Sevilla vs Roma: Europa League final preview

When: Wednesday, May 31
Where: Puskas Arena, Budapest, Hungary
Kickoff: 19:00 GMT

Roma manager Jose Mourinho has never lost a European football final while Sevilla are six from six in Europa League finals – so something has to give in Budapest.

Portugal’s Mourinho has five major continental titles to his name – two Champions League wins, two Europa League trophies and last year’s triumph in the inaugural Europa Conference League with the Italian side.

If Roma lift the trophy in Hungary, Mourinho, 60, will pull clear of Giovanni Trapattoni, who also won five major European trophies in his coaching career.

Roma, sixth in Serie A, have knocked out the likes of Feyenoord and Bayer Leverkusen en route to the final.

While Sevilla boss Jose Luis Mendilibar, 62, has yet to win a major trophy, his club are kings of Europe’s second-tier competition – their tally of six wins is double that of Inter Milan, Liverpool, Juventus and Atletico Madrid.

They are 11th in La Liga but have turned on the style in Europe, coming from 2-0 down at one stage in the first leg against Manchester United to see off the English giants before beating Juventus in the semis.

It is a remarkable end to the season for the club, who flirted with relegation for much of the campaign, sacking Julen Lopetegui and then Jorge Sampaoli, before Mendilibar steadied the ship.

Key quotes

The much-travelled Mourinho is in no doubt he is improving with age and experience.

“Better coach, better person, same DNA,” he said. “The DNA is motivation, is happiness. Desire for these big moments, and these are the feelings that I try to pass to the boys.

“I think you can be better and better with your experiences. I think your brain becomes sharper and the accumulation of knowledge is better with the years.”

Sevilla’s veteran wing-back Jesus Navas is aiming to win the Europa League for the fourth time, just two months after Mendilibar took charge.

“We transform [on Europa League nights] and it’s incredible how we come out in every match,” said the former Manchester City player.

“What Jose Luis has done with us has been fundamental. He has brought the best out of us, and when you look at the teams we have eliminated, it’s something to be very proud of. He deserves to stay with us for a long time.”

Sevilla team news

Left-back Marcos Acuna is suspended after being sent off in the semifinal second leg against Juventus.

Sevilla forwards Suso and Papu Gomez returned to training this week after injury.

Mendilibar rested most of his big names at the weekend, with Navas, Alex Telles, Fernando, Lucas Ocampos and Youssef En-Nesyri all set to return to the starting XI.

Roma team news

Roma full-back Leonardo Spinazzola is available again after injury. Paulo Dybala should also be fit as he returned to training on Monday following an ankle injury, and fellow forward Stephan El Shaarawy is expected to be available.

Mady Camara, Rick Karsdorp, and Marash Kumbulla are all likely to miss out.

Head-to-head

The two sides have only played each other in one competitive match. Sevilla beat Roma 2-0 in the last 16 of the Europa League in 2020, on their way to winning the trophy.

Form

Sevilla (all competitions): WWDDL

Roma (competitions): WDDDL

Where can I watch the game?

Global listings are available from livesoccertv.com.

You can also follow our live blog on match day.