Sevilla vs AS Roma Preview

Europa League record holders Sevilla will look to extend their incredible record in the tournament when they meet José Mourinho’s As Roma side in the competition’s final.

Both teams have a history and a record to protect in Budapest. While Sevilla have won each of their last six final appearances in UEFA’s second-tier club competition, Roma are coached by a manager who has never lost a final so this promises to be a cracker.

Sevilla qualified for this stage of the tournament by beating Juventus 3-2 on aggregate.

The Spanish club come into this tie in poor shape having not won any of their last four games within 90 minutes (D3, L1). Their last outing was a 2-1 loss to Real Madrid in La Liga.

However, manager José Luis Mendilibar shuffled his pack for that game against Madrid, so his troops should be fresh for their visit to Budapest.

Sevilla haven’t won any of their four UEL games held outside of Spain this season (D2, L2). That run forms part of a wider 13-match winless run outside of their home country in European competition, which makes lifting another UEL trophy here far from a foregone conclusion.

Roma will be looking to make it two European trophies in two seasons having won the inaugural Europa Conference League last season.

But like their opponents, the Giallorossi warmed up for this clash with a defeat as they went down 2-1 against Fiorentina in Serie A at the weekend so that makes winning this trophy even more important as it would give them a free pass to the Champions League next season.

That loss also made it four games without a win for Mourinho’s men (D3, L1). They are also winless in their last four UEL games held outside of Italy (D2, L2), while the fact they were also goalless across each of those games perhaps serves as a bigger cause for concern for Mourinho.

The Portuguese manager knows if his side lifts the trophy, he will become the most decorated manager in the history of major European competition so he will be desperate to mastermind another final win.