90 minutes is all we have left in the UEFA Europa League and after 64 teams began the tournament on the group stage, only two squads remain alive in the quest to win Europe’s second biggest trophy.
Sevilla (Spain) and Liverpool (England) will give their all to win the tournament, and it doesn’t get any better than this. On one hand the Spanish side will look for their third straight UEL title, while the English team will try to win their first major European trophy since they conquered the UEFA Champions League back in 2005 with a team led by Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso and Milan Baros.
This time, Jürgen Klopp’s team has Christian Benteke, Phillipe Coutinho and Jordan Henderson carrying the torch. They might appear to be the underdogs based on their domestic performance and the fact that they’ve come from behind in the last two ties (against Dortmund and Villarreal) but the last aspect is the one that makes them so dangerous. The Reds are one of the biggest teams when it comes to European pedigree, and their form is not a factor when there’s a trophy on the line.
Sevilla, however, is no slouch either, and they will certainly be a tough team to beat. Led by French scoring machine Kevin Gameiro and Ukranian winger Yevhen Konoplyanka – who’s easily one of the most underrated players in Europe – they will pose a significant threat to a Liverpool side that won’t have Mamadou Sakho on defense after the French was suspended by FIFA a few weeks ago.
Sevilla has arrived to this Final with relative ease, getting past FK Molde, FC Basel, Athletic Bilbao and Shakhtar Donetsk with little to no problems. Their strong defense and a midfield led by Ever Banega are two of the main reasons why Los Nervionenses have been so dominant in Europe this season.
Sevilla will also try to make history, as no European team has won the tournament three consecutive times. They’re also the only team to lift the trophy four times, so there’s a lot on the line for them, too.
As dominant Sevilla has been, however, Liverpool has the edge. One can’t fight history, and the momentum they’re carrying over their past two decisive games against Dortmund and Villarreal will likely surface once again. There’s something mystical about this team, and it seems they were rejuvenated after Dejan Lovren’s goal on stoppage time that eliminated the Bundesliga side.
Everything will be settled this Wednesday at St. Jakob-Park in Basel, Switzerland. Liverpool arrives with a small edge, but Sevilla can’t be counted out, either. The only thing that’s certain is that this will be a match to remember.