Right, that’s it from me. Stick around on site for all the reports and reaction from tonight’s games. But from me cheerio!
Peep! PEEEP!! PEEEEEEEEP!!!! All over. Sevilla take a three-goal advantage to Florence.
Updated
90+5 min: Gonzalo gives Iborra a Hulk Hogan-esque Big Boot:
It’s not really an exaggeration. The Fiorentina captain probably should have seen red for that. Horrendous.
90+3 min: Vitolo wins a cheap free-kick near the corner flag to use up a few precious seconds.
90+1 min: There’ll be five minutes added. A minimum of five minutes added.
90 min: Fiorentina try to pinball their way through the middle, but it’s just a touch too frantic.
88 min: Richards meets an outswinging Illicic free-kick but he’s tumbling forward as he does so and can’t direct the header goalwards.
85 min: … Rico fists away Fernandez’s dipping effort. He’s been solid tonight.
84 min: The impressive Krychowiak goes into the book for a trip on the edge of the Sevilla box. Dangerous this …
83 min: Joaquin is sandwiched between two Sevilla defenders and goes down looking for a penalty. Nothing doing.
81 min: Another inspired substitution, but this one has come in Naples. Seleznyov has sprung from the bench to equalise for Dnipro.
80 min: Gomez, who missed that glorious early chance and has done nothing since, goes off for Fiorentina. Ilicic on.
78 min: “Should be called microndas, meaning microwave,” writes Gloria Greppi. “He so often comes on and scores.” Umm …
77 min: Vidal pulls back to Banega on the penalty spot and he pokes wide first-time. Should’ve been four. Fiorentina looking ragged now.
GOAL! Sevilla 3-0 Fiorentina (Gameiro 75)
I think you call that an immediate impact. Tremoulinas skitters down the left and crosses low. Vidal helps the ball goalwards and Gameiro adds the final touch from close range. He’d been on the pitch for 26 seconds.
Updated
75 min: And Bacca comes off – veeerrry slooooowwwllyy – to be replaced by Gameiro.
74 min: Mbia comes off. Iborra comes on.
73 min: Mbia goes down again clutching his neck. I think his match is done. It certainly should be.
71 min: “Neto has been linked with a move to Liverpool,” writes Ian Copestake. “Watching him dive out of the way of that shot fills me with profound hope for the future of my once OK club.”
70 min: Alonso goes into the book for smashing the ball away after being called for a foul on Krychowiak.
Updated
69 min: But Mbia, who looks incredibly woozy, might continue. That isn’t a good idea, chaps.
68 min: And the injuries mean a couple of changes. Badelj trudges off with blood pouring from a head wound to be replaced by Pizarro.
66 min: There’s a break as Mbia and Badelj clatter into each other.
64 min: “John, mention to David Dein that settling in isn’t just about the football it’s about the language, the weather, the food, the different culture,” responds John McEnerney. “Reyes is a typical Andalusian from a small village the important things are the family, the food, the festivals and the weather he was never going to settle in London irregardless of how the football went.”
62 min: Fiorentina don’t look like getting back into this at the moment. It’s still all Sevilla.
59 min: Vidal is finding all kinds of space on the right. But this time his cross-shot is overhit.
57 min: Reyes walks off to be replaced by Coke.
55 min: Sevilla settle in for the remainder. Fiorentina will look like they’ll have the lion’s share of the possession from this point.
GOAL! Sevilla 2-0 Fiorentina (Vidal 52)
It’s that man again! Sevilla steal the ball in midfield and flood forward. The ball is worked out to Vidal who is charging through the right channel. Neto gambles on the cross and ends up diving out of the way as the full-back rolls the ball in at the near post.
Updated
52 min: “I’m confused about the European coefficents,” writes ZS. “Tell me again why Tottenham, Everton, et al should take the Europa League more seriously to ensure that Arsenal, Man U, City, and Chelsea all get to play in the Champions League?” HONK!
51 min: A goal in Naples … and it has gone to the home side. David Lopez has put Napoli ahead against Dnipro.
50 min: Banega’s cross is just too high for Vitolo at the back post.
49 min: A sort of goalmouth scramble on the edge of the Fiorentina box ends when Richards gets enough on the ball to poke the thing away.
