“Sevilla vs Juventus: Andalusians Win 2-1 in Europa League Semi-Final Overtime Thriller”

Sevilla 2-1 Juventus

Butts: Suso (71^e) and Lamela (95^e) for the Blanquirrojos // Vlahović (65^e) for the Bianconeri

Expulsion : Acuna (114^e)

A week after miraculously snatching the draw, Juventus suffered the law of Seville this Thursday evening, during the return semi-final of the Europa League. A spectacular meeting that ended in overtime (2-1). Despite a big Szczęsny, the Andalusians signed a nineteenth consecutive victory in their lair in C3, and will meet Roma in the final in Budapest on May 31.

Szczęsny impassable, Bounou saved by his post

Galvanized by the incandescent atmosphere from the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán stadium, the Sevillians started their semi-final second leg perfectly by imposing strong pressure. If Juventus did not exist during the first quarter of an hour, it is Massimiliano Allegri’s men who will get the first big chance: on a corner brushed by Nicolò Fagioli, Federico Gatti, first leg heroslammed his head, but Yassine Bounou made a decisive save (15^e). Sevilla will not be long in responding to this first heat stroke. Served by Jesús Navas, Lucas Ocampos came very close to shaking the nets with a helmet hit. It was counting without the huge Szczęsny who stopped on the edge his attempt on the line (24^e). The match got carried away, and after a superb counter-attack from the Old Lady, Ángel Di María did not target his lob in front of Bounou (27^e), before Moïse Kean found the post on a cross shot (33^e). If Adrien Rabiot thought of delivering Juventus before the referee of the meeting signaled an offside (42^e) and that Seville could have been awarded a penalty following a huge foul by Juan Cuadrado on Óliver Torres in the box, no goal was scored at the end of this intense first act.

Winning coaching

Yet stifled from the start of the second half by the red and white, Juve will again prove dangerous: following a long pass from Danilo and an intelligent delivery from Kean, Rabiot narrowly misses the net with a low shot (56^e). But that’s only a postponement. After yet another opportunity from Rabiot, this time with a header, and a miss from Badé, Dušan Vlahović, who entered a minute earlier, (finally) frees the Turinese thanks to a clever dive (0-1, 65^e). Not enough to prevent Sevilla from raising their heads. Just five minutes later, the incoming Suso indeed shoot poor Szczesny (1-1, 71^e). And if the Polish goalkeeper does his best by pulling out a monstrous save on a noggin from Youssef En-Nesyri (90^e), he can’t do the same against Érik Lamela, who also came on in the second half, and was too comfortable to propel Bryan Gil’s cross into the back of the net (2-1, 95^e). Federico Chiesa will have the ball of the equalizer at the end of the foot but, however alone at the far post, sees his strike end its course in the stands (110^e). Despite the exclusion of Marcos Acuña for a second yellow card, Sevilla therefore held the shock and will play their seventh Europa League final.

Sevilla (4-2-3-1) : Bounou – Navas (Gomez, 106^e), Badé, Gudelj – Acuna – Fernando, Rakitic – Ocampos (Lamela. 70^e), Torres (Suso, 61^e –> Rekik 117^e ), Bryan (Montiel, 99^e) – En-Nesyri. Coach : Jose Luis Mendilibar.

Juventus (3-5-1-1) : Szczęsny – Cuadrado (Milik, 106^e), Danilo, Bremer, Gatti, Iling-Jr. (Kostic, 85).^e) – Fagioli (Paredes, 39^e), Locatelli (Miretti, 85^e), Rabiot – Di Maria (Church ,63^e) – Kean (Vlahovic, 63^e). Coach : Massimiliano Allegri.

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