Sevilla

Man of the Match awards can be curious things. Sevilla's Ever Banega in many ways was a worthy winner of the award after Wednesday’s 3-2 Europa League final win over Dnipro in Warsaw, Poland. He was constantly involved, forever demanding the ball and, according to WhoScored.com, executed four key passes.

And yet it’s hard to argue that he had a more decisive impact than Carlos Bacca, the Colombian centre-forward who scored two goals.

The 28-year-old's story is an inspirational one of self-improvement. 

Sevilla coach Unai Emery described him after the final:

(Bacca) has great skills and qualities and is extraordinarily competitive. He wants more and more. Every time he’s on the pitch he wants to grow, you can call it hunger. He wants the ceiling to be higher and higher, he’s got great potential for this team. He wants to be the best player in the Champions League next season, for example. When he takes a step forward, he wants to take another one.

Bacca’s two goals on Wednesday spoke of a poacher of the highest order.

For the first, which put Sevilla 2-1 up, he timed his run perfectly, beating the offside trap as Jose Antonio Reyes’ pass took a slight deflection on the way through to him. Faced with the vast form of Denys Boyko, the Dnipro goalkeeper, he calmly took the ball past him before finishing with great composure even as his momentum made the angle narrower.

The second, the winner, was more instinctive, a jab of the right foot as Vitolo’s pass came across him.

But Bacca is more than just a finisher. He completed three key passes, more than anybody on the Sevilla team apart from Banega. He won four aerial balls, more than any Sevilla player other than Stephane Mbia and Grzegorz Krychowiak. He only had 26 touches in his 81 minutes on the pitch, but he made them count.

However, it shouldn’t be assumed that just because he was on the ball infrequently he is somehow lazy. It's quite the opposite. This was a masterclass in working the front line, looking for space, dragging defenders out of position. It was a performance of great selflessness.

That’s become standard from a player who is well aware of what football has given him. When he was 20, Bacca was still living in his hometown of Puerto Colombia on the Caribbean coast. He played football for the local team and, to make ends meet, sold fish and worked as a bus conductor on the half-hour journey to Barranquilla.

He only turned professional when he was 22, but he struggled with the discipline of a footballer’s life and looked as though he may fade away when he found God. He is so committed to his faith and to football that he very rarely goes out. Everything is focused on making the best of the gifts, as he sees it, given to him by God. He moved to Europe with Club Brugge in 2011 and two seasons later to Sevilla.

Few expected him to be first choice, especially when Sevilla signed Kevin Gameiro from Paris Saint-Germain. But his sheer desire has made him not only a regular, but one of Sevilla’s most important players. He averages roughly a goal every other game, but he offers much more than that, not merely on the pitch but off it too: His example is an inspiration to others.

Dnipro’s defensive record in the Europa League had been good until the final. They’d let in only five goals in eight games in the knockout stage. There were signs they might be able to frustrate Sevilla as well, sitting deep and closing the space, absorbing pressure. But Bacca is a player who will gobble a half-chance, the sort of man who turns possession into goals.

All quotes obtained first-hand unless otherwise specified.

Dnipro and Sevilla go into the Europa League final in contrasting form as the two teams chase a trophy and a place in next season’s Champions League.

Holders Sevilla have won the competition three times since 2006 and are the favourites to make it back-to-back wins.

In contrast, Dnipro have not won any trophy since 1989, per Igor Linnyk of UEFA’s official website, and they will be playing in a European final for the first time.

Here’s all of the live streaming information you need for the game and the form of Dnipro and Sevilla ahead of Wednesday’s showdown at the National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland.

Date: Wednesday, May 27

Time: 7:45 p.m. (BST)/2:45 p.m. (ET)

Live Stream: ITV Player (UK), beIN Sports Connect (U.S.)

TV Info: ITV4 (UK), beIN Sports (U.S.)

