Europa League Archives

Nottingham Forest, Celtic head into Europa League play-offs

Nottingham Forest will go into the Europa League play-off round after a 4-0 win over Ferencvaros on Thursday, while Celtic secured their place in the knockout phase with victory over Utrecht.

Aston Villa finished second in the league phase after recovering from a two-goal deficit to beat Red Bull Salzburg 3-2, with their spot in the last 16 already assured.

Forest stood an outside chance of climbing into the top eight going into the final round of matches, but needed to beat Robbie Keane’s Ferencvaros and rely on other results going their way.

Sean Dyche’s side did their bit as Igor Jesus struck twice for Forest after Ferencvaros defender Bence Otvos scored an own goal. James McAtee tucked away a late penalty, but the win was only enough for the Premier League club to finish 13th overall.

Twice former European champions Forest will learn their play-off fate on Friday, along with Celtic, who overcame lowly Utrecht 4-2 after scoring three times in the first 19 minutes in Glasgow.

Benjamin Nygren put Celtic ahead before an own goal from Utrecht captain Nick Viergever.

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Arne Engels converted a penalty with Celtic cruising, but Utrecht pulled it back to within one until Auston Trusty’s header gave the hosts some more breathing space.

Villa looked to be sliding to just a second defeat in Europe when Salzburg surged 2-0 ahead in Birmingham through goals from Karim Konate and Moussa Yeo.

Morgan Rogers reduced the deficit, and Tyrone Mings headed Villa level, with 19-year-old Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba netting his first senior goal to complete the turnaround for Unai Emery’s men.

Lyon topped the table with seven wins from eight after completing the league phase with a 4-2 victory over PAOK. A minute’s silence was observed before kick-off in memory of the seven Greek fans killed in a minibus accident in Romania.

Midtjylland, Real Betis, Porto, Braga, Freiburg and Roma all finished in the top eight to ensure direct qualification for the last 16.

Rangers concluded a miserable European campaign with a 3-1 loss at Porto, their sixth defeat in eight games in the competition.

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Tottenham Hotspur edge Manchester United to win Europa League

Brennan Johnson’s scrambled goal ended a 17-year Tottenham Hotspur trophy drought with a battling 1-0 win over Manchester United in the Europa League final on Wednesday.

Spurs, who had not won European silverware since 1984, will play in next season’s Champions League, while failing to qualify for it is a severe financial set-back for Manchester United.

Despite their triumph in Bilbao, manager Ange Postecoglou’s future is still on the line following a shambolic domestic campaign, with Spurs sitting a place below United in the lower reaches of the Premier League table.

The Australian furiously insisted he was “not a clown” on the eve of the final and had the last laugh on a nerve-racking night at the San Mames, as he made good on his claim to always win a trophy in his second season in charge of a club.

“This is what it’s all about, this club hasn’t won a trophy for 17 years, honestly, this is what it means, it means so much,” Wales winger Johnson told TNT Sports.

“Ever since I came here it’s been (people saying) ‘Tottenham are a good team, but they never get it done’ — we got it done!”

Fans came from far and wide to pack Athletic Bilbao’s stadium, some taking quite preposterous routes and sleeping in cars to avoid eye-watering prices, but they could not escape a final lacking in quality.

It was a match between teams languishing in 16th and 17th place respectively after dismal Premier League campaigns and that was the essence of it too, played at high intensity but with low confidence, and a prize on the line so big it overawed.

There were a large number of turnovers, neither side keeping the ball with any ease, moves ending in panicked defending and balls being thumped to safety, or a litany of clumsy fouls.

Manchester United fans chanted Ruben Amorim’s name, backing their Portuguese coach despite the club’s worst Premier League season in half a century.

In the early exchanges, 22-year-old United winger Amad Diallo, one of the few players high on self-belief, flashed a shot across goal and then left Destiny Udogie spinning as he dribbled past.

Spurs made the breakthrough after 42 minutes and, perhaps fittingly, it came in the form of a scrappy goal.

Tottenham midfielder Sarr, who had completed just a single pass to this point, curled in a cross to the near post for Johnson.

The winger’s attempted flick bounced off Shaw’s shoulder, brushed Johnson’s boot again and crossed the goal-line in slow motion with Andre Onana unable to claw it out with a desperate arm.

