Europa League final: Sevilla or Roma, who will be sleeping with the trophy tonight?
Who will win the 2023 Europa League final, Sevilla or Roma? The two clubs go head to head for the trophy this Wednesday at 19:00 GMT
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The last dance. That could be the billing for the clash between Sevilla FC and AS Roma, who meet this Wednesday in the Europa League final. Before the final whistle, the Italians and the Spaniards have had to sweat to get here. From group games full of twists to knockout ties, fans of both teams have been through every emotion, from tears of disappointment to laughter of joy. That is the beauty of football. Now, all the effort put in to reach this stage will come down to one final aim: lifting the cup.
Sevilla know the way well, not least because they are the most successful side in the Europa League. They are chasing a seventh trophy. Under José Luis Mendilibar, their third coach of the season, the Andalusians have shown plenty of quality in knocking out Manchester United and Juventus on the road to Budapest. "In matches like this, you pay for mistakes straight away. We have knocked out some great teams, but the hardest part is still to come. The winner will be the side that makes the fewest errors. They are a very strong team defensively and they don't need many chances to score. They know how to keep their cool. We will have to do the same," said José Luis Mendilibar.
The Mourinho challenge
For their part, Roma have had a campaign of ups and downs in the Europa League. The Romans, under the iconic José Mourinho, can blow hot and cold. But for games like this, the words of the Special One should still be ringing in the ears of his players. Besides, Mourinho has a personal challenge to meet.
The Portuguese wants to become the first manager to win this competition with three different teams, having done so with Porto (2002-2003) and United (2016-2017). "We deserve to be in the final (of the Europa League). We have been saying it for a while. We are working hard to lift this trophy. How do we handle the emotion? By working. The past will not be on the pitch with us. We are here because we deserve it. They can draw on experience that we don't have. It is now normal for them to play one," said his opposite number at Roma.
Jim CEESAY
Possible line-ups
Sevilla : Bounou; Jesús Navas, Badé, Gudelj, Alex Telles; Fernando, Rakitić; Ocampos, Óliver Torres, Bryan Gil; En-Nesyri
Roma : Rui Patrício; Mancini, Smalling, Ibañez; Zeki Çelik, Cristante, Matić, Spinazzola; El Shaarawy, Pellegrini; Abraham