Sevilla once again showed that they are unmatched in the UEFA Europa League. The La Liga side beat AS Roma on penalties on Wednesday night to claim its seventh Europa League trophy in club history.
Sevilla got the win after overcoming a 1-0 deficit in the regular time. Following scoreless extra time, the Spanish side was better in the penalty shootout, converting four penalty kicks, while Roma only scored once from the spot.
The game between Sevilla and Roma was a clash of history in a way. Sevilla entered the game having never lost the Europa League finals. Roma was coached by Jose Mourinho, who never lost finals in European competition over the course of his career.
It looked like Mourinho would prevail as Paulo Dybala gave Roma the lead in the 36th minute. However, Sevilla managed to make it even in the second half thanks to an own goal by Gianluca Mancini in the 55th minute.
Both sides had their chances to end the game in regular time but failed to take advantage of them. The game went to extra time, during which teams were more focused on keeping their goal intact than on threatening the opponent.
In the end, it all came down to penalties. Lucas Ocampos, Erik Lamela, Ivan Rakitic, and Gonzalo Montiel all scored for Sevilla, while Roma’s Gianluca Mancini and Roger Ibanez failed to convert their penalty kicks.
Speaking with reporters after the game, Sevilla’s Erik Lamela, who previously played for Roma, said it was a difficult match but that his club deserved to win.
“This is my first title, I’ve waited a lot, and I’m so excited,” said Lamela. “Maybe it wasn’t our best match, but I think we deserved the effort made this year. The team has never stopped.”