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Spurs sat back in the second half, for once pragmatically trying to protect their slender advantage and look for opportunities to strike again on the counter-attack.

They nearly found one when Yves Bissouma played in Dominic Solanke, but the striker could not control the ball.

Spurs had just 27 percent possession by the end, with three shots, just one on target.

Manchester United almost equalised when Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario came off his line but failed to claim a set-piece pounded forward from deep.

The ball dropped for Rasmus Hojlund but his header over the stranded Spurs stopper was sensationally cleared in acrobatic fashion by Micky van de Ven.

Spurs sent on captain Son Heung-min for the ragged Richarlison, with the South Korean international a surprising non-starter.

United defender Harry Maguire scored a vital goal against Lyon on United’s thrilling run to the final, and was thrust up front late on, but Spurs shut him out.

Shaw had a chance to redeem himself at the end for his part in Johnson’s goal, but his header was pushed to safety by Vicario.

United suffered a 21st defeat this season and a fourth against Spurs, who claimed their third Europa League trophy.

Amorim said winning the trophy would not solve United’s many deep-lying problems, but could set the club up well for the future, however United leave Bilbao without even that.

“We managed not to score again, which makes it hard to win matches,” said Amorim.

For only the second time in 35 years, United will not play European football next term.

“For a club like Manchester United, it’s nowhere near good enough,” Shaw told reporters.

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Manchester United stun Lyon in nine-goal Europa League classic to reach semis

Manchester United came from 4-2 down in extra-time to beat Lyon 5-4 in a remarkable Europa League quarter-final to progress 7-6 on aggregate on Thursday.

United’s season looked over when Lyon came from 2-0 down to lead by two goals with just six minutes remaining at Old Trafford despite having captain Corentin Tolisso sent off.

However, a Bruno Fernandes’ penalty, Kobbie Mainoo’s strike and Harry Maguire’s header capped a stunning finale to set up a semi-final meeting with Athletic Bilbao.

“I felt that here everything is possible,” said United boss Ruben Amorim. “After the 4-3, the penalty from Bruno, you feel that you can change the game.”

The Red Devils sit 14th in the English top flight, and a defeat would have almost certainly meant missing out on European football entirely next season.

Instead, they are just three games away from a European trophy and the lifeline of direct access to the riches of the Champions League next season.

“Everybody in this moment believes it is possible,” added Amorim. “One moment can change a lot of things in the players’ minds.”

United’s history is built on dramatic late fightbacks, but few have been more remarkable than this to leave Lyon shellshocked.

The home side got off to a flying start thanks to a fine team goal as Fernandes released Alejandro Garnacho down the right, and his cross picked out Ugarte to slot in just his second goal since joining the English giants from Paris Saint-Germain.

Amorim’s decision to restore Andre Onana in goal was under scrutiny.

The Cameroonian had been dropped for Sunday’s 4-1 thrashing at Newcastle after two costly errors that led to both Lyon’s goals in last week’s 2-2 first leg draw.

Those mistakes came after a war of words with former Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic, who labelled him “one of the worst goalkeepers in United’s history”.

The 29-year-old rewarded his manager’s faith with a couple of important stops to prevent Lyon levelling through Paul Akouokou and Rayan Cherki.

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At the other end, a United side that have often looked laboured and lacking in ideas all season, suddenly clicked into gear in the first 45 minutes.

United doubled their lead in first-half stoppage time when Maguire’s long ball was expertly controlled by Diogo Dalot, who then fired in off the inside of the post.

Garnacho should have killed the tie off within minutes of the restart for the second half when he shot straight at Lucas Perri with Fernandes begging for a pass for a tap in.

But the defensive deficiencies and mental fragility of Amorim’s side were exposed in a collapse that threatened to cap a miserable campaign.

Alexandre Lacazette flicked on Moussa Niakhate’s header, and Corentin Tolisso swooped to head in and give the visitors a lifeline.

Nicolas Tagliafico then prodded in at the back post despite Onana’s attempt to scoop it off the line.

Just as Lyon were in the ascendency, Tolisso gave them a mountain to climb again with a soft second yellow for a trip on Casemiro.

Yet, it did not initially matter as Cherki confirmed his status as one of Europe’s rising stars with a powerful drive that left Onana motionless.