Updated
47 min: … this time swung wide of goal by Matias Fernandez.
Updated
47 min: Joaquin again cuts in dangerously from the left and draws the foul from Carrico. The Sevilla man goes into the book and Fiorentina have another dangerous free-kick …
Peep! Off we go again. Micah Richards – remember him? – has replaced Nenad Tomovic at the interval for the visitors.
And the Fantasy Football version …
Clive Thomas folks …
PEEP! Blimey. Echoes of Clive Thomas here. The ball breaks to Krychowiak on the edge of the box, who air-kicks his shot. The referee begins to blow his whistle for half-time and as he is doing so Savic brings down Krychowiak for what surely would’ve been a penalty. Sevilla aren’t happy. What a time to blow for the break.
45+2 min: A succession of Sevilla players look to wriggle space on the edge of the box, but no one can quite make room.
45 min: Two minutes of added time to play.
44 min: Fiorentina again try to thread the needle through the centre of the Sevilla defence. The Spanish side have enough back there to snaffle out the danger.
43 min: “It’s a little disingenuous to suggest Reyes didn’t settle in London,” reckons David Dein. “Alex Ferguson adopted a strategy to have lumps kicked out of him that was subsequently copied by the rest of the Premierhship. If the same had happened to Ronaldo he wouldn’t have settled either.”
41 min: It’s clearly a set-piece ploy from Fiorentina. Fernandez’s delivery is threatening enough to make it worthwhile certainly. Rico has a bit of treatment and the magic sponge does its work.
40 min: … it’s another beautifully struck dipping kick jammed right underneath the bar. Gonzalo Rodriguez goes hammering in on Rico, who does well to fist away. Aaaand … cue the handbags.
39 min: Joaquin does superbly to fight his way in from the left. Eventually he’s brought down and Fiorentina have a dangerous free-kick …
37 min: Fernandez zaps a free-kick into the area and Rico does well to get his fists there ahead of Mario Gomez’s bonce.
35 min: Brilliant stuff from Sevilla, who carve Fiorentina open down the right. Krychowiak, making them tick in midfield, combines with Vidal, who scoops in a cross that Vitolo can’t quite claim.
34 min: A bit of a lull, pretty much the first of the game.
32 min: “Reyes like Joaquin never lived up to the hype, made the wrong move going to the Arsenal he never settled in London,” writes John McEnerney. “Joaquin’s style didn’t suit the big two in Spain and went to Valencia where he was expected to carry the team and he isn’t that type of player. On his day one of the best get-to-the-by-line-and-get-the-cross-in players.”
31 min: Banega hoofs a free-kick from wide on the left miles over everyone’s heads. Goal kick.
29 min: End-to-end stuff still, and that might suit Sevilla’s much-vaunted counter-attacking style. They scored more “breakaway goals” in this competition than anyone else, I’m told, though I always wonder exactly how these things are worked out.
27 min: Tremoulinas sends in another dangerous fizzing cross. There’s double-penalty shout as Alonso battles with Mbia – the first for handball, the second for a trip. Neither was too strong in truth.
26 min: This is a very good game thus far. “With Joaquin being from Betis, surely we can look forward to some class warfare on his behalf at some point tonight,” writes Russ Brady. “According to Sid Lowe Betis are anarcho-syndicalist-dogs-on-a-piece-of-string types while Sevilla are cigar-chomping plutocrats.”
25 min: Great save Rico! Tomovic wiggles a yard of space on the right edge of the box and zips a low cross into the box. Salah gets a touch but not a forceful one and the keeper is able to turn the ball away.
Updated
24 min: Another chance for Fernandez, this one of his own making, and he forces Rico into a save from close range.
23 min: Reyes volleys slightly awkwardly at goal. Neto drops on the bobbling shot quite comfortably.
22 min: Fiorentina are a touch hesitant at the back once more and the impressive Tremoulinas is able to sling another dangerous cross into the box. Fiorentina clear once more.
21 min: Fernandez flies into a challenge on Mbia with far more conviction than he had a moment or two ago.