Form Guide

Dnipro

Last 10 results in all competitions, per Soccerbase.com: WWLWDLWLDW

Myron Markevych’s team will head into the final on the back of a 3-2 win over Shakhtar Donetsk which kept Dnipro in the hunt for Champions League qualification.

Markevych rested several players in that match, ahead of the Europa League final. Linnyk, per UEFA’s official website, feels Yevhen Konoplyanka’s form has been key to Dnipro’s own performance, writing:

The coach's rotation policy has allowed Dnipro to enter the final stages of the season as fresh as could be hoped, something reflected in their pleasing form, which unsurprisingly runs parallel with that of Konoplyanka. At the top of his game at the moment, the No10's goal at AFC Ajax put the side into the quarter-finals and he expertly laid on the semi-final clincher against Napoli.

Dnipro, who lost over two legs to Shakhtar in the semi-finals of the Ukrainian Cup, have saved many of their best performances for Europe this season.

Their form in the knockout phase of the competition has been much better than in the group stage, once they got that far, that is. Dnipro’s European campaign started last July when they lost to FC Copenhagen in the Champions League qualifiers before overcoming Hajduk Split in the Europa League play-offs.

In the group phase, Dnipro failed to score in their first three games as they lost 1-0 at home to Inter Milan and FK Qarabag on either side of a 0-0 draw in Saint-Etienne. But an away win over Qarabag and a final-day success over ASSE secured the runners-up spot for Dnipro behind Inter.

After the winter, Dnipro really picked up in Europe as they beat Olympiakos 2-0 at home in the first leg of the last 32 before claiming a 2-2 draw away. Extra time and away goals helped Dnipro battle past Ajax in the last 16, and their quarter-final tie with Club Brugge was another tight affair. A 0-0 draw in Belgium was followed by a 1-0 home win in the second leg.

In the semi-finals, Dnipro came up against Napoli and were not given much chance to qualify. They managed a 1-1 draw in Italy, when Yevhen Seleznyov scored a late equaliser to set the tie up for the return in Ukraine. Seleznyov was again the hero as he scored the only goal to send Dnipro into the final.

With just five wins in 10 games in all competitions, Dnipro aren’t in the best form ahead of the final. But the way Markevych has rotated his squad can account in part for those results. At full strength, Dnipro have shown form in Europe to suggest they can pull off another shock.

Sevilla

Last 10 results in all competitions, per Soccerbase.com: DDWWLWDWWW

Unai Emery’s side could hardly be in better form, despite missing out on a Champions League place on the final day of the season in La Liga.

Sevilla have lost just once in their last 21 games in all competitions when a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick earned Real Madrid a 3-2 away win.

That impressive run of form had started with the resumption of the Europa League when Sevilla won 3-2 away to Borussia Monchengladbach in the second leg of their last-32 tie after winning 1-0 at home in the first leg.

In the group phase, Sevilla won all three of their home games against Feyenoord, Standard Liege and Rijeka, and it’s a record they have maintained in the knockout rounds.

Fellow Spanish opposition stood in their way in the last 16, but Villarreal proved to be no match. After winning 3-1 away from home, Sevilla completed the job in the second leg with a 2-1 home success.

In the quarter-finals, Sevilla beat Zenit St. Petersburg 2-1 at home in the first leg. Extra time beckoned in the second leg in Russia, but Kevin Gameiro scored five minutes from the end to secure a 2-2 draw.

A semi-final date with Fiorentina was likely to be a close affair on paper, but Sevilla destroyed their Italian opponents. Aleix Vidal scored twice in a 3-0 home win in the first leg before Sevilla won 2-0 in Italy.

Vidal, though, does not believe Sevilla’s form or reputation will count for much in the final, saying, per UEFA’s official website:

People can think what they want. Based on our name, people might say we are favourites, but if you think that a name guarantees you victory then you are wrong – because in a final the so-called better teams can lose. A final is unlike any other game. You can't really know what it will feel like until you experience it. Here's hoping you ask me next year and I'll be able to tell you how it feels to win it.

