Penalty thriller at witching hour: FC Sevilla kept their nerves

When Argentinian football world champion Gonzalo Montiel sunk his seventh penalty shot (at the second attempt) against AS Roma at 0.03 a.m. in the Puskas Arena in Budapest, there was no stopping the fans of FC Sevilla.

Hundreds stormed the pitch after the record champions triumphed for the seventh time in the Europa League and in the previous competition, the UEFA Cup. It stays the same: The white-reds don’t lose an international final.

“This is our tournament, we love it,” said Ivan Rakitic after the showdown in Hungary, won 4-1 on penalties. After 120 minutes it was 1-1. The wages for Seville are 8.6 million euros and a ticket for the Champions League 2023/24. AS Roma star coach Jose Mourinho has to wait for his 27th title.

His protégés failed in the shootout – above all Gianluca Mancini, who became a tragic hero around the witching hour. In the 35th minute he prepared the Italians for a 1-0 lead through Paulo Dybala with a pass deep into the room, and he equalized himself.

The 27-year-old defender deflected a cross from Jesus Navas into his own net to make it 1-1 (55′). On penalties, Mancini would then find his match in Moroccan team goalkeeper Bono, who also defused Roger Ibanez’s attempt via pole.

It wasn’t always a top-class final, but it was intense and emotional, in which referee Anthony Taylor (Eng) – if you include the “bank employees” – drew 14 yellow cards. Nerves were on edge, the protagonists were at the end of their strength.

Chris Smalling came very close to giving Roma a happy ending. The Brit’s header in the 11th minute of added time jumped back off the bar (131′).

Europa League final 2022/23: FC Sevilla – AS Roma 4: 1 i. E (0:1, 1:1, 1:1).
Gates: 0-1 (35′) Dybala, 1-1 (55′) Mancini (own goal)
Penalties shoot: 1-0 Ocampos, 1-1 Cristante, 2-1 Lamela, Mancini saved, 3-1 Rakitic, Ibanez saved/rod, 4-1 Montiel
Sevilla FC: bono; Navas (94th Montiel), Bade, Gudelj (120th + 8th Marcao), Telles (95th Rekik); Fernando (120+9 Jordan), Rakitic; Ocampos, O. Torres (46th Suso), Salvatierra (46th Lamela); En Nesyri
AS Roma: Rui Patricio; Mancini, Smalling, Ibanez; Celik (Zalewski 91), Cristante, Matic (Bove 120), Spinazzola (Llorente 106); Pellegrini (106th El Shaarawy); Dybala (68th Wijnaldum), Abraham (75th Belotti)
Yellow: Mir (on the bench), Rakitic, Lamela, Jordan (on the bench), Montiel, Ocampos; Matic, Pellegrini, Mancini, Cristante, Celik, Zalewski, Mourinho (coach), Karsdorp (on the bench)
Budapest, Puskas Arena, 61,000; Taylor (Eng)

Most successful clubs by number of Europa League titles:

• Sevilla FC: 7 (2006, 2007, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2020, 2023)
• Atletico Madrid 3 (2010, 2012, 2018)
• Liverpool FC 3 (1973, 1976, 2001)
• Juventus 3 (1977, 1990, 1993)
• Inter Milan 3 (1991, 1994, 1998)
• Chelsea 2 (2013, 2019)
• Bor. Mönchengladbach 2 (1975, 1979)
• Tottenham Hotspur 2 (1972, 1984)
• Feyenoord Rotterdam 2 (1974, 2002)
• IFK Gothenburg 2 (1982, 1987)
• Real Madrid 2 (1985, 1986)
• AC Parma 2 (1995, 1999)
• FC Porto 2 (2003, 2011)
• Eintracht Frankfurt 2 (1980, 2022)