Key events
Roma: José Mourinho says he is as motivated as ever with the Italians aiming to win a second consecutive European trophy against Sevilla. Sid Lowe reports …
Sevilla: José Luis Mendilibar has guided his team away from relegation trouble and past European giants to reach final against Roma. Yup, it’s Sid Lowe again …
Sevilla v Roma line-ups
Sevilla: Bounou, Jesus Navas, Gudelj, Bade, Alex Telles, Fernando, Rakitic, Ocampos, Torres, Gil Salvatierra, En-Nesyri.
Subs: Dmitrovic, Montiel, Rekik, Suso, Jordan, Mir, Kouassi, Lamela, Marcao, Gomez, Flores, Bueno.
Roma: Rui Patricio, Ibanez, Mancini, Smalling, Spinazzola, Cristante, Matic, Celik, Pellegrini, Dybala, Abraham.
Subs: Karsdorp, Belotti, Llorente, Camara, Wijnaldum, Bove, Zalewski, Volpato, Boer, Tahirovic, El Shaarawy, Svilar.
Referee: Anthony Taylor (England)
Tonight’s match officials
Anthony Taylor leads a largely British team of match officials for tonight’s final, with Germany’s Bastian Dankert helping out Stuart Attwell and Chris Kavanagh behind the squinting windows of the VAR bunker.
Early team news …
A World Cup winner with Argentina in December but the recipient of four red cards this season, Sevilla left-back Marcos Acuna misses out tonight due to suspension adter being sent off in added time of his side’s semi-final second leg win over Juventus. A summer signing from Bayern Munich, Sevilla defender Tanguy Nianzou is also a doubt, much like his fellow defender Marcao.
Informed sources report the Brazilian may still be suffering the after-affects of an injury to – deep breath – the “myotendinous junction of the semi-membranous muscle of his right leg” incurred during his team’s quarter-final second leg trouncing of Manchester United. That’s our old friend the “groin strain” for those of you who may not be as well up as you might be on human anatomy.
Concerns about Roma striker Paulo Dybala’s availability appear to have been greatly exaggerated and the Argentinian striker has been passed fit for tonight’s final by club medics despite him having missed his team’s last six matches. He’ll probably start on the bench. Left-back Leonardo Spinazzola is also expected to return in some capacity after over a month on the sidelines.
Europa League final: Sevilla v Roma
Whatever way you look at it, it seems like a coin-toss. Unbeaten in six Europa League finals, Sevilla take on a Roma team managed by José Mourinho, who has not lost any of the five European finals in which he has been involved – a matter of fact, even if he doesn’t like to talk about it too often (#eye-roll). Something has to give and somebody’s scarcely believable record will end up indelibly blemished.
Roma go into tonight’s match at Budapest’s Puskás Arena as slight favourites but this is a match that is impossible to call with any confidence. Under Mourinho, Roma finished sixth in Serie A and are seeking back-to-back continental titles after winning last season’s European Conference League. Sevilla will finish comfortably mid-table in Spain following a brief flirtation with relegation until José Luis Mendilibar, their third manager of the season, steered them away from the rocks. Kick-off in Hungary is at 8pm (BST) but stay tuned for team news and build-up.