Sevilla’s players and coaches make the long walk up to collect their medals and the trophy. Unai Emery, their wonderful manager, has done an outstanding job. He loses his best players, he rebuilds, he gets on with it, he produces another team. He’s led them to three consecutive Europa League triumphs. Liverpool’s players can only watch with grim faces before going off to lick their wounds as Coke, Sevilla’s two-goal hero, hoists the trophy in the air! You’d be a fool to write them off when they get to the Europa League final. That’s all from me tonight. Thanks for reading and emailing. Night!
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No European football next season for Liverpool, then. It’s not much of a consolation now but it might be a blessing in disguise. It could give Jurgen Klopp more time on the training ground. Ultimately, though, I wonder if he’ll have made up his mind about a few members of his squad tonight. Too many of them fell below expectations in the second half. They were very dominant in the 10 minutes after Sturridge’s goal but it was even before then and they were totally outplayed by Sevilla after half-time. I think a few people might have been guilty of underestimating Sevilla. They really showed what they’re made of in the second half.
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Christian Benteke is doing his best sad face. He cares, you know.
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James Milner speaks. “I don’t think we started well in the first half. Once we got into the game we played well. It’s devastating. We didn’t play anywhere near our abilities. We were ready. Everyone was switched on but we didn’t show that and gave a sloppy goal away.”
Jamie Carragher has taken it well. He has a point. It was Moreno’s error for Gameiro’s error that sparked the Sevilla revival.
Jurgen, transfer committee, anyone sign a fucking left back.
— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) May 18, 2016
Full-time: Liverpool 1-3 Sevilla! Sevilla win the Europa League!
It’s all over! A stunning second half performance from Sevilla is enough to win the Europa League for a record third consecutive year! What an achievement from the Spaniards!
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90 min+4: Sevilla are teasing Liverpool with some keep ball now, which culminates with an infuriated Clyne sliding through Vitolo. That’s a poor challenge and he’s booked.
90 min+3: Cristoforo replaces the exceptional Ever Banega.
90 min+2: A Sevilla break ends with Vitolo bending one over from 18 yards.
90 min: There will be four more minutes of added misery for Liverpool. Unless. They pump a long ball forward towards Sturridge and Krychowiack concedes a corner. But nothing comes from it.
89 min: Kevin Gameiro is given a standing ovation as he comes off to be replaced by Vicente Iborra.
86 min: A long punt down the right finds N’Zonzi in acres of space down the right. He knocks it inside to the unmarked Gameiro, but it’s just too far in front of the striker, who’s forced wide when he might have had a simple chance for his second. He keeps the move alive, though, and tees up Banega, whose shot is deflected wide. Sevilla have been so good on the ball since half-time. This has been a masterful display from the Spaniards. What a turnaround.
84 min: Mariano is booked for timewasting at a throw. Up the other end, Sturridge tamely volleys straight at Soria from 30 yards. “Will LFC ban sale of Coca Cola at Anfield?” says Krishnamoorthy.
83 min: Christian Benteke replaces Kolo Toure for Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp’s last throw of the dice.
82 min: Sturridge finally gets a shot away, from the right side of the area, but his effort is blocked. That brilliant goal in the first half feels like so long ago now.
80 min: Milner’s corner is headed away but the ball eventually comes to Coutinho. He beats his man to earn yard of space, 25 yards out, but his fierce shot flies over.
79 min: Liverpool are mounting some belated pressure, which is greeted by a brief roar of encouragement from their otherwise stunned and silent supporters. Milner wins a corner on the right.
77 min: MBM reporter’s nightmare Kolodziejczak replaces the stricken Rami for Sevilla. To add insult to injury for Rami, he was booked for taking too long to get off the pitch. Now that’s heartless and pointless in equal measure.
76 min: A grimacing Adil Rami is frantically signally to the Sevilla bench that he needs to come off. He was hurt after a challenge by Origi.
74 min: A fourth Sevilla goal looks more likely than a Liverpool comeback. Gameiro bursts clear again on the left and he tries to tee up Coke for a hat-trick, only for Toure, the last Liverpool defender, to get himself in the way. Nothing comes from the resulting corner.
73 min: Joe Allen replaces Adam Lallana, news to lift the spirits of every Liverpool fan. “Why pick Rooney?” says Robin Hazlehurst. “Because you’re Hodgson and he’s Rooney. And The Sun demands true Lion-like heroes for its freshly Brexited back (and front) pages and you’re Hodgson and don’t want to get pilloried. Oh, did you mean footballing reasons. Well, err... I’ll get back to you on that.”
