and has become a much more vertical team. One that attacks with quality, thanks to its experienced players. This is not good news for Roma, who so far have fared well against teams who liked to control the game but were vulnerable when caught on the counter-attack. The Giallorossi are unlikely to change their attitude. They will likely remain passive at least as long as the tie situation remains. And that is why the first half could end in a draw. A spectacular final does not loom in any case. The extra time option is to be considered. In the regulation ninety minutes, the total number of goals should be less than three.
Sevilla v Roma likely line-up
- SEVILLE (4-2-3-1): Bounou; Jesus Navas, Gudelj, Marcao, Alex Telles; Fernando, Rakitic; Ocampos, Oliver Torres, Bryan Gil; En-Nesyri.
- ROMA (3-4-2-1): Rui Patricio; Mancini, Smalling, Ibanez; Celik, Cristante, Matic, Spinazzola; Pellegrini, El Shaarawy; Abraham.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-1
