Feyenoord plague Roma also reaches Europa League final, as does Sevilla
NOS Football––Customized
AS Roma and Sevilla FC have reached the final of the Europa League. Roma, the team of José Mourinho, who eliminated Feyenoord in the quarter-finals and also thwarted the Rotterdammers in the Conference League final last year, did so at the expense of Bayer Leverkusen.
The Italians, who won the first game 1-0 against Leverkusen, successfully aimed for a draw in the return game in Germany. It ended up being 0-0.
At the German sub-topper, Jeremie Frimpong and Mitchel Bakker started; at the Italian club, Georginio Wijnaldum and Rick Karsdorp started on the bench.
Defense as steel concrete
AS Roma – obviously – was not going to give up the lead, but neither was it going to extend it. No exciting attacks, a defense like steel concrete. Where Mourinho’s team could draw time, it did. It provided little viewing pleasure.
Leverkusen was mainly on the Italians’ half. Almost the Germans were ahead early in the match. After a brilliant pass in free space, Moussa Diaby took the ball in a quick sprint. His shot from the edge of the sixteen-meter area hit the crossbar.
In fact, every Leverkusen shot had to come from outside the sixteen and then there was Roma goalkeeper Rui Patrício to the rescue. After halftime, almost the entire Italian team retreated into their own sixteen, there was no way through for Leverkusen.
No matter how hard Xabi Alonso’s team fought, goals did not result. After ninety minutes, the home club had scored twenty goal attempts, the Italians just one.
Sevilla again in final
Sevilla defeated Juventus 2-1 at home after extension. The first game had ended in a draw (1-1). The Spanish team has a subscription to winning the Europa League. In the past 10 years, they ran away with the final victory four times.
Just before halftime, the first half ended with spectacle. Referee Danny Makkelie, after watching VAR footage, first disallowed a goal for Juventus due to offside. A few minutes later – after again watching video footage – he did not award a penalty kick to Sevilla.
In the 65th minute, Dušan Vlahović, who had just come into the field, put Juventus ahead: 0-1. Shortly after, Suso equalized: a hard shot and unstoppable for Szczęsny: 1-1. In the fifth minute of the first extension, Erik Lamela headed Sevilla to a 2-1 lead. That remained the final score.
The final between AS Roma and Sevilla is on Wednesday, May 31, in Budapest.