71 min: The Liverpool substitute Martin Skrtel was booked for dissent on the touchline during the protests against that Sevilla goal. Liverpool have totally collapsed. Can they recover? It seems unlikely.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-3 Sevilla (Coke, 70 min)
To widespread disbelief in the Liverpool back four, the flag stays down as Coke, seemingly offside, rattles in his second goal! Liverpool are certain Coke was offside as he rammed it past Mignolet from close range. Klopp sprints down the touchline to confront the linesman, who appeared to have his flag up at first, and there are protests on the touchline, but the goal is going to stand. It’s the correct decision. Sevilla broke down the left and though Banega didn’t execute his final ball well enough, there was chaos in the area and though Coke was in an offside position, the ball came to him via a touch off a Liverpool defender. He takes a touch and though Mignolet gets something on his shot, he can’t keep it out! He thinks it’s been disallowed initially - but his disappointment soon turns to joy! Liverpool are two goals down!
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69 min: Here’s that Liverpool change: Origi on, the disappointing Firmino off. Origi hasn’t been seen since that horror tackle from Ramiro Funes Mori in last month’s Merseyside derby. Sevilla, though, want a third. Banega whips a free-kick into the area, it’s headed across goal and just evades Krychowiack at the far post.
67 min: Divock Origi will be on soon for Liverpool. Firmino will be the man to make way.
66 min: Moreno, who’s had a half to forget so far, shoots hopefully from 25 yards. It’s blocked. They need to be cannier than that.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-2 Sevilla (Coke, 64 min)
It’s been coming! Sevilla have been threatening to take the lead ever since equalising and now, thanks to a splendid move, they’re ahead with a goal from their captain, Coke! Vitolo started the move with a neat shuffle through midfield and it was a lovely combination with Banega. Liverpool’s defenders were made to look decidedly foolish as Banega tormented them with his elusive movement and nutmegs and when his touch rolled to Coke on the edge of the area, the Sevilla captain opened up his body and rifled it first time past Mignolet from 20 yards with his right foot, the ball nestling satisfyingly in the bottom left corner. Liverpool have it all to do now.
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63 min: Liverpool haven’t been in Sevilla’s half for a while. Coutinho and Firmino have disappeared and Sturridge is hardly seeing the ball.
60 min: Liverpool have totally lost their spark. It’s all Sevilla at the moment. Liverpool really need to keep the score level during this sticky spell - I fancy them for another goal if they manage that. Then again, they look like conceding at the moment. A long throw by Escudero is headed on by N’Zonzi by Gameiro, whose fierce volley is somehow turned over by Mignolet. A fabulous save, but Gameiro really should have scored. He’s spurned two opportunities since his equaliser.
57 min: Why do I get the feeling this is all set for an emotional winner from Kolo Toure? I’m just not sure which end, though. Meanwhile, Banega has been booked for an earlier foul on Toure.
56 min: Sevilla are beginning to dominate. Vitolo skedaddles forward and feeds Escudero on the left. His dangerous cross is headed away, though, and a break from Lallana is cynically brought to an end by Vitolo, who’s booked.
53 min: Nothing’s clicking for Liverpool at the moment. Sevilla have got into them. “You just know Rooney will either play in a three man midfield with Alli/Dier or wide left of a front three with Kane/Vardy,” says Kevin Wilson. “Hodgson will pick him. 50 international goals isn’t something to be sniffed at, no matter how much his form stinks.”
51 min: Another shout for handball from the Liverpool fans, but it’s an optimistic appeal, the ball striking Carrico on the chest. Divock Origi might be coming on soon.
50 min: Liverpool need to get their game faces back on. What a start to the second half from Sevilla. This could be a final for the ages! “In answer to your challenge to name one good reason etc. … that stupid celebration dance of Sturridge’s!” says Justin Kavanagh. “Is that the photo you want on all the world’s newspapers if England win the Euros? This is a rhetorical question, obviously. But still, Klopp should coach him in the art of the proper way to react when the ball hits the net.”
48 min: Sevilla are transformed. Liverpool are rattled. This time their high line is caught out by one simple pass and Gameiro is away, through on goal. He looks certain to score his second and give Sevilla the lead, only to take a touch too long to shoot, allowing Toure to steam across and make a crucial saving challenge at the expense of a corner, which comes to nothing. This is a totally different game now.
