When Sevilla and Dnipro face off in the Europa League final on May 27, a lot more than bragging rights and a trophy are at stake.

This year, the winner of the Europa League is guaranteed a Champions League placement, and with both teams currently outside of their league’s qualifying position for that prestigious tournament, this final could ultimately be the only avenue they have to qualify. 

Sevilla is coming off a 5-0 rout in aggregate against Italian side Fiorentina and will be the favorite in the final, in large part due to the goalscoring of forward Carlos Bacca. He has notched 26 tallies in all competitions this season and has struck four times (and added two assists) in Europa League play. 

The team also has quite the history in the Europa League, having won the tournament three previous times. With a victory in Warsaw over Dnipro, Sevilla would become the first four-time winner of the title, per UEFA.com. Liverpool, Inter Milan and and Juventus are the other three-time winners.

Sevilla also is defending the crown from a year ago, so this is a side that has proved capable of winning the Europa League before. 

Additionally, the team is unbeaten in its last nine Europa League games, with eight wins and a lone draw. Of course, Sevilla is pretty hot in general—since the beginning of March, the team has lost just one game, which included a 2-2 draw against Barcelona and a scoreless draw against Atletico Madrid. 

This is a team that is peaking at the end of the season, which will make Sevilla very tough to defeat. Just don’t tell manager Unai Emery that his side is the favorite—he thinks his club is evenly matched by Dnipro, per Football Italia:

If Dnipro eliminated Napoli, then it means they are an excellent side. Both Sevilla and Dnipro deserve to be in the Final. I don’t want to say we are favourites, as our chances are 50-50. We work with the same mentality to win the game.

Sevilla have grown a great deal through the season. This competition is important for us and the fans. Getting to the Final again was not easy and we got there after many battles.

Indeed, Dnipro won’t roll over for Sevilla. The Ukrainian side beat a very good Napoli club, 2-1 in aggregate, and one would guess the ability to remain a solid defensive side will aid Dnipro in the final. 

Consider these stats, per Squawka Football:

Keeper Denys Boyko gave an inspired performance against a loaded Napoli side that came out in the semifinal buzzing but couldn’t solve the netminder.

Sevilla will likely look to get at Dnipro early, while the Ukrainian side is more likely to remain cautious and defensive and look to strike on the counter. 

With so much potentially at stake in this one, both teams will desperately want the victory, and the final should be a hotly contested and memorable affair. Don’t be surprised if Sevilla makes history and seals its place in the Champions League next season, however. The Spanish side is more talented and is playing excellent football at the moment. 

Sevilla would be a tough out against any team, and Dnipro is no exception. 

 

 

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