19 min: What a chance! Fiorentina should be level. Joaquin again skins his man and pops a simple pass inside. Matias Fernandez somehow manages to float the ball wide from five yards.
GOAL! Sevilla 1-0 Fiorentina (Vidal 17)
This was coming. Vitolo trundles down the left and feeds Bacca inside the box. He calmly pivots and lays off to the onrushing Vidal who strokes the ball into the corner.
Updated
17 min: Gonzalo Rodriguez comes across to complete a proper centre-half’s clearance – those in Row Z ducking for cover. But the ball keeps coming back at Fiorentina at the moment.
15 min: A Fiorentina corner comes to four-fifths of not very much.
14 min: “Joaquin?” writes Philip Podolsky. “The same bloke from Betis who was proclaimed ‘the new Figo’ about 25 years ago? He still playing?” Yup. A spritely 33 now.
12 min: Vidal skims a cross-shot along the six-yard box and Bacca is an inch away from getting a toe on it. Fiorentina are rocking a bit here.
Updated
11 min: Bacca turns neatly on the edge of the box but his shot is a poor one, scuffed really.
10 min: Vitolo dinks a cross to the back post, where Mbia bullies a defender off the ball and wins his team a corner … that is thwacked away by a Fiorentina head.
9 min: “On the coefficients matter ...” begins Mike MacKenzie. “It’s hard to think that the teams worry much about their country’s coefficient; even if having another team makes it a easier for some to quality.
“Already Pocchetino thinks Spurs would be better off not in Europa League and Rodgers talks of playing Liverpool’s academy players to gain experience. As well, there always seems be an English team in the Europa League which has no chance of being top four. Though if England does drop to three Champions League teams, then their Europa entrants might be more enthusiastic.” Could be a big narrative (horrible word, but there you go) over the next couple of seasons.
7 min: Vitolo puts Savic under pressure and the Fiorentina man can’t clear cleanly. Sevilla force the first corner of the game … which is taken short, whacked in and flagged for offside.
6 min: What a chance! Joaquin does brilliantly to find Mario Gomez, whose movement is perfect. Not perfect, though, is the finish, which is bashed over the bar. He was oretty much clean through there.
Updated
4 min: Fiorentina look to tippy-tappy their way through the middle of the Sevilla backline, but Valero can’t hold the ball.
3 min: Tremoulinas works his way to the byline over on the Sevilla left, but his cross is straight into the arms of Fiorentina goalkeeper and budget supermarket Neto.
1 min: Fiorentina look to build down the left, with Joaquin and Alonso. Sevilla keep getting the odd foot in here and there.
Peep! Off we go then.
Out come the players. Kick-off imminent.
An email re coefficients: “I’ll summarize, but you can look at scenarios here,” writes G Ambrose. “It’s quite an excellent site from a Dutch fellow mirroring the Uefa calculations.
“Basically as Italy’s poor 2010-2012 seasons drop out of the calculations, Italy will gain an additional three-ish points next season. Thus so long as Italy equals or even slightly under performs the Premier League in the next two seasons, Serie A will surpass Premier League. The spots are awarded the following year. So 2018 most likely.”
Kick-off is 8.05pm BST, by the way. Meanwhile in the 7.45pm kick-offs in the League One play-offs, it’s already Chesterfield 0-1 Preston North End.
Sevilla’s arrival, accompanied by suitably stirring music …
Llegada del #SevillaFC al Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán #vamosmisevilla #UEL https://t.co/YylkO4qBdp
— Sevilla Fútbol Club (@SevillaFC) May 7, 2015
A coefficient question
This is something that has been intriguing me for a few weeks now.
Take a look at the current Uefa coefficients. Yes, yes, I know. Bear with me. Now, as it says there the rankings “are based on the results of each association’s clubs in the five previous Uefa Champions League and Uefa Europa League seasons”. So from next season England’s hugely successful 2010-11 season will drop from the reckoning. And so will Italy’s dismal 2010-11 season. By my reckoning then, as it stands England will begin next season with a coefficient of 62.034 and Italy 58.439.
