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In a first time clash, Inter Milan and Sevilla faced off in Cologne. Sevilla came into this game intending to win their sixth Europa League, as for Inter Milan, they were seeking a historic seventh European trophy.
Within 5 minutes, we would witness the fastest ever goal in a Europa League final when Romelu Lukaku converted a 5th-minute penalty. However, the Spanish team responded seven minutes later with a Luuk de Jong diving header. The Dutchman would get his second of the game and put Sevilla in front in the 33rd minute. This lead would only last two minutes as Diego Godin would head in from a set-piece to level the score at half time.
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After the break, the game would be tightly contested and the deadlock was only broken by an unfortunate Lukaku defelection as he sent the ball into his own net from a Diego Carlos bicycle kick to give Sevilla the lead. This would be the final goal of the game, making Sevilla worthy Europa League Champions.
5 talking points from Sevilla’s 3-2 win over Inter Milan
#5 Luuk de Jong delivers
Can you believe that Luuk de Jong has only scored three Europa League goals this season, but all three of them have come in the past two games. He’s what you call a big-game player. In the 8 UEL games he’s played this season, this was only his 4th start as Lopetegui often prefers the 23-year-old Youssef En-Nesyri over him. Just like against Man United in the semis, De Jong stepped up when his teammates needed him the most.
Often remembered for his barren time at Newcastle, the Dutchman has revitalised his reputation with two goals in an important European final. Both of his goals were powerful headers, one at the near post while the other was an excellently taken header from the far post.
#4 Super Sevilla
Sevilla and the Europa League are a match made in heaven. The La Liga side has now won the Europa League on six separate occasions with their last one before this being a famous victory over Liverpool in 2016. Six UEL wins make them the record holders of the competition, with no one else nearing them.
Records are made to be broken but I’m not sure when this current Sevilla record will be defeated. The Spanish team have now won their last six European final appearances, a streak in Europe only ever matched by Liverpool and bettered by Real Madrid (9). On to the way to this trophy, Sevilla had to beat Wolves, Manchester United and Inter Milan in an epic journey to European success.
Also read: Sevilla 3-2 Inter Milan - 5 Hits and Flops
#3 Diego Carlos: The new David Luiz?
Julen Lopetegui has set his Sevilla team up to dominate the ball, deploy a high defensive line and press from the front. This style of play places extra responsibility on the defenders, leaving them exposed and reliant on their positioning.
For a defender like Diego Carlos, this has proven difficult. Despite him having the physical traits needed for a modern centre-back, the 27-year-old lacks positional intelligence and in turn, gets caught out for his rashness too. This has been proven by the fact that he has conceded penalties in this season’s quarter-final, semi-final and now final.
It’s now pretty surprising to think that the Sevilla defender was linked with both Arsenal and Liverpool earlier in the month. It’s reported his release clause is £68million and based on tonight’s performance, it seems doubtful if any club in the world would consider paying that. Let us be fair, his overhead kick effort did lead to the winning goal of the game, but that can’t mask his evident flaws.
#2 The Best & Worst of Romelu Lukaku
Since leaving Manchester United, Romelu Lukaku has acclimatised to Italian football like a house on fire. In a campaign not matched by many, the Belgian has scored 34 goals in his debut season equalling the record of the Brazilian Ronaldo back in 1998. His fifth-minute penalty would make it 11th consecutive goals in as many Europa League games, a new record.
Alas, the night wouldn’t be perfect for the 27-year-old, he’d go on to miss a costly 1v1 – the same thing he was often criticised for in Manchester. Minutes later, he would divert the ball in his own net in the 74th minute and the seal fate of his team.
#1 Julen Lopetegui Remontada
In the summer of 2018, Julen Lopetegui’s name was doing the rounds across Twitter. He became one of the few coaches in history to get sacked from two different jobs in the same calendar year.
Whilst still the manager of Spain, it was announced that he’d take over at Real Madrid after the World Cup. This, in turn, led to him being dismissed from the national team a day after the announcement. However, just a couple of months into his Real Madrid tenure, the Spaniard would be sacked after a below-par start to the season.
Fast forward a year and he was hired as the Sevilla manager last summer and the rest, as they say, is history. This season, he has led them to a 4th placed La Liga finish alongside a Europa League title, the first managerial trophy of his career. To say this is the comeback of the year would be an understatement.
