Grand finale: The two best teams in the competition showed a final which, especially in the first 45 minutes, was one of the most entertaining things that could be seen in European football in recent years. Goals, discussions, great footballers and an ex-Gladbacher who scored twice in Cologne. Of course, the decisive hit came from an overhead kick.
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The result: Of the FC Sevilla won the Europa League 2020. The Spaniards won against in Cologne Inter Milan 3:2 (2:2). Here it goes to the game report.
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The first half: After 120 seconds the game had its first upset: Diego Carlos had Romelu Lukaku brought down, there was a penalty, which the fouled safely converted into the left corner (5th minute). Sevilla came back into the game immediately, which was passionately led and required a lot, much discussion on and off the pitch. Luuk de Jong headed in from close range in the 12th minute. The cross was hit by Jesús Navas, who, 13 years after winning the 2007 title, played a final with Sevilla again. It was also De Jong who headed a free-kick from Ever Banega into the far corner in the 33rd minute. The third header hit followed two minutes later. This time it was Diego Godín who refined a cross from Marcelo Brozovic (35th).
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Der Lukaku-Factor: In the eleventh Europa League game in a row, the Belgian goalscorer of the Nerazzurri signed the list of goalscorers. No player in the Europa League or the previous competition, the Uefa Cup, had managed that before him.
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The joker in the starting XI: De Jong had played six Europa League games without scoring this season, against United he scored a goal in the semifinals as a Joker. He was promptly allowed to run in the final from the start – and scored twice.
The second half: The pace was now a little slower, the entertainment factor no longer at the limit. But that should change. Diego Carlos (47th), Suso (54th), Sergio Reguilón (57th) and Lucas Ocampos (61th) initially awarded for Sevilla, Roberto Gagliardini (52nd) and Ashley Young (59th) for Inter, before Lukaku suddenly approached Yassine Bounou alone, but failed (65th). Lukaku also played a crucial role in the 3-2 win for Sevilla: After a standard, Diego Carlos started a nice overhead kick, which Lukaku could have cleared, but he unluckily extended the ball into his own net (74th). Conte made three changes and one of his jokers almost stabbed: Alexis Sánchez’s shot was scratched off the line by Jules Koundé (82nd) - the last big chance for Inter, which last had a European cup competition in 2010, at that time the Champions League against FC Bayern , could win.
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Sevillas Series: Sevilla FC have made it to the finals of this competition five times – they have also won it five times. After beating Middlesbrough, Espanyol Barcelona, Benfica, Dnipro and Liverpool, they also won the sixth final. No other team has won more than three times.
The rehabilitation of Julen Lopetegui: As the Spanish national coach just before the 2018 World Cup, because he had already signed a contract with Real Madrid, he was kicked out after a short time due to unsuccessfulness – Julen Lopetegui’s reputation had suffered deep scratches in the past two years. How much the success meant to him could be seen after the final whistle: The 53-year-old got down on his knees and let his tears run free.
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Antonio Conte’s nerve game: Through his coaching career, the Inter-Coach has a reputation for missing the fine touch on the international stage to lead his teams to titles according to their quality. Hard to believe: the final in Cologne was his first final and the tension was even more noticeable than usual. In the 17th minute he even picked up the first yellow card of the game because of a complaint. After the game, however, he quickly cooled down and was the first to congratulate the winning team.
First champions: Whether we can see one of the two teams again in the 2021 Europa League final will not be decided until December 2020. Both Inter and Sevilla FC will initially start in the Champions League. As group first or second, they would be in the round of 16 in 2021, the last place means elimination. Only as third in a group of the preliminary round you slip into the round of 32 of the Europa League – it is hard to imagine that Sevilla FC would miss this chance to stir up their favorite competition again.
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