Lyon’s other prized asset, Malick Fofana, was then chopped down by Luke Shaw inside the area, and Lacazette confidently dispatched the resulting spot-kick.

Another penalty at the other end, though, kickstarted the fightback as Fernandes fired home after a VAR review for a foul on Casemiro.

Substitute Mainoo showed why he had been thrust into an unfamiliar forward role with a composed finish to level on 120 minutes.

Barely 60 seconds later, Maguire completed the comeback with a towering header at the back post.

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Atalanta end Leverkusen’s unbeaten run to win Europa League title

DUBLIN: Ademola Lookman scored a stunning hat-trick as Atalanta ended the 51-match unbeaten run of Bayer Leverkusen to win the Europa League final 3-0 at Aviva Stadium here on Wednesday.

With this victory, Atalanta claimed their first trophy in 61 years, meanwhile, Lookman became the first player to score a hat-trick in a European final since 1975.

The side from Bergamo have long lived in the shadow of nearby giants AC and Inter Milan.

However, they have enjoyed a golden era under Gian Piero Gasperini, reaching the Champions League on four occasions, and now have silverware to show for it.

“To win it with Atalanta is perhaps one of the football fairytales that rarely gives scope for meritocracy,” said Gasperini.

“It doesn’t always come down to cold hard numbers or super leagues but shows teams without huge budgets can achieve big things.”

Leverkusen have made a habit of late fightbacks in their remarkable run to winning a first-ever Bundesliga title without tasting defeat. But this time they failed to dig themselves out of a hole created by a slow start.

“It’s a shame that the time it didn’t work out for us was in a final,” said Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka.

“It’s bitter, definitely, we lost a final today but we go on and we’ll make up for it on Saturday (in the German Cup final).

Atalanta’s more purposeful play in the opening stages was rewarded after just 12 minutes.

Davide Zappacosta got to the by-line and Lookman caught Exequiel Palacios napping to fire into the top corner at the back post.

The Nigerian has at times endured a nomadic career, bouncing around the lower reaches of the Premier League on loan spells at Fulham and Leicester after being discarded by RB Leipzig.

But Lookman has found a home in Bergamo, where he will now forever be a hero.

“In the past few years I’ve been able to take my game to a new level and show that on a more consistent basis,” said Lookman.

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“I’m pleased with the progress I’ve made but this is just the beginning. I hope for more nights like this.”

The 26-year-old’s second goal was fit to win any final as he nutmegged Xhaka before curling a powerful shot into the far corner.

For the fourth time in seven Europa League knockout matches, Xabi Alonso’s men found themselves 2-0 down.

Alonso has enjoyed a rapid rise to become one of Europe’s hottest coaching properties.

The Spaniard has rejected the advances of former clubs Liverpool and Bayern Munich to remain at the BayArena next season.

However, Alonso’s decision to start without a recognised striker did not work and he threw on Victor Boniface at half-time to give his side a focal point up front.

The damage, though, was already done as the German champions looked a side drained by their record run across three competitions.

“Normally it happens earlier but it is the first (defeat) in such a big game, it hurts for sure. We have to deal with this pain in a positive way,” said Alonso.

“It didn’t go as planned. We were not on our best level, so we will learn from today.”

Atalanta were happy to soak up the Leverkusen pressure after the break and hit on the counter-attack.

The final blow was another fabulous finish from Lookman as he skipped past Edmond Tapsoba and this time blasted into the top corner on his weaker left foot.

Atalanta had lost all three of their previous finals under Gasperini, most recently in last week’s Coppa Italia defeat to Juventus.

But this time they were not to be denied their shot at history as they were roared across the finishing line by the thousands clad in blue and black that had made the trip from northern Italy to the Irish capital.

In doing so they became the first Italian side to win the competition since Parma lifted the UEFA Cup in 1999.

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Leverkusen beat Roma to make Europa League final

Bayer Leverkusen are through to the Europa League final 4-2 on aggregate after a stoppage-time goal from Josip Stanisic snatched a 2-2 draw at home on Thursday, extending their unbeaten run to a record 49 games.

In a rematch of last season’s Europa League semi-final, Roma came to Leverkusen 2-0 down after the first leg but levelled the tie-up despite having little possession thanks to penalties in each half from Leandro Paredes.

With the tie heading for extra time, Alex Grimaldo curled in a corner which goalie Mile Svilar failed to catch, the ball going into the net after bouncing off Roma defender Gianluca Mancini.