On form, Sevilla are the likely winners, and their confidence from recent results cannot be higher, even allowing for missing out on fourth place in La Liga.

But Dnipro have shown how they can match more highly fancied opponents in Europe this season, and their recent form is unlikely to have much bearing on how they perform in Poland.

Finally, the Europa League should take a few significant steps to some overdue recognition—in the UK, at least, where it has been routinely lampooned ever since its inception.

For the first time, the winners will receive the supplementary reward (to accompany the 15kg trophy) of a place in next season’s Champions League. If holders Sevilla retain their crown on Wednesday and Valencia get through their Champions League play-off in August, La Liga will have five participants in the group stage.

This is a footnote for now, however, as we look at a policy that is the logical conclusion to the reformatting and re-branding of the UEFA Cup. This is only the competition’s sixth season as the Europa League, so it seems a shame that so many rushed to judge its new look as a success or failure.

The reasoning was sound, with a shift to a closer shape an attempt to ape the Champions League itself, and to begin bridging the gap between the top table and the rest in European football. It has worked to an extent already, with Atletico Madrid winning in 2010 and 2012 before going on to make the 2014 Champions League semi-final.

Now there’s an extra helping hand in the quest to narrow the divide, it will be interesting to see what happens next, particularly if Sevilla emerge triumphant. They have certainly paid their dues in the competition.

If Unai Emery’s side were to beat Dnipro in Warsaw on Wednesday, they would become the first club to win it (including in its guise as the UEFA Cup) four times—they are currently tied on three with Juventus, Inter and Liverpool.

That theme of consistent domination, proving that a club is ready to make the step up and become a contender, is important. Others who have done well in the Europa League have struggled to make an indelible mark in the senior tournament.

Zenit Saint Petersburg are a good example. Having lifted the UEFA Cup in 2008, they made their Champions League group debut the following season. They have reached the last 16 just once since then, despite ample transfer activity, including the arrivals of Hulk, Axel Witsel and Javi Garcia.

One can be more optimistic for Sevilla. For a start, they were very close to qualifying by the league route this season. Saturday’s 3-2 win at Malaga would have been good enough for the Estadio Sanchez Pizjuan club to leapfrog Valencia, had the latter’s Paco Alcacer not netted a vital late winner for Los Che.

The Andalucian club’s strategy of building brick by brick is especially compatible with the Europa League. In an interview with El Pais, published this week (in Spanish), long-serving sporting director Monchi broadly described the club’s plan as selling in order to grow.

His job has been spotting potential stars, from the club’s academy as much as the transfer market, developing them and selling them on.

They made an astronomical profit in selling Dani Alves to Barcelona, five years after he joined from Bahia, while Alves’ fellow Brazilian Julio Baptista had gone to Real Madrid in 2005 for 10 times the price that Monchi had paid Sao Paulo for him two years before. A teenage Sergio Ramos, who came through the ranks, joined Baptista in that same summer for a hefty €27 million.

It hasn’t always been plain sailing for Monchi, but he and the club pulled themselves out of a post-Juande Ramos slump by going back to basics, and profiting from forced sales to renew the playing squad.

Last year’s Europa League winners were built on the profits from selling Alvaro Negredo and Jesus Navas. This time the iconic Ivan Rakitic, Alberto Moreno and Federico Fazio generated the cash for the club to play with. Their options are such that the prolific Kevin Gameiro will probably start on the bench in Poland.

Widespread press speculation in Italy suggests that Emery himself might be the next to go (as reported by Football Italia), but Monchi provides the continuity. If all else goes to plan in the next week, Sevilla could be set to prove how a modestly run club might use the Europa League as a trampoline to greater things.

Hulk scored a vital equaliser for Zenit St. Petersburg, beating Sevilla goalkeeper Beto from distance in their Europa League clash at Petrovsky Stadium on Thursday. 

