SPORT
Thu 01 Jun 2023 9:05 am - Jerusalem Time
Europa League: Bono leads Sevilla to consolidate control with a seventh crown
Moroccan international goalkeeper Yassin Bounou led his Spanish team, Seville, to consolidate its dominance in the European League competition, "Europa League" in football, by contributing to achieving the seventh crown in its history (a record), by defeating Italian Roma 4-1 on penalties, Wednesday, in the final match at the stadium. Puskas Arena in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, after the end of the original and extra time, with a 1-1 draw.
Roma was the first to score through its Argentine international playmaker Paulo Dybala (35), and the Andalusian team responded with friendly fire through defender Gianluca Mancini (55 fouls in his team's goal).
Bono shone in the match with his brilliant saves more than once before he headed it off with two penalty kicks from Mancini and Brazilian Roger Ibanez, the first with his foot and the second with the tip of his ring finger, before it bounced off the right post.
Bono delighted the Spanish fans after he frustrated them with his brilliance in the penalty shootout also during the confrontation between the Moroccan and Spanish teams in the World Cup in Qatar in the final price, when he toppled La Roja outside the world wedding after saving two penalty kicks as well.
Bono and his compatriot, striker Youssef Al-Nusairi, became the first Arab players to win two continental titles, after they contributed to Seville winning the competition title for the last time in the 2019-2020 season.
Bono said after the match, "It is an incredible and indescribable feeling. I think we deserve this title, given our wonderful career in the competition, especially in the last rounds."
He added, "Praise be to God, frankly, it is a big win. The season was not easy, and the players confirmed that they are great and that the team is also great. Roma are a strong opponent and (Roma Portuguese coach Jose) Mourinho defends well, but our team showed that it is great and we could have won in regular or extra time." But we were rewarded in the penalty shootout."
"I lived many moments like this, it reminded me of the World Cup," he continued.
For his part, Al-Nusairi said, "It is a wonderful victory and the culmination of hard work that we have done for months."
Seville, who won the seventh title in the auxiliary continental competition, scored four penalties through Argentines Lucas Ocampos, Eric Lamela, Goncalo Montial and Croatian Ivan Rakitic, while Brian Cristante scored the only kick for Roma.
And the Andalusian team confirmed that it was the king of the competition with a seventh title in the seventh final match, and ensured its presence in the Champions League competition next season, making up for its disappointing season locally, as it occupies eleventh place after it was struggling to avoid relegation before contracting with its coach, Jose Luis Mendelibar, who won the first title in his career. training.
Sevilla, the Portuguese coach, deprived Rome of winning the sixth continental title in the sixth final match, after he led his compatriot Porto in 2003 to the European Union Cup (currently Europa League) and the Champions League the following year, then Inter Milan to the title of the prestigious continental competition in 2010 and Manchester United of England. for the Europa League in 2017 and then Rome for the Conference League title last year.
And the Andalusian club deservedly won the title, whether through its career in the competition and its exclusion of the ancient Manchester United of England and Juventus of Italy in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, or its level in the final match, especially in the second half and the extra half.
Sevilla played the match with his full squad, except for the absence of his Argentine international defender Marcos Acuña due to injury.
The Seville players wore a shirt that read, "Come on, Sergio, we are with you," in a message of support for the Spanish goalkeeper for Paris Saint-Germain, Sergio Rico, who is in intensive care and in critical condition in a hospital in the Andalusian capital due to a serious accident while riding a horse.
On the other hand, Mourinho involved Dybala mainly after doubts about his participation due to an ankle injury that kept him out of action for several weeks.
The old striker raised his tally to five goals in the tournament and the seventeenth in all competitions with eight assists.
The beginning of the match came cautiously from the two teams, so the real opportunities to score were rarely absent, and the most prominent was for the Italian team when Leonardo Spinazzola hit a powerful ball from the penalty spot, which was removed by Seville's Moroccan international goalkeeper Yassin Bounou from his own goal by blocking a powerful shot by Leonardo Spinazzola from inside the area before it was dispersed by the defense. (12).
And Dybala succeeded in opening the scoring when he received a ball from the middle of the field from Mancini behind the defense, so he prepared it for himself with his left hand, penetrated into the area and hit it crawling with the same foot to the left of Bono (35).
Brazilian Fernando almost equalized with a header from close range, after a corner kick that Croatian Ivan Rakitic (44).
The left post of Portuguese Rui Patricio denied Sevilla the equalizing goal by returning a powerful shot to Rakitic from outside the area (45 + 6).
Sevilla coach Mendilibar pushed Suso and Argentine Eric Lamela in place of Oliver Torres and Brian Khel at the beginning of the second half, activating the Andalusian team's attack.
Brazilian defender Alex Telles almost equalized after receiving a ball inside the area from Lamela, which he hit over the three planks (52).
And Seville succeeded in translating his pressure into a goal when captain Jesus Navas passed a cross from the right, defender Gianluca Mancini tried to remove it from Al-Nusiri in front of the goal, so he accidentally followed it into the net (55).
Bono saved his goal again by blocking the ball from close range after a shot by the Englishman Tammy Abraham, before it was prepared in front of the Brazilian Roger Ibanez, who carelessly shot it outside the goal (67).
And Mourinho paid Dutch international Georginho Wijnaldum to replace Dybala (68), then involved Andrea Belotti in the place of Abraham (75).
Bono continued his brilliance and blocked the ball from close range to Belotti (84).
Moroccan international striker Youssef Al-Nusairi almost did it in the second minute of stoppage time with a header from close range over the crossbar.
Gerpsosu scored his luck with a powerful, creeping shot from outside the area, which rebounded from goalkeeper Patricio and prepared in front of Al-Nusairi, who set it up for Lamela in front of the goal, so he shot it and bounced back from the defense to Brazilian Fernando outside the area, so he hit it next to the right post (90 + 6).
England's Chris Smalling hit the crossbar (10 + 120).
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Europa League: Bono leads Sevilla to consolidate control with a seventh crown