Stanisic then kept Leverkusen’s stunning record of late goals alive by scoring on the counter in the seventh minute of added time, breaking Benfica’s European unbeaten record dating back to 1965.

“We had chances to score goals early and didn’t — but hey we will in Dublin,” Leverkusen boss Alonso told RTL.

“It was a special evening. There were tense moments but it showed the personality and the mentality of the team.”

“We didn’t know ourselves how we were 2-0 behind,” Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka said.

“To come back against a team like this is unbelievable — our desire is incredible. We’re in the final, we’re on our way to making our dream a reality and will do everything to bring the trophy back to Leverkusen.”

Bundesliga champions Leverkusen will meet Atalanta, who beat Marseille 3-0 (4-1 on aggregate), in the Europa League final in Dublin on May 22 with hopes of a remarkable treble still alive.

Alonso again mixed things up tactically and made six changes including surprisingly leaving star attackers Florian Wirtz, Victor Boniface and former Roma striker Patrik Schick on the bench, instead leading the line with Adam Hlozek.

The changes did not impact Leverkusen’s rhythm as the hosts exploded onto the pitch, carving Roma up with creative, fluid movement.

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Roma by contrast brought the fight and tried to unsettle the Bundesliga champions, picking up four yellow cards inside the opening 30 minutes.

Exequiel Palacios was the target for much of Roma’s roughhousery but the Argentinian World Cup winner almost had revenge after 29 minutes when his low shot hit the inside of the post and came close to bouncing in off goalkeeper Svilar’s back.

Svilar produced a spectacular double save to keep out shots from Amine Adli and Hlozek on the 38-minute mark.

Roma sent a long ball up the other end and within moments the referee pointed to the spot after Roma’s Bayer Leverkusen loanee Sardar Azmoun went down in a tussle with Jonathan Tah.

Palacios’ Argentinian teammate Paredes sent the ball down the middle and Roma were 1-0 up and back into the tie just before half-time.

The second half began like the first, with Leverkusen unable to make their dominance count on the scoreboard — before Roma won another spot-kick, this time via VAR for a handball against Hlozek.

Paredes scored again, sending the ball left to take a two-goal lead in the match and level the tie.

Roma held on for dear life and went to the ground frequently to hold onto the lead, reminiscent of their performance at the same venue in last year’s semi-final which netted a 0-0 draw and a spot in the final.

Roma coach Daniele De Rossi was proud of his side and said: “We played a heroic game — they’re strong. We tried but had few shots. The lads played an incredible game.”

But with nine minutes remaining, Leverkusen won another corner which Grimaldo swung through the hands of goalie Svilar, who clattered into Chris Smalling, the ball then bouncing in off the face of Mancini.

Roma pushed forward hoping to send things to extra time but Bayern loanee Stanisic hit the Italians on the counter, sending his team-mates sprinting from the bench and keeping his side’s season-long unbeaten run alive.

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Leverkusen beat Roma to put one foot in Europa League final

Bayer Leverkusen have one foot in the Europa League final after winning 2-0 at Roma on Thursday to extend their remarkable unbeaten run to 47 matches.

Goals in each half from Florian Wirtz and Robert Andrich ensured victory for Xabi Alonso’s men in the Italian capital and gave the Bundesliga champions a great chance of reaching the final in Dublin later this month.

Leverkusen will meet either Atalanta or Marseille in Ireland should they hold out in Germany next week, and on the evidence of their performance in Rome, they will be firm favourites to win their first European trophy since the old UEFA Cup in 1988.

Alonso’s team have needed a string of last-gasp goals to keep their unbeaten run going in recent weeks but there was no need for any frantic finishes in the Italian capital as Leverkusen’s superiority was fully on display.

“We had a lot of chances to score a third but they also had a good chance to cut the deficit right at the end. We’re happy with the result,” Alonso told reporters.

“We fought hard, played very well and were very disciplined. For us that means a lot but we still have a lot to do.”

Roma face a huge task if they are to reach a third European final in as many years after barely troubling Matej Kovar’s goal after Romelu Lukaku struck the woodwork early on.

But Daniele De Rossi’s team would have had a lifeline had substitute Tammy Abraham not headed over in front of an open goal deep in stoppage time.