The Brazilian caught Beto slightly off his line and took aim. 

Beto initially saved the shot, but it trickled over the line to make things 2-1 on the night and a level 3-3 on aggregate. 

The goal was slightly reminiscent of a famous goal (at least from the angle) scored by Hulk's compatriot Ronaldinho in the 2002 World Cup. 

Not long after Hulk's golazo, Kevin Gameiro scored a back-breaking away goal that essentially put the tie out of reach, beating Yuri Lodygin with a low finish on the counter-attack. 

VINE: Vaaai Sevilla, Vai Gameiro!!! Zenit 3-4 Sevilla no agregado. https://t.co/coEC8iFb8M

— Papo Europeu (@papoeuropeu) April 23, 2015

[Vine] 

Liverpool have been struggling to find a decisive finisher in the final third—but it turns out they may have loaned one out to Sevilla.

During the Spanish side's 5-1 Copa Del Rey rout over second-tier Sabadell on Wednesday, the on-loan striker scored a hat-trick in the space of just four minutes.

Predictably, the internet had plenty to say about it.

Watching as a spectator, the question must have entered the mind of Sevilla's UEFA Europa League-winning goalkeeper Beto: "Could I permanently lose my job to a novice in Sergio Rico?"

While the fleeting moment of doubt provided Beto pause for thought, Rico is a lucky loser having lost out to Beto for the starting position and Mariano Barbosa for the backup position.

Borrowing the phrase from tennis, a lucky loser is when a player "loses in the last round of qualifying but then gets an opportunity to play in the main draw due to a withdrawal," as explained by tennis player Irina Falconi, per the Herald Sun.

Instead of being called a lucky loser, Falconi said "Second Chance" or "Lucky Winner" were more fitting.

The latter two terms accurately describe how Rico feels.

In the space of five days, Rico went from playing in the Spanish third division for Sevilla Atletico—Sevilla's feeder team—to making his La Liga and Europa League debut.

Beto, Sevilla's hero after saving two penalties against Benfica in last season's Europa League final, was stretchered off due to a pulled hamstring in a 1-1 draw against Valencia, and he was replaced by Barbosa.

A cheap €150,000/£118,150 signing from Segunda Division club Las Palmas, Barbosa was tentative, did not command his box and looked unsteady.

To add insult to injury, Barbosa also strained his hamstring and is expected to be out until October 15, per Transfermarkt. 

Waiting on deck, Rico has answered the call. 

"He's [Rico is] a young guy with quality, although he lacks experience," Sevilla centre-back Daniel Carrico said, per Football Espana. "[However], he's very focused, working very well and we have a lot of confidence in him."

Rico is quickly earning trust among his Sevilla teammates after keeping back-to-back clean sheets in 2-0 wins over Getafe and Feyenoord.

He pulled off a pivotal save to deny Getafe substitute Fredy Hinestroza from equalising with Sevilla leading 1-0 in the 86th minute.

A minute later, right attacking midfielder Aleix Vidal scored to put Sevilla 2-0 up. 

"Keeping a clean sheet is a step forward [for Rico]," Sevilla manager Unai Emery said, per AS (h/t Football Espana). "There's always a beginning and Sevilla always looks to the cantera."

Despite being inches away from conceding when Feyenoord left-forward Jens Toornstra's free-kick crashed on to the post, Emery continues to bestow praise upon Rico. 

"We've gained something important with him [Rico] in goal—two games and clean sheets," Emery said, per Heath Chesters at Inside Spanish Football. "He's made important steps towards being the future Sevilla goalkeeper."

Though, Emery added a disclaimer to what appeared to be a vote of confidence in Rico: "He has to keep going with that in mind."

Rico should keep his No. 1 position because he:

• Is Spanish and from Sevilla's cantera.
• Is more physically imposing than Beto and Barbosa.
• possesses high upside as a 21-year-old and could be turned into a Sevilla cash-cow like Alberto Moreno, Geoffrey Kondogbia, Jose Antonio Reyes, Julio Baptista, Sergio Ramos, et al., who were all sold before their 24th birthday.
• has done nothing wrong to be benched.

