Unai Emery’s Sevilla have made history after becoming the first side to win four Europa League titles after edging out Dnipro with a 3-2 win in Warsaw on Wednesday evening.
Nikola Kalinic gave Dnipro the shock lead in the early stages, before Sevilla hit back with a quick-fire double through Grzegorz Krychowiak and Carlos Bacca. However, Dnipro levelled just before half-time through an inch-perfect free-kick through captain Rotan.
Prior to the match, Sevilla coach Unai Emery told his troops to take charge and show no fear as they sought to create history by claiming their fourth Europa League title.
And the Andalusians began the match with bang, with Bacca blasting a volley wide in the opening exchanges.
However, Dnipro weathered Sevilla’s early storm as they hit the lead through a Nikola Kalinic header. Matheus scampered down the right flank and was found by a flick on by Kalinic, before the Brazilian winger hung up a cross to the back post for the Croatian striker to head the ball into the back of the net.
Sevilla had a few half-chances; Reyes’ thunderous strike in the 20th minute was just wide of the near post after the winger found space by cutting in from the right flank. The Spanish side also had a penalty call which was later dismissed by the officiating referee.
It was Polish international Krychowiak, though, who had the pick of the lot, when Banega’s corner in the 25th minute found the pole, who’s far-post header was denied by the alert Dnipro goalkeeper Boyko.
However, the Ukrainian’s resistance would not hold out for long, and three minutes later, Krychowiak levelled. After a short interchange between Banega and Reyes off the short corner, the former’s cross into the box took a deflection, and somehow found the Polish midfielder in space to fire home the equaliser.
The torment did not end there as moments later, Bacca doubled Sevilla’s lead. Reyes played in an inch-perfect through ball behind Dnipro’s defence and Bacca rounded the on-rushing Boyko before slotting into the back of the net.
But as the first half wore on, complacency set in and Rico just managed to acrobatically deny Dnipro an equaliser when he pulled off a fingertip save to against Knoplyanka, who attempted a shot from distance into the top-right corner.
A clumsy foul from Sevilla defender Kolodziejczak just before half-time proved costly, though, as an inch-perfect free-kick from Rotan ensured the side’s wouldn’t be separated at the break.
The second-half began in the same vein as much of the first, with Sevilla once again having a penalty call waved after. Meanwhile, Dnipro were restricted to testing Rico on the counter.
And, Mbia nearly gave Sevilla the lead in the 70th minute when he mistimed his header on Banega’s corner to the back post.
However, the reigning champion’s exploits were once again rewarded as they hit the lead moments later. An awful clearance from the Dnipro defence found Mbia, who found Vitolo before the attacker’s flick-on found Bacca in space, whose left-footed drive into the lower left corner was enough to see Sevilla retain the Europa League title.
The Colombian attacker almost got a third goal as Boyko somehow managed to save Bacca’s his header off a cross, and Dnipro, once again, looked susceptible on set-pieces as Bacca once again nodded just wide.
The match, though, took on a sour note when Dnipro’s Brazilian attacker Mattheus collapsed on the pitch and was subsequently stretchered, with replays suggesting that an earlier head-clash may have been a contributing factor.