“We played against a good team and if you go behind against them it becomes very difficult,” De Rossi told Sky. “We’ve managed to score early in games before and get things going our way. Let’s say it was a bit different tonight.”

“We had an incredible chance right at then end which would have given us a different outlook for the return leg.”

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Roma are also in a dogfight to reach next season’s revamped Champions League in Serie A while Leverkusen remains on course for a Bundesliga, German Cup and Europa League treble.

Leverkusen started with Victor Boniface and former Roma man Patrik Schick on the bench as Alonso, who is gunning for an unbeaten season, started with a conservative line-up.

It was a cagey affair until Lukaku headed onto the crossbar in the 22nd minute after Leandro Paredes did brilliantly to bring down an overhit corner and hook the ball back for the Belgium forward.

Moments later the away fans briefly roared with celebration as Jeremie Frimpong slipped clean through a dozing Roma backline and lifted his finish into the side netting.

But the Leverkusen fans didn’t have to wait long to see their side take the lead, and it was another Roma slip-up which allowed it to happen in the 28th minute.

Rick Karsdorp cleaned up after Chris Smalling misjudged a header but his weak back pass allowed Alejandro Grimaldo to set up Wirtz for a simple finish.

The hosts were lucky not to be two down five minutes later when Frimpong flashed wide from a great position.

Roma looked shaky every time Leverkusen came forward and after Smalling gave away a cheap corner under pressure from Amine Adli the home defence left Piero Hincapie free to head over the bar six minutes after the break.

Bryan Cristante lanced a great chance wide from Paulo Dybala’s corner but Roma’s fans were finally deflated in the 73rd minute by Andrich’s brilliant strike which put the tie firmly in Leverkusen’s hands.

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AC Milan eyeing Europa League glory with Stefano Pioli’s future in the balance

The future of Stefano Pioli at AC Milan is uncertain as the seven-time European champions prepare for Thursday’s first leg of their Europa League quarter-final with Roma.

Never in the fight for the Serie A title and dumped out of the Champions League at the group stage, the last-eight Italian derby will be the biggest two matches of Milan’s season so far.

They will also be crucial to Pioli’s chances of staying in the AC Milan dugout as the 58-year-old has been more under fire this term than at any other point since the troubled early months of his tenure back in 2019.

Pioli was expected to be replaced by Ralf Rangnick in the summer of 2020, but a sudden burst of hot form when that season restarted in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and very public outrage from directors Zvonimir Boban and Paolo Maldini about how the talks with Rangnick were handled kept him in place.

Keeping him turned out to be a winning move as Pioli brought AC Milan the Serie A crown two years later, but Pioli is now out of favour with fans for not keeping up with Napoli last season nor with Inter this term.

A run of five straight Milan derby defeats has not helped, and neither has the prospect of officially conceding this year’s Scudetto to Inter in the next clash with their local rivals later this month.

Also exacerbating the situation is the feeling that Milan have been overtaken by Inter on the continent since Pioli dragged them back to the top table after years in the doldrums.

But a deep run in the Europa League, a competition Milan have never won neither in its current guise nor as the old UEFA Cup, would give Milan extra reason to be happy with the final weeks of a largely disappointing season.

Seven straight wins in all competitions have taken Milan to the last eight and to a likely second-placed finish in Serie A, helped by a remarkable drop-off in Juventus’ form.

“We’ve never stopped believing in what we do, we’ve never stopped believing in the players and they haven’t stopped believing in us,” said Pioli after Saturday’s 3-0 win over Lecce.

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“When a team struggles so long but doesn’t give up, it recognises when it’s got through the rough patch.”

Pioli will have Ruben Loftus-Cheek back after the England international was suspended for the weekend’s stroll past lowly Lecce.

Loftus-Cheek has been in the form of his life in 2024, netting nine times since the turn of the year from his advanced midfield position.

Four of those goals came in previous Europa League knockout ties with Rennes and Slavia Prague which were comfortably won by Milan.

The major decision Pioli faces is who to play alongside Matteo Gabbia in central defence with Fikayo Tomori suspended, with Simon Kjaer favourite over Malick Thiaw who is returning from injury.

Milan have already comfortably beaten Roma twice this season but that was while Jose Mourinho was still in charge, and the capital club promises to be a wholly different proposition this time around.