In the past, Emery has a track record of chopping and changing goalkeepers.

When he was managing Almeria, he gave rookie goalkeeper Diego Alves, then an unproven 22-year-old Brazilian, an extended starting run, to the chagrin of former Real Madrid goalkeeper David Cobeno, who was on loan at the time. 

Cobeno's hapless demise became a cautionary tale for then-Sevilla (now Real Valladolid) goalkeeper Javi Varas, per Football Espana:

I follow the example of David Cobeno when he went on loan to Almeria from Sevilla. Cobeno could not play in the game against Sevilla because of such a clause.

Diego Alves came into the team, played a good game and look what happened after.

That game cost Cobeno his place in the team.

Though, Rico's fortunate situation is more akin to then-Valencia (now Getafe) goalkeeper Vicente Guaita, per Simon Hart at UEFA's official website: "Guaita, deputising for the injured Cesar Sanchez and Miguel Angel Moya, made a series of important stops [against Manchester United]."

"We had to take a gamble on Vicente Guaita," Emery said, per Hart's UEFA article. "But he confirmed just how far he has developed in his position."

The comforting fact for Rico is Alves and Guaita are still top-flight goalkeepers, so Emery is an accurate judge of goalkeeping talent. 

Rico's intangibles are that of a fighter, a la Beto, per FIFA's official website: 

I said to myself: 'I love doing this but I'm just not getting a chance. I'm going back to my studies.'

I was looking for a future outside the game, but we got promoted with Leixoes and things took a turn for the better.

Then Porto came in for me, but my father died on the day I signed. All the same, I said to myself: 'I'm not going to stop fighting for my dream.'

Things started working out for me after that.

Thirteen years after staring down the barrel of a mundane nine-to-five job, Beto could be permanently replaced by Rico, an up-and-coming goalkeeper with a desperate-to-impress mindset comparable to a young Beto.

@allanjianga

+allanjiang

Statistics via WhoScored.com

Sevilla have thrown fallen star Ever Banega a lifeline by signing him from Valencia, but can he revive his career? 

Here is a scouting report on the 26-year-old, 5'9", 157-pound Argentine international. 

Banega Positives

Banega was lauded as a visionary midfielder and was referenced multiple times in the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup technical report, per FIFA:

The most outstanding playmakers in defensive midfield were Banega.

[...]

Banega, [Mathias] Cardaccio and [Michael] Bradley were midfield dynamos in both defence and attack.

[...]

Banega (5) covered a lot of ground between defensive and attacking midfield.

He was responsible for dictating the pace of the game and launching attacks by playing accurate balls in behind the opposing defence for Argentina's strikers to run on to.

[...]

Ever Banega: midfielder, playmaker with good vision and excellent positional play, good passing.

Sevilla are betting on Banega's immense ability.

He is a phenomenal talent who flashes Sergio Aguero's dribbling, Fernando Redondo's passing and Javier Mascherano's grit.

Having had their defence dissected by Banega, Sevilla know firsthand about the Argentine's game-winning potential. 

Banega scored a virtuoso goal by striking a free-kick past then-Osasuna (now Porto) goalkeeper Andres Fernandez.

Showing composure, Banega cushioned a high ball and made a big play by scoring against Barcelona.

Banega has a zest for taking on players, such as using the elastico move to jink past then-Malaga (now Atletico Madrid) right-back Jesus Gamez. 

The through ball to then-Valencia (now Real Sociedad) central attacking midfielder Sergio Canales against Espanyol was an impeccable moment of artistry from Banega.

From a ball-winning perspective, Banega has demonstrated that he can be an elite defender.

Several months into the 2012-13 season, Banega's tackle-success percentage was 86 (he finished with 68), per Squawka.