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47 min: “Why start Rooney?” says Kelvin. “He can play in the hole[?]. And no, I’m not a Man U fan.” And compromise Ali?
GOAL! Liverpool 1-1 Sevilla (Gameiro, 46 min)
Whatever Unai Emery said in the dressing room, and whatever they said in that huddle, it worked. Mariano pounces on a poor clearance from Moreno and then he waltzes past a feeble challenge from the Liverpool left-back. All of a sudden, he’s behind the Liverpool defence and rolls it across goal for Gameiro, who is never going to miss from a yard out! Game on! That took 17 seconds.
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46 min: Once Sevilla break from their motivational huddle, we’re off again. And...
It’s the nonchalance of the flick from Sturridge. I’m going to score now. Nothing you can do to stop me. That takes supreme confidence and belief in your ability.
Name one good reason, without being facetious, to start Rooney when you’ve got Vardy, Kane and Sturridge at your disposal. Good luck.
An angle behind the goal shows that Sturridge’s shot curved outside the post and curled back in. It’d take some effort from Roy Hodgson to start Wayne Rooney at the Euros, wouldn’t it? But I trust him to find a way.
Half-time: Liverpool 1-0 Sevilla
The whistle blows and the Liverpool fans cheer. Daniel Sturridge’s stunning goal is the difference at the moment and there is going to have to be a massive improvement from Sevilla in the second half, else this trophy is heading Liverpool’s way. The Spaniards are being thoroughly outplayed by Jurgen Klopp’s men.
45 min: Liverpool are playing some brilliant stuff now. Coutinho torments Sevilla on the left, a flick releasing Moreno on the overlap. His chipped cross towards the edge of the area hangs invitingly in the air for Milner, but Liverpool continue to press, Lallana slipping Clyne in on the right. His cross is a beauty and it only needs a touch in the six-yard box, but neither Sturridge nor Firmino can apply it.
43 min: A long throw from Sevilla on the right. Toure’s header causes problems and Can is forced to head behind for a corner. Nothing occurs from it.
42 min: Sevilla are all over the show at the moment. They badly need half-time, some respite, a chance to get their heads back in the game. They are the definition of rattled.
39 min: Momentarily, tantalisingly, a roar goes up from the Liverpool fans as Lovren’s header from Milner’s corner flies past Soria. But it’s not 2-0. The flag is up for offside against Sturridge, who dangled a leg in front of the Sevilla goalkeeper, instincts taking over. “If Roy Hodgson saw that he will probably promote him all the way up to 3rd fiddle behind Wayne Rooney,” says Marie Meyer.
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38 min: Liverpool are rampant now. Clyne, afforded the freedom of the city of Basel, breaks clear and moves it inside to Lallana, who takes too long to get the ball out of his feet and sees his shot deflected over. By the way, apparently I missed a couple of other Liverpool appeals for penalties. Not that it matters now.
WHAT A GOAL!!! Liverpool 1-0 Sevilla (Sturridge, 35 min)
He couldn’t quite finish off two earlier chances. So when he gets a third chance, Daniel Sturridge scores with his most difficult one. This is a stunning goal and Liverpool lead in the Europa League final! It came from some link-up play - at last - from Coutinho and Firmino, who combined to find Sturridge in space on the edge of the area on the left. Sevilla dropped off, failing to anticipate the danger. He advanced a couple of steps and then, with the outside of his left foot, he impudently curved a wonderful shot into the far corner, Soria given no chance at all! That is a special goal, a goal to grace any European final, and Sturridge has repaid a lot of faith in that one moment.
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32 min: From the left, the corner is lifted high towards the right side of the area, where Coke is lurking unmarked. He shows good composure to bring the ball down and lift it back into the six-yard box, where a spot of head tennis ensues, before Gameiro improvises with a fine overhead kick. Mignolet, rooted to his spot, is surely beaten - but Gameiro’s effort flies a yard or two wide. That was very unlucky. What an effort from the Sevilla striker. “Sevilla appear to be stonger on the ball when it comes to tackles, intercepts etc and Liverpool’s pace will not be enough until Sevilla’s players start to tire,” reckons Raymond Reardon. “Not a fan of Benteke, but his strength later on may be needed.”