Pioli’s Roma counterpart Daniele De Rossi is coming into Thursday’s match at the San Siro on a high after winning the Rome derby at the weekend and keeping his team in the Champions League hunt.

The trip north will show just how much has really changed for Roma under De Rossi as it was their most recent defeat away to Milan in January that did for Mourinho.

Since then Roma have only lost two of 15 matches, one to champions-elect Inter and the other to Brighton in the previous round of the Europa League after killing their last-16 tie against the English team in the first leg.

De Rossi’s future is also in doubt as he was only hired until the end of the season, but such is the positivity surrounding Roma with their former captain in charge that a decent showing in this tie could get him the job on a permanent basis.

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Sevilla beat Roma on penalties to win Europa League

BUDAPEST: Sevilla won a record-extending seventh Europa League title after overcoming Roma 4-1 on penalties in Wednesday’s final in Budapest following a 1-1 draw after extra time.

Yassine Bounou was the hero for Sevilla as he saved two spot-kicks in the shootout while the Spanish side converted all four of their attempts.

Gonzalo Montiel, who converted the winning penalty for Argentina in last year’s World Cup final, did so again for Sevilla — after he was allowed to retake his kick because of encroachment.

Paulo Dybala had struck the opener for Roma on 35 minutes but Sevilla equalised early in the second half through Gianluca Mancini’s own goal.

Chris Smalling nearly won the game for the Italians deep into added time at the end of extra time when his looping header at a corner came back off the bar.

Mancini and Roger Ibanez were denied by Bounou in the shootout as Jose Mourinho suffered his first defeat in a major European final at the sixth attempt.

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Lamela heads Sevilla past Juventus into Europa League final

SEVILLE: Erik Lamela propelled Europa League specialists Sevilla into the final once again with a 2-1 victory over Juventus on Thursday, sealing a 3-2 aggregate triumph in a gripping clash.

Lamela headed home in extra-time to complete an impressive comeback for the record six-time winners of the competition, who will face Jose Mourinho’s Roma in Budapest on May 31 after they edged past Bayer Leverkusen.

Dusan Vlahovic fired visitors Juventus ahead in the second half, two minutes after coming on as a substitute, but Suso smashed home from outside the area to take the game to extra-time.

Lamela connected perfectly with Bryan Gil’s cross in the 95th minute to delight the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan, and Sevilla held on to reach the final for the first time since 2020.

“A lot of things went through my head, good moments, bad moments. It was a unique moment,” Lamela told Movistar.

“Now we are a step away, it’s a great opportunity. It’s a night I will remember forever, it’s something incredible to play here, in front of all these fans.”

Juventus failed to set up an all-Italian final against Roma, but Italy still has with one representative in each of the three European finals.

Inter Milan reached the Champions League showdown against Manchester City by seeing off rivals AC Milan on Tuesday, while on Thursday Fiorentina beat Basel to reach the Conference League final where they will face West Ham.

Defeat is concerning for Juventus, who are second in Serie A but braced for a potential points deduction which could knock them out of the top four. Winning the Europa League would have been an alternative route to Champions League qualification.

Massimiliano Allegri’s side, without the injured Paul Pogba, were significantly better than in the first leg but fell short.

“You have to put them in the back of the net when you have the chances,” Allegri said.

“The boys played a good game, but it was a European semi-final, we had to give a little more.”

He said his young Juventus side paid the price for their lack of experience compared to Sevilla.

“It’s a team that lacks experience at international level, these are physical matches, which require a lot,” he added.

Sevilla, who dominated in Turin but were pegged back at the death in the 1-1 draw, shaded the first half but Juventus threatened on the counter.

Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny produced a superb save to claw out a Lucas Ocampos header at his near post.

At the other end his counterpart Yassine Bounou produced an equally strong fingertip stop to tip a Moise Kean effort onto the post.

Sevilla were fuming before half-time when Juan Cuadrado sliced down Oliver Torres and no penalty was awarded by VAR, despite replays indicating the foul began in the area.

Gleison Bremer’s header scraped the post as the Italians pushed harder to break the deadlock in the second half.

Substitute Vlahovic made Juventus’ pressure count as he burst away from two Sevilla defenders and dinked the ball past Bounou.

– Sevilla spirit –

However, Sevilla substitute Suso levelled from outside the area, carving out some space before launching a rocket into the top corner.