Banega Negatives

A tormented genius who grew up impoverished to the extent that he "practically ate mud," per Sid Lowe at The Guardian, Banega's performances as an Argentine youth international star and an emerging Boca Juniors young gun made him one of the most desirable prospects in the world.

He became very wealthy when Valencia came calling. 

Still, South American football correspondent Tim Vickery worried about Banega's life-changing career move, per BBC Sport: "But from Banega's point of view, the problem with accepting the first big-money bid is that it might not be the right time or the right club."

Vickery foreshadowed Banega's demise: more money, more problems. 

Valencia were perturbed by Banega drinking, driving under the influence, his lack of punctuality, wearing a Real Madrid shirt and being run over by his own car, per Fernando Alvarez at Marca. 

The Valencia public-relations department suffered as much as Banega's liver. 

On the field, Banega has been a tantalising player.

He has periods of world-class play, and then his form randomly disperses. 

Arguing with the referee instead of tracking back after being dispossessed against Barcelona is an example of Banega's petulance, which has held him back from fulfilling his potential.   

Bottom Line

Banega can start as a No. 6, a No. 8 or a No. 10 and dictate midfield proceedings. 

He is a replacement for Ivan Rakitic, a world-class midfielder, who departed for Barcelona. 

The move on paper makes sense for Sevilla, so can Banega re-produce Rakitic's season?

Yes, strictly from an ability perspective.

But if you factor in Banega's erratic behaviour, then no.

If he does not straighten out, he will continue sabotaging his career, which is tragic, since he is one of the most talented players of his generation.

@allanjianga

+allanjiang

Statistics via WhoScored

Fans were treated to one of the most entertaining matches of the football season on Wednesday night when Spanish side Sevilla defeated Portuguese giants Benfica in penalties to win the Europa League in Turin, Italy. Though the match was a fascinating affair, it more than just a simple football game.

Benfica entered the contest looking to overturn the curse that has plagued them for so long.

Ever since the departure of Bela Guttmann in 1962, the Benfiguistas have not won a single European title despite appearing in seven finals, via Goal.com. The Europa League meeting against Sevilla marked the eighth final since the curse began, and their fans were hungry for silverware.

As the match got underway it was clear that Benfica had come to play.

Forwards Rodrigo and Lima forced Sevilla to foul several times in the opening minutes of the game, while the likes of Nicolas Gaitan pulled the strings in the middle of the pitch.

Sevilla looked to press high and break on the counter, but were forced to defend for large stretches of the game.

As the minutes passed, it looked more and more like Benfica would break the curse in Turin. They were enjoying more possession, were relatively unchallenged at the back and created several chances.

Yet, Sevilla held strong and refused to let Benfica open up the scoring.

Chances continued to come for the Portuguese side, but the ball would never ripple the back of the net. Sevilla keeper Beto made several brilliant saves and the defense executed four last-man tackles, via WhoScored.com. What seemed like a club destined to break a curse quickly turned into a club hampered by bad luck yet again.

Even after 30 minutes of extra time, the match remained scoreless. Penalties would be then be taken, and the rest is history. Beto made two incredible saves during the shootout, Sevilla slotted home every shot they took and the Spaniards lifted the Europa League title for the third time in club history.

The scenes after the match ended were hard to watch. Tears dropped from the faces of fans that have lived to see every disappointing finals loss since 1962, while others just stood in disbelief.

All the while, Sevilla fans celebrated winning the final of a tournament that honestly they never should have qualified for. While talk of bad luck will dominate the Benfica headlines, Sevilla’s road to the title has been paved with charmed luck.

Turn back the pages to last season. Sevilla finished ninth in the La Liga table, two places away from European qualification. The Andalusians would have to accept that they would not be playing in Europe the next year—or so they thought.

Then the bans were announced for Spanish clubs Malaga and Rayo Vallecano.

Malaga, who had finished sixth in the table, would be handed a European ban for unpaid wages, via ESPN.com. It was a tough ruling to swallow, but their place in the Europa League would then fall to eighth-place Rayo Vallecano.

