Sevilla F.C. beat AS Roma on penalties to claim the Europa League title in a thriller in Budapest

What a thrilling Wednesday night we had in Hungary’s capital, Budapest where the Europa League Final took place. It was a tightly contested game which saw two evenly matched teams slug it out over 90 minutes of twists and drama which spilled over into extra-time and the gambling man’s game of the penalty shootout.

The most compelling theme of the night was the ‘Number 6’ as none other than Jose Mourinho, the current AS Roma Manager went out in search for his 6th European crown of his immensely illustrious career, while Europa League final opponents Sevilla F.C. have literally dominated this competition over the years as record 6-time winners seeking their 7th triumph.

It was a very promising start indeed for Mourinho’s men who took the lead through their Argentine star, Paulo Dybala who was passed a late fitness test to be declared available to start and the South-American made no mistake with a superb crisp finish across the keeper for the opener. Ten minutes after the restart though, Sevilla were level as Jesus Navas with his lovely cross into the box that hit the Roma Defender Gianluca Mancini, the ball flying into the back of his team’s net and it was 1-1 at the Puskas Arena. The game would go beyond extra-time and eventually to the dreaded penalty shootout with Roma missing two of their first three spot-kicks and Sevilla scoring all of theirs which handed Gonzalo Montiel a chance to seal the victory for his side, as he had done in Qatar at the Lusail Stadium, but he saw his effort saved but it had to be retaken after the Keeper, Rui Patricio, was deemed to have been completely off his line and he made no mistake with his second attempt sending the keeper the wrong way and the ball into the net.

So Sevilla rallied to win it to make it a record-extending 7th time in the competition to put themselves in seventh heaven and make it the first time ever that Jose Mourinho has lost a European Final. Congratulations to Sevilla, amid scenes that will mean so much to the Spanish club that absolutely owns this tournament. Heartbreak for Roma, but Sevilla celebrations would not be dampened. What a moment in their history.