Jose Luis Mendilibar’s team, who saw off Manchester United in the quarter-finals, showed their desire to again succeed in a competition which they have dominated in the past decade, with four triumphs in the previous nine editions.

Youssef En-Nesyri, who struck for Sevilla in the first leg, was denied by Szczesny in the 90th minute, stretching to tip his header over.

However the Polish goalkeeper could not keep Lamela’s header out, with the Argentine midfielder nodding home Bryan Gil’s cross in the fifth minute of extra-time.

Marcos Acuna was sent off for Sevilla after 115 minutes, leaving the hosts hanging on, but they dug deep to extend their Europa League legend and book their ticket to Budapest.

“Being with your childhood team, living each game and another final now, is incredible, and you have to enjoy it,” said veteran Sevilla defender Jesus Navas.

“The team was impressive, we gave everything, and the fans, they deserve everything.”

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Gatti snatches Juve late draw against Sevilla in Europa League semi

TURIN: Federico Gatti headed home in the 97th minute to earn Juventus a 1-1 draw against Sevilla in their Europa League semi-final first leg on Thursday.

Youssef En-Nesyri gave the record six-time champions the lead in the first half and they seemed set to take that advantage back to Seville before Gatti’s late intervention.

Moroccan international En-Nesyri finished a sharp counter-attack in the 26th minute to break the deadlock in Turin.

Jose Luis Mendilibar’s side deserved their lead at the break and although Juventus improved, the Andalucians shut them out well in their bid to take their advantage back to the rowdy Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan next week.

However Gatti nodded home from point blank range after substitute Paul Pogba headed the ball back into his path from a corner.

“It’s a shame, given the game that we played, that they levelled in the last play of the match, but it is what it is,” said Mendilibar.

“We stopped Juventus in every moment and we played well at times too, we have to think about that, not the last moment of the game.”

Sevilla, who dumped Manchester United out in the quarter-finals, have never been knocked out of the tournament in the semi-final stage.

The Spaniards, who won the Europa League at the Juventus Stadium in 2014, made themselves at home in the first half.

The hosts should have taken the lead when Dusan Vlahovic fired over, perhaps put off by Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou’s dive at his feet.

After that Mendilibar’s side started to impose themselves, with Lucas Ocampos playing a key role.

The Argentine winger, recalled from his loan at Ajax in January, sent a shot inches wide from close range, before making amends by setting up the opening goal.

Ocampos drove forward and played a low ball across the area, which Bryan Gil left for En-Nesyri to sweep home.

The forward has been in sensational form since the World Cup, with 16 goals in 2023 across all competitions.

“On the counter-attack we were caught out because we didn’t track back and left gaps,” Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri told Sky Sport Italia.

“(We) did well to fight back and get a deserved draw which leaves everything to play for in the second leg.”

Sevilla were dealt a blow when Ocampos limped off injured shortly afterwards, but stayed on the attack. Wojciech Szczesny tipped over an Ivan Rakitic drive from distance, while En-Nesyri curled narrowly off target.

– ‘It’s a pity’ –

Massimiliano Allegri took action, sending on Federico Chiesa and young English winger Samuel Iling-Junior at half-time in search of the equaliser.

Juventus, second in Serie A but waiting on the outcome of an Italian football federation ruling on illicit transfer activity, may end up needing to qualify for next season’s Champions League through Europa League victory.

Former Chelsea youth team player Iling-Junior cut in dangerously from the left but could not find a final ball as a more composed Juventus enjoyed more control.

It was another Juventus substitution which proved crucial. Veteran defender Leonardo Bonucci, on his 500th appearance in all competitions for Juventus, was taken off with a groin injury for Gatti after an hour.

Eventually their second-half pressure paid off when Gatti scored with virtually the last touch of the game, leaving honours even ahead of the return in Seville next Thursday.

Gatti, who also struck for Juventus in the quarter-finals against Sporting, ensured the Italians remained unbeaten at home in the Europa League this season.

Sevilla players were left frustrated as the 24-year-old centre-back nodded in after the six minutes of time added on had expired, but will have to wait until next week to set things straight.

“It’s a pity, the referee let play go on and we didn’t know how to defend the move,” added Mendilibar.

“Sometimes it goes for you, sometimes against you. If we had defended well, then nothing would have happened.”

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