But Rayo would not get to taste European play either. The Madrid-based club was banned as well after seeing their appeal for a European license rejected because their financial conditions were found unsatisfactory, via Football-Espana.net.

With the two clubs stripped of the chance to feature in the Europa League, the last La Liga spot in Europe fell to Sevilla, a ninth-place team that was forced to sell nearly every star player last summer due to club debt.

Regardless of having to buy roughly a whole new squad, Sevilla would shock everyone with an incredible season under Unai Emery.

Los Rojiblancos made their way through the Europa League competition and soon met up with neighboring rivals Real Betis in the third round. Betis was struggling in the league and looked like an easy opponent for Sevilla, but it would be the complete opposite.

Betis put together an incredible performance to win the first meeting, 2-0. Sevilla would storm back in the second leg to win 2-0. The match then went to penalties to determine who would advance, with Sevilla winning the shootout.

It seemed like luck had been on Sevilla’s side, but they would need it a few more times as the tournament continued.

After losing 1-0 to Porto in the first leg of the quarterfinals, the Spaniards would dominate the second meeting, winning 4-1 to advance yet again.

In the semis, Sevilla met another Spanish opponent in Valencia. After easily winning the first game 2-0, Sevilla looked destined for the final.

But Valencia refused to go quietly. They took a commanding 3-0 lead in the second leg, but luck would again grace Sevilla when Stephane Mbia scored in stoppage time to send Los Rojiblancos through to the final in Turin.

The stage was now set. Benfica arrived in Italy for the final looking to overturn the curse that has haunted them for so long. But Sevilla would also arrive with a dream.

Emery was all too familiar with European tournaments. It was his leadership that had brought the best out of Sevilla and gotten them to the final, and now they were looking to finish off a golden season with a silver trophy.

Despite having found incredible form this season, Sevilla were still seen as the underdogs going into the final. Benfica would be in control for nearly the entire game and, on paper, deserved to win. But it wouldn't work out that way.

Sevilla held strong and did just enough to keep Benfica at bay as the game eventually went into penalties. Beto made two great saves, Sevilla netted every shot and the rest is history.

Sevilla, the club that wasn't even supposed to be in the Europa League, had won the title. Emery, Beto and Rakitic were all extremely emotional after the match had ended, and it was clear that Sevilla’s road to glory was no fluke.

This club had undergone a radical rebuilding process in the summer and eventually came together as a team as the year progressed. After the midway point in the season, Sevilla was one of the most in-form teams in Europe and the world was taking notice.

Though luck definitely had a role to play in their title-winning campaign, this Sevilla side was destined for greatness and charmed with a winning mentality. True winners know how to get a result when they don’t deserve it, and that perfectly describes Sevilla.

After the game, Emery was quoted by InsideSpanishFootball.com as saying the following:

There were times when the the match was very even, we were expecting some chances, like the one for Bacca, but we had to be prepared for anything. but in the end they made the last push. You could see the tiredness and discomfort of the players, but this team has learned how to suffer, has learned to stay big and was prepared for this. They deserve this for all their work and dedication. The team has stayed united through difficult times.

Stripped of many stars from last year and rebuilt with several players from all over, Sevilla joined together as a real team and showed the world that sometimes the will to win and the willingness to fight is more important than anything else.

Many will say that Benfica should have won the game, but the truth is that Sevilla stood face-to-face and won. Statistics and chances aside, this Sevilla side did what they do best and it won them a European trophy.

Sevilla wasn't supposed to be here. They qualified as a ninth-place team, advanced through penalties and comeback wins, and eventually won the entire tournament in a shootout. Luck was on Sevilla's side, but the real reason they won was because they refused to give up even in the most difficult moments of the year.

What do you think, was this a title that Sevilla was destined to win? How much did luck play a factor in their road to the title? Leave your thoughts and comments below!