Tonight’s match-up between Sevilla and Inter is the 11th Europa League final since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup in 2009. The final in Cologne will be Antonio Conte’s first European final since Jose Mourinho walked out on the high of securing the only ever treble of Champions League, Serie A and Coppa Italia in 2010.
It is nine years since Inter won any trophy, but Conte has developed a habit of making an instant impact in his managerial career.
The Spanish side are the most successful club in UEFA Cup/Europa League history, making the final on six occasions and winning the competition five times. Sevilla have won their last five European finals and victory on Friday will equal the record, currently held by Liverpool and Real Madrid, for the most consecutive final wins in UEFA competition. Since Inter won the Champions League 10 years ago, they have only qualified for one more European campaign (4) than Sevilla have won the Europa League (3).
Here are the top 10 players to watch out for in tonight’s game
Romelu Lukaku
Romelu Lukaku has scored in each of his last 10 matches in the Europa League, a run that remarkably stretches back to November 2014 with Everton. The Belgium international heads into Friday’s Europa League final just two goals behind competition’s top scorer Bruno Fernandes despite only managing five appearances since dropping into the competition from the knockout stage onwards. Moreover, Lukaku needs only one more goal to match Ronaldo’s record tally of 34 in a debut campaign for Inter.vailable.
Diego Carlos
While Sevilla may have booked their place in the final, one man whose reputation perhaps hasn’t been enhanced in the last week is Carlos, who has attracted interest from just about every top Premier League club this summer. The Brazilian has certainly had some practice were he to make the move to England, but in meetings with both Wolves and Manchester United this month his memorable mark on said matches has been to concede a penalty in each.
Lautaro Martinez and Jules Kounde
If Carlos has looked a little erratic at times, his defensive partner – six years his junior – Jules Kounde has been far from it. The 21-year-old Frenchman has been key to Sevilla’s dominance of possession in the competition, completing 93.1 per cent of a considerable 77.8 passes per game, and limiting his influence in the build-up will be key.
For all of his attacking threat, scoring seven times across the Champions and Europa League this season, Martinez’s defensive work rate really stood out in a man of the match display against Shakhtar. Conte will want more of the same from the Argentine in a battle between two of the top young talents in their respective positions around.
Ever Banega and Nicolo Barella
This season has been no different, with Banega averaging 3.5 key passes and 4.2 dribbles per 90, so keeping his quiet – something those before them have failed to now – will be a priority for Inter. Step forward the all-action Nicolo Barella, who has enjoyed a fine first season in Milan and enhanced his reputation as a future stalwart of the Italian national team.
The 23-year-old isn’t the creator that Banega is, despite what a delightful cross for Martinez’s semi-final opener might suggest, but he buzzes around in the middle of the park and gets from box-to-box regularly. His average of 3.2 tackles per 90 in European competition this season may well be required to restrict the flow of Sevilla’s midfield mastermind.
Suso and Ashley Young
While Banega may be the man to stop in the Sevilla engine room, if there’s one player Inter fans will desperate doesn’t have a decisive impact it’s Suso. The former AC Milan favourite enjoyed a successful spell in Italy prior to a loan move back to his homeland and has since joine Sevilla on a permanent deal.
The winger has made an indifferent start in LaLiga but has been a mainstay in the Europa League knockout phase and has scored three goals against Inter in the past. Veteran converted wing-back Ashley Young will be the man tasked with thwarting the Spaniard and has made a bigger impact than many may have expected in Italy.
Jesus Navas and Alexis Sanchez
Jesus Navas is a bona fide legend at Sevilla. The 34-year-old is Sevilla’s record appearance maker in its 130-year history and the club named its training ground after him in 2018. Winning today’s final would take his major honours for the club to seven and outright as the most decorated player in Sevilla’s history. Not only would he be a record-breaker for Sevilla but also in the history of the competition, having first triumphed in UEFA’s second-tier competition back in 2006/07. The current record for longest time between final wins is held by Ray Clemence, who lifted the trophy with Tottenham in1984, 11 years on from his first victory with Liverpool.
Alexis Sanchez is doubtful for the final after the Serie A side confirmed he has a hamstring strain.
But reports on Friday showed that the Chilean, who only last week completed a permanent move to Inter from Manchester United, is fit to play in tonigt’s game.
He picked up the injury in the 2-1 quarter-final win over Bayer Leverkusen. Despite missing months through injury, Sanchez came back strong after the coronavirus lockdown, helping lift Antonio Conte’s side to a runners-up finish behind Juventus.
In total, he scored four goals and set up another 10 in his 29 appearances.