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31 min: Sevilla are playing such a direct game. If only they had Andy Carroll up front. They fling another ball into the Liverpool area and Toure is forced to shuffle it behind by Gameiro.
30 min: The game is beginning to open up, tempers are beginning to rise. Gameiro attempts to speed away from Lovren on the left and the Croatian unceremoniously scythes him down from behind, rather needlessly given that the ball was going out for a throw. He’s booked and Gameiro looks like he wouldn’t mind continuing the argument with the Liverpool centre-back.
28 min: Mariano suddenly surges down the right, driving to the byline, and his cross is put behind at the near post by the well positioned Toure, who then nuts the corner away. Good old Kolo. How could you ever doubt him?
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27 min: Moreno steams into the Sevilla area on the left and tries to lift a looping ball into the middle. It’s not happening. And he doesn’t even get a corner, despite his claims that the ball went behind off Rami.
26 min: There’s a stoppage in play while Escudero, Sevilla’s last fit left-back, receives some treatment after picking up a knock. He looks like he’ll be able to continue.
25 min: But here’s some promise for Liverpool. Lallana, quiet so far, darts inside from the right and slips a reverse pass through to Sturridge. The angle is tight, though, and Soria speeds out to block the Liverpool striker’s right-footed effort.
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24 min: Sturridge and Gameiro are both feeding off scraps. This game could do with a goal. You get the sense, though, that Sevilla might be quite content with how this is panning out. The low tempo seems to suit them more.
20 min: This is such a tight game. Both teams look nervy, neither of them throwing any caution to the wind. It’s beginning to rain. I’m talking about the weather, which gives you a fair indication about current excitement levels on the pitch. The tension is suffocating it at the moment.
19 min: Banega has already shown some lovely twinkle-toed touches in midfield for Sevilla. He’s a highly watchable player.
16 min: Firmino is twice caught dawdling on the ball midway through his own half and Can has to make a vital interception when Coke tries to play Gameiro through on goal. “If you care enough Mister Jacob, the Argentine commentators on my cable live feed here in Peru call is “a clear penalty”,” says Mark Turner. “And they’re right, too. Howard Webb, who he?” I thought it was a penalty. Carrico leant into it, even though his arm was by his side.
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15 min: Mariano hangs a cross into the Liverpool area from the right. Gameiro is the only Sevilla player in the area.
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12 min: Moments later, Liverpool scream for a penalty as Firmino’s clever touch inside appears to be handled by Carrico. Nothing doing. The Swedish referee isn’t interested. The replays suggest that Sevilla have got away with one here, as Carrico looked like he leant into the ball with his arm. On BT, however, Howard Webb insists it wasn’t a penalty.
11 min: Liverpool have had two attacks down the right and they’ve looked dangerous on both occasions. Escudero is an obvious weak link for Sevilla. Clyne diddles towards the byline and he’s allowed to hang a high cross towards the far post. It’s headed down cleverly into the six-yard box by Sturridge but the ball is hacked clear by Carrico just before Firmino can bundle it in!
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10 min: Escudero’s delivery is awful, overhit and skewed straight into Mignolet’s grateful clutches.
9 min: Liverpool are giving away a lot of free-kicks. Sevilla, playing a direct game, have another set-piece opportunity on the left after a foul by Milner.
8 min: Liverpool put together a few passes for the first time, attacking with purpose down the right. Clyne’s pass inside is behind Sturridge, but it runs to Can 25 yards from goal and he clips a precise shot towards the left corner with the inside of his right foot. Soria carefully pushes it to safety. He’s not taking any chances.
6 min: It’s a cagey match at the moment. I’m beginning to pine for the rhythmic gymnastics we were treated to before kick-off. That was the real quiz.
4 min: Sevilla have made a positive start here. Liverpool aren’t in this yet.
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3 min: Another free-kick for Sevilla, this time on the right. Banega tries to slide it down the inside right channel, looking to catch Liverpool out, but his execution is poor and Can clears.
2 min: They might be outnumbered, but the Sevilla fans aren’t being outsung. They are loud and they are determined. Their team has started well.
And the 2016 Europa League final is underway! Liverpool, all in red, get the ball rolling and they’re kicking from left to right in the first half. Sevilla are in white. It’s not too long before Sevilla have a free-kick just inside the Liverpool half, mind you. It’s lifted high into the Liverpool area by Rami, but a free-kick is awarded for pushing.
