SEVILLA DEFEATS ROMA ON PENALTIES TO CLAIM ITS SEVENTH EUROPA LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP.

Sevilla defeated Roma 4-1 on penalties on Wednesday to win the Europa League following a 1-1 draw, giving them seven victories in seven finals overall in Europe’s second-tier competition.

The Roma defender Gianluca Mancini’s own goal gave the Spanish team a point in the second half after Paulo Dybala had given Hungary the lead in the first half.

The teams were unable to be separated after extra time, so penalties were used at the Puskas Arena.

In the 2022 World Cup final, Gonzalo Montiel converted the go-ahead penalty kick after Roma’s Mancini and Roger Ibanez had missed their respective attempts.

Paulo Dybala had earlier given Jose Mourinho’s Roma the lead in the 35th minute, but a revitalized Sevilla tied the score 10 minutes into the second half on a Mancini own goal.

Before the game began, the crowd generated a lively atmosphere, but the first few minutes of play did not match the color of the stands.

After a well-executed build-up play including Dybala and Zeki Celik, the Italian team had the first chance of the game, but Leonardo Spinazzola shot straight at Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.

After the half-hour mark, Roma asked for a penalty after Sevilla defender Nemanja Gudelj’s high foot struck Roma striker Tammy Abraham in the head as the latter was clearing the ball, but VAR determined there was no penalty.