Much is being made, and rightfully so, of the Madrid Derby final over in the Champions League. Sure, that is one of the dream finals that could have come out of the semi-final draw, but we saw this match-up just two years ago. Over in the Europa League though, we have quite the intriguing final set for May 18th in Basel, Switzerland. One of the most storied European institutions, Liverpool, will return to the final stage of a European competition for the first time since that glorious night in Istanbul over a decade ago. There they meet Sevilla, the big bad wolf of the Europa League. The Andalusians are searching for an unprecedented third straight Europa League crown. A team with Liverpool’s pedigree versus the King Kong of the competition makes for one hell of a watch in my opinion.
After initially using the competition as a platform to get youngsters minutes, Liverpool have taken a different approach this past few months. As their place in the Premier League table continued to get lower, Jurgen Klopp and company viewed the Europa League as their sole ticket back to Europe for 2016-17. After barely getting by Augsburg, they’ve gone through some of Europe’s best to get to this point. They’ve done so by harnessing the power of Anfield to eliminate both Borussia Dortmund and Villarreal. Liverpool built up enough of an advantage at home against Manchester United to do the same.
Liverpool will obviously not have that same home field advantage in the final. However, they will have the requisite momentum from three thrilling two-legged ties in a row in Basel. They are relatively healthy going into the final as well, something that probably won’t be meddled with too much over the Premier League’s final few matchweeks. But that isn’t to say that the Reds aren’t without their warts ahead of the final.
Mamadou Sakho’s drug ban leaves them dangerously short at the back. The once frowned upon Frenchman had been a staple of the Liverpool backline all season, developing quite the effective partnership with the equally maligned Dejan Lovren. The two together have been phenomenal, but apart have been suspect. Pairing Lovren with either Martin Skrtel or Kolo Toure has the potential for disaster in Basel, but Liverpool has no other immediate alternative. They could also be short-staffed up front if Daniel Sturridge, the hero of the Villarreal second leg, loses his fitness before May 18th.
But as much as this game is about Liverpool’s resurgence on the European scene, it is also about Sevilla’s trek towards history. Sevilla is one of two teams to win the competition in back to back seasons, the other being Real Madrid during the UEFA Cup days. No other team has done it twice like Sevilla has. In fact only one other club has been to two straight finals other than the aforementioned two (Inter Milan lost in 96-97, won in 97-98). No other team has made it to three straight before now.
While Sevilla has had their struggles domestically, as well as in the Champions League, they have been nothing short of dominant in the Europa League. Unai Emery’s men have done the business again following their demotion from the UCL. Even down on several occasions, nobody doubted that Sevilla would advance. Kevin Gameiro has been arguably the man of the competition not just for his goals, but for his tireless workrate that infects his teammates and supporters for the full 90 minutes. For neutrals, Sevilla has to be one of the most likeable “overdogs” in recent footballing memory. While vitriol is consistently spilled in the direction of giants Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich saying that their yearly inclusion in the latter stages of the Champions League is boring, no such thing is said about Sevilla. They are the big boys on the block, but they aren’t viewed as bullies.
This collision between Liverpool and Sevilla should produce a fine final, something the competition has prided themselves on in recent years. The sporting tale of old history versus new history will bring an unprecedented number of eyeballs to the contest. Jurgen Klopp will have his men ready. Unai Emery will do the same. The Europa League continues to bring the drama, and this final will be a fitting conclusion.