It’s the final match of the 2022/2023 UEFA Europa League competition as 7 times champions will face Italian giants AS Roma at the Puskás Aréna in Buda
It’s the final match of the 2022/2023 UEFA Europa League competition as 7 times champions will face Italian giants AS Roma at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest.
Considering six of the last nine UEFA Europa League titles have been claimed by Spanish sides, four of which were won by Sevilla, the trophy would already be heading to the south of Spain if history was deciding this final. With Sevilla having won each of their last six final appearances in UEFA’s second-tier club competition too, the omens are firmly stacked in the Andalusian side’s favour when they come up against Italian side Roma.
With Saturday’s 2-1 La Liga defeat to Real Madrid seeing José Luis Mendilibar shuffle his pack, his troops should be fresh for their visit to Budapest. Interestingly though, Sevilla hasn’t won any of their four UEFA Europa League games held outside of Spain this term with 2 draws and 2 losses, and with that run forming part of a wider 13-match winless run outside of their home country in European competition, lifting another UEL trophy here is far from a foregone conclusion.
Roma knows exactly what it takes to claim a European title themselves having won the UEFA Europa Conference League last term under current boss Jose Mourinho. With only four Italian clubs having won back-to-back major European crowns, and none since the turn of the century, so there is a small piece of history on the line here for the Giallorossi. Like Sevilla though, Roma warmed up for this clash with a defeat as they went down 2-1 against Fiorentina in Serie A at the weekend.
The similarities don’t stop there either, as Roma are also winless in their last four UEFA Europa League games held outside of Italy gaining 2 draws and 2 losses, with the fact they were also goalless across each of those games perhaps serving as a bigger cause for concern for boss José Mourinho. ‘The Special One’ will hope he can turn the tide in Roma’s first-ever UEFA game held in Hungary and Mourinho holds the added incentive of knowing if his side lifts the trophy, he will become the most decorated manager in the history of major European competition.
However, with Jose Mourinho not losing a cup final they will make a statement as they face UEFA Europa League masters Sevilla to grab a back-to-back European trophy.
By: Herosportgh.com/Solomon Duah (Sports Atom)
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