Here come the teams! There’s lots of shouting, mostly in Spanish, as they emerge from the tunnel and walk out into a wall of noise. Before kick-off, first it’s time for the Europa League anthem. Sing along. You know the words, you know the tune. Who doesn’t?
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The pre-match ceremony is taking place now. It’s a shame the football has to interrupt it.
Who could have predicted this?
This might be the most inept planning for crowd control at a European game in recent times. No stewards between fans, so police move in
— tariq panja (@tariqpanja) May 18, 2016
Some of the Sevilla players have gone over to try and calm their fans down. Jose Antonio Reyes is doing a lot of nodding. Uefa must be delighted.
Fighting in this area where Sevilla and Liverpool fans share a stand. Police arriving pic.twitter.com/uoJcD5cECL
— Paul Hayward (@_PaulHayward) May 18, 2016
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The television cameras have just shown a fan with a rather nasty cut on his forehead. It appears that there has been some trouble in one part of the ground - it’s being put down to segregation issues. Oh dear. The police have appeared.
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Jurgen Klopp speaks! “We did everything. We have had 52 games together to prepare this game. We’ve solved nearly each problem so, yeah, we are ready. I am sure our fans will do their best and we will try to use it because it will be a quite difficult game. In this moment, even Danny Ings is fit at home. In the right moment the whole squad is available. We had to make a few difficult decisions. It’s the strongest squad we could have that. Sevilla is a great team but I don’t think winning last time has a big influence. If we are strong, we are difficult to play. If we are difficult to play, we are halfway in the game.”
Steven Gerrard has just spoken from LA. “I wish I was playing for Jurgen Klopp,” he says wistfully. Poor Brendan.
While Sevilla have missed Carlos Bacca, their hero in last year’s final against Dnipro, since selling him to Milan, Liverpool will need to keep a close eye on Kevin Gameiro. The French striker has bagged 28 goals in 50 matches this season, including seven in this competition. That said, Manchester City fans will remember some profligate finishing from him when they met in the Champions League in October.
The talk from Basel is that the compact St Jakob Park, which isn’t exactly the best setting for a European final, is going to be packed with Liverpool fans. Those who couldn’t get in are going to be watching the game on big screens in the city centre, but it could be akin to a home game for Klopp’s men.
It’s a strong Liverpool team, it’s a strong Liverpool bench. Daniel Sturridge starts, while Jordan Henderson and Divock Origi are fit enough to take their place amongst the substitutes after recovering from their injuries. A front three of Coutinho, Firmino and Sturridge offers pace, invention, movement, wit, skill and goals. But will Liverpool defend well enough?
Sevilla will hope not. Their highly regarded Ukrainian winger, Yevhen Konoplyanka, is only on the bench after picking up a knock in training, but Vitolo has often been preferred to him in training. Kevin Gameiro will trouble Kolo Toure and Dejan Lovren with his speed, while Ever Banega is capable of producing something special. In midfield, Steven N’Zonzi and Grzegorz Krychowiack offer muscle in front of the back four. But Sturridge will fancy himself against Adil Rami, won’t he?
Team news!
Liverpool: Mignolet; Clyne, Toure, Lovren, Moreno; Can, Milner; Lallana, Firmino, Coutinho; Sturridge. Subs: Ward, Benteke, Henderson, Lucas, Allen, Origi, Skrtel.
Sevilla: Soria; Mariano, Rami, Carrico, Escudero; Krychowiak, N’Zonzi; Coke, Banega, Vitolo; Gameiro. Subs: Rico, Kolodziejczak, Iborra, Cristoforo, Pareja, Konoplyanka, Llorente.
Referee: Jonas Eriksson (Sweden).
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While we await team news, here’s a Uefa Cup themed Joy of Six from 2010 by Scott Murray.
At the risk of becoming too Liverpool-centric, here is some required reading on Sevilla from Sid Lowe: player profiles and a wonderful interview with Monchi, the man behind their fine record in the transfer market. If we’re talking great sides that were broken up too soon, the Sevilla team of Dani Alves, Luis Fabiano and Freddie Kanoute that won the Uefa Cup in 2006 and 2007 has to be up there. They almost won La Liga too but they couldn’t quite pull off what Atletico Madrid managed in 2014 and finish above Barcelona and Real Madrid. Funny how things change. Their manager from back then, Juande Ramos, hasn’t had a job since leaving Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in 2014.
