The last day of the month brings a fixture of massive importance as football fans worldwide prepare for Wednesday’s Europa League final. UEFA’s second-string competition has provided fans with another rollercoaster campaign, and 12 months on from Eintracht Frankfurt’s penalty win over Rangers in Spain, we have the Europa League 2023 decider. Sevilla takes on Roma in a match that will crown enough European champions. The trophy can be won in 90 minutes, but extra time and penalties are available.
This clash comes from the Puskas Arenain in Budapest, Hungary, on Wednesday from 20:00 GMT; a capacity crowd will attend. If you haven’t been lucky enough to secure a ticket for the Europa League final, you can watch the build-up, game, and review on television and through live streaming apps. This feels like a 50/50, competitive final, and an exciting evening lies ahead. But which team will win to claim the bragging rights for its fans? That’s the question we aim to answer in this article, bringing readers that all-important form, relevant injury news, odds, and our predictions.
The history books show these teams have met only once in competitive action, with that game played in the summer of 2020 in this competition. Sevilla won a bad-tempered and dramatic game thanks to a 2-0 scoreline, with the goals coming from Sergio Reguilon and Youssef En-Nesyri. The beaten team finished the game with ten men after having Gianluca Mancini sent off near the end as tensions grew on the pitch. We’ll take plenty more drama in Wednesday’s return.
Sevilla back for more
Sevilla is the most successful club in the Europa League – previously known as the UEFA Cup – history with six titles. La Liga in Spain has provided more winners of this trophy than any other across Europe, including the English Premier League and Italian Serie A. Sevilla already has six Europa League winner medals and one Super Cup victory, with the latter scored in 2006 in Monaco. Much has changed in football since then, but Sevilla remains a major force at this level.
The Spanish club won its first title in the 2005/06 campaign, and they got the taste for success. Since then, Sevilla has lifted the Europa League in 2007, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2020. In that time, they have won the Super Cup against that season’s Champions League winners, despite rarely challenging for prominent places in La Liga. They are a team that has made this tournament its own, and that winning experience could make the difference on Wednesday when Sevilla targets Europa League number seven. It would take a brave pundit to oppose the record holders going one better.
Sevilla booked its place in another final with a stunning 3-2 aggregate win over Juventus in the semi-final earlier this month. They were drawn against Italian giants Juventus and many respected sources had the Old Lady as a favourite to go through. However, European football doesn’t follow a plan, and Sevilla had other ideas. They used a 2-1 home win to match towards the final but needed extra time to progress. A memorable goal from Lamela on 95 minutes sent Juventus crashing out at the last four.
Roma upset Bayer
Roma, not to be overshadowed by their opponents, have enjoyed European glory, winning this tournament once and the Champions League, Conference League, and the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. Roma’s sole success in UEFA’s main game came in 1984 when they won the Champions League. That makes them one of the elite few teams to be crowned champions of Europe, but it’s fast approaching forty years, and there’s a generation of Roma fans that missed out on those celebrations.
The third-tier Conference League was created and launched last year, and Roma was the first winner of the cup. Having claimed glory 12 months ago, the Italians are out for more of the same and would love to add the Europa League to its trophy haul. If they were the first team to be Conference champions, they now have a crack at winning back-to-back European trophies. Adding the Europa League to the Conference League trophy would ensure Roma were playing Champions League football next season.
Roma booked its place in the final with a hard-fought 1-0 win over German Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen. In the style you’d expect from a successful Italian outfit, they won 1-0 at home before holding on for a 0-0 finish on the road. Leverkusen’s failure to score meant they dropped out of this competition earlier than most expected, just as they did last term. Will Roma do the double? It would be foolish to write them off before the start, as this team of warriors benefits from big-game experience.
Sevilla v Roma prediction
This is a fitting pairing to decide a European trophy, and it’ll be no surprise to see Sevilla add another Europa League prize or Roma win back-to-back European medals. Not only is the title on the line here, but the teams are also playing for a spot in next season’s UEFA Champions League, and that’s where the real money can be found. Most of Sevilla’s appearances in the UCL have come from winning this trophy rather than finishing in the La Liga top four.
Sevilla has recent experience of winning this competition, which should stand them in good stead for the final. If they play to the best of their abilities, Sevilla should be good enough to crack open that water-tight defence of Jose’s and score the goals needed to win the trophy. This could be a nervy and tense affair where the trophy is lost rather than won.
Europa League odds
You can bet on the outcome of this game if you are a registered member with 22bet, and it takes just a few seconds to complete. Which team will win Wednesday’s Europa League final? Have your say now.
Sevilla is available to back at odds of 2.76, or you can take a chance on Roma at the 2.816 available. After two tight semi-finals, the draw won’t go unnoticed at 2.984. Enjoy the game.
Make sure to bet on Sevilla v Roma with 22Bet!