But Italy still have three sides left in Europe this season. Can anyone more mathematically minded than I work out what would happen if Napoli and Fiorentina were to win both legs of their semis, with one of them obviously going on to win the final, and if Juventus were to beat Real Madrid again in their second leg before going on to beat Barcelona in the final? Unlikely scenarios perhaps, but not out of the question. By my workings it would take Italy’s starting point for next season up to 61.153. And even without two wins for Italian clubs in the European competitions it could be very close over which league gets a fourth Champions League spot for 2017-18.
What’s pretty certain to happen regardless is an increase in pressure on the English teams in the Europa League to start taking the competition a little more seriously and get some coefficient points on the board.
The teams are in
Sevilla (4-2-3-1): Rico; Alex Vidal, Carriço, Kolodzeijczak, Tremoulinas; Krychowiak, Mbia; Reyes, Banega, Vitolo; Bacca. Subs: Barbosa, Navarro, Figueiras, Coke, Iborra, Suarez, Gamiero.
Fiorentina (4-3-3): Neto; Tomovic, Savic, Rodriguez, Alonso; Fernandez, Badelj, Valero; Joaquin, Gomez, Salah. Subs: Tatarusanu, Richards, Basanta, Vargas, Pizarro, Aquilani, Illicic.
Referee: F Brych (Germany)
Preamble
Hello all. Well, tonight it’s the big one. Two sides vying for the prize, each one determined to out-do the other. They’ve done the hard yards. They’ve been working for a long time for this. And, yes, the reward might not be all that it once was, the victors won’t be feted like they were in the old days. But they will be the victors. Yes, it’s the General Election! League One play-off semi-final, first legs! Europa League semi-final, first legs!
Napoli are taking on Dnipro in Naples, but we’ll be concentrating on Sheffield United v Swindon Town Sevilla v Fiorentina over in Andalucia.
Sevilla’s route to the semis
The Spanish side didn’t have it all their own way in the group stages. They were held away from home by both Rijeka and Standard Liège, lost to Feyenoord at De Kuip and ended up in a winner-takes-all matchday six encounter with Rijeka at the Sanchez Pizjuan, which they won 1-0 thanks to Denis Suarez’s early goal.
The knockout stages have proved no less testing. Borussia Monchengladbach gave them a scare in the round of 32 before the Sevilla ran out 4-2 winners on aggregate. Villarreal were swatted aside fairly emphatically (5-2 on aggregate) in the round of 16, but it took a late goal in each leg against Zenit (from Suarez once more in Seville and Kevin Gameiro in St Petersburg) to ensure their passage to the last four with a 4-3 win on aggregate.
Fiorentina’s route to the semis
The Viola romped their way through the group stages, winning four and drawing one of their first five games before taking their foot off the pedal and losing at home to Dinamo Minsk in a dead rubber in their final game.
Despite conceding an early goal at White Hart Lane, a 2-0 win in Florence was enough to see them past Spurs in the round of 32 and after a disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Roma in the round of 16, a surprise 3-0 win in the Stadio Olimpico put Vincenzo Montella’s side into the quarter-finals. A 3-1 aggregate win over Dynamo Kyiv followed and Voila! The Viola are in the last four.
League form
Fiorentina sit atop a stack of five clubs vying for two qualifying places in next year’s Europa League. Only four points separate the Viola, Sampdoria, Genoa, Internazionale and Torino and the Italians have come off the boil of late, winning only twice in their last eight Serie A games.
Sevilla, like Fiorentina, sit fifth in their domestic league but unlike Fiorentina they still have hopes of sneaking into a Champions League spot. Defeat against Real Madrid at the weekend ended an unbeaten run that stretched back to February.
What the managers are saying
“We have to pay attention to Mario Gomez, Mohamed Salah, Borja Valero and Marcos Alonso when he gets forward. Fiorentina are coming to the end of a very good season – we are two similar teams, looking at the trophies both clubs have won, so it is an even tie … It is a 180-minute tie and we should be ready for it to last even longer” – Unai Emery, Sevilla
“I don’t think there is a correct way of playing this game as Sevilla are a complete team. They know how to defend, attack and counterattack. They have done very well in Europe in recent seasons so it will be a good match for both teams and their supporters. There will be a good atmosphere which I hope will provide my players with added motivation” – Vincenzo Montella, Fiorentina