“If I was a supporter of one of those clubs, I would rather be in Liverpool’s position - Pochettino has rightly got a lot of plaudits this season, but his short time in England has been littered with hugely disappointing and unnecessary non-attempts in the cups,” says Shaun Wilkinson. “Also, from the managers’ point of view, Liverpool being in this final has handily obscured the fact that Klopp has not done any better in the league than Rodgers.”
That has been a rare flaw for Pochettino. Southampton fans still aren’t over the completely unnecessary FA Cup defeat to Sunderland two years ago. Safe in mid-table, they played a weakened side for absolutely no reason and lost to Gus Poyet’s Sunderland. Gus Poyet’s Sunderland!
“For all the concentration on goals and goalscorers, this final will be won or lost by the defensive stalwarts, Can and Coke of Liverpool and Sevilla respectively,” says Hubert O’Hearn. “We can but speculate which will fizz and which will bottle, whose thirst for glory will be quenched?”
“What happens if Liverpool lose?” says Ezra Cohen. “Do they qualify for the Europa League?” As a punishment? No.
The last time Liverpool played a Spanish side in the Europa League Uefa Cup final, they won a nine-goal thriller against Alaves thanks to a late golden goal in 2001. Oh for the days of Gerard Houllier. Am I right? Hello? Anyone? No? No one else sometimes lies awake at night reminiscing about Bruno Cheyrou and Bernard Diomede? I’ve said too much.
Here’s a thought. An actual thought! Would you rather be in Liverpool’s position, looking to win a European trophy, or Tottenham’s, a Champions League place already in the bag. Was it really necessary for Mauricio Pochettino to roll over so meekly when Spurs faced Borussia Dortmund, who were beaten by Liverpool in the next round? They didn’t win the title in the end and still finished behind Arsenal. On the whole, it was a successful season and they have every reason to be optimistic about what lies ahead, but wasn’t that a missed opportunity?
Preamble
Hello. It’s the Europa League final!!! Which brings us to the burning question: does this competition merit that many exclamation marks? Some people will say yes without hesitation. Others will say no and you might find that a fair few of them work for Premier League clubs. The Europa League has been a hard sell in England down the years because of the adverse effect it has had on domestic form. The slog of that Thursday-Sunday schedule can be debilitating for teams who don’t have the squad to compete properly on two fronts. Thursday nights on BT Sport admittedly sounds slightly more prestigious than Thursday nights on Channel 5, but we’re talking fine margins here, and you get the sense that Chelsea and Liverpool weren’t too fussed about finishing outside the Europa League spots this year.
If you’re going to truly embrace it, you have to take the long view. It’s a long competition and it’s not easy to think about the final when the 734-match group stage begins in September. Liverpool, for instance, began their campaign in drab style under Brendan Rodgers, drawing 1-1 with Bordeaux and FC Sion, results that hardly suggested they would develop into a team capable of knocking out Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund and Villarreal. But that was then and this is now. Rodgers was soon sent on his way, giving the great man time to hone his Great Gatsby look, and in came Jurgen Klopp, energising the place, the team and the supporters with his relentless, brilliant Klopping. Here we are: Liverpool are in the final. Win it and they’re in the Champions League. More important, win it and they’ve won a European trophy. Not bad.
Standing in Liverpool’s way, however, are Sevilla. They might be the seventh best side in Spain according to the final league standings but they began this campaign in the Champions League, finishing third in their group behind Juventus and Manchester City, and they should not be underestimated. They’ve beaten Barcelona and Real Madrid this season, Unai Emery is a fine manager, they’ve got the Copa del Rey final to come on Sunday and they have enough firepower to win. Then again, their run here has arguably been easier than Liverpool’s, taking in wins over Molde, Basel, Athletic Bilbao and Shakhtar Donetsk, and Klopp’s men have been getting stronger.
Too vibrant for United in the last 16, they conjured a miraculous comeback against Dortmund in the quarters and Anfield worked its magic again against Villarreal in the semis. If progress has been slow in the league for Liverpool, they have shown enough in Europe to indicate that the future is bright under Klopp and they will have a wonderful chance of winning if Daniel Sturridge, Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho are in the mood. Then again, Sevilla are looking to win this competition for a record third consecutive year. If anyone gets it, it’s them. They’re not playing for money, they’re playing for love and pride, just the way it should be. And, abstract as it is, that could be difficult to stop.
Kick-off: 7.45pm BST.
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