Sevilla 1-1 Roma: Full player ratings as Nervionenses win Europa League on penalties to deny Mourinho historic sixth title
Sevilla have sealed a record seventh Europa League title after beating Roma on penalties in the 2022/23 final.
It was a tense and attritional final of few chances between two sides desperate not to lose. Jose Mourinho’s side got the ball rolling 10 minutes before the break through Paulo Dybala, before Jose Luis Mendilibar’s Nervionenses restored parity shortly after the restart.
Gianluca Mancini deflected a cross into his own net in the 55th minute, and the scoreline remained deadlocked following a gruelling 120 minutes. Penalties ensued, and Sevilla kept their nerve from the spot to seal a record seventh title, denying Mourinho a historic sixth European trophy.
Here is how the players rated at the Puskas Arena:
Sevilla
Bono – 8 – Firm and commanding between the sticks. When Spinazzola tested him early on, the Moroccan was unyielding. He produced a similarly heroic save just after the break to deny Abraham from close range. Huge performance in the penalties as well.
Jesus Navas – 7 – Played with a spring in his step and showed no discernible signs that Father Time has caught up with him. The 37-year-old skipper was infectiously energetic and sprightly as he bombed down the right flank with relish.
Loic Bade – 6 – Let Dybala evade him for the Argentine’s opener, but recovered to look solid throughout the showing. His workload reduced as the game went on, with Roma backing themselves into a corner and scarcely offering an attacking threat.
Nemanja Gudelj – 7 – Held his nerve in the heart of defence to battle with Tammy Abraham, and later Andrea Belotti. A bit like Bade, the duo worked well to keep them defanged for most of the final (when they attacked).
Alex Telles – 7 – Pressed forward in his typically-attacking style, the Manchester United loanee injected a tremendous amount of energy and enterprise down the flank to sustain Sevilla’s momentum and endeavour.
Fernando – 7 – Rolled back the years with an imposing midfield display. The Andalusians controlled the tempo for large spells of the final, and Fernando’s partnership with Rakitic was the main inspiration behind that.
Ivan Rakitic – 7 – Lost the ball for Roma’s opener, but recovered to dictate the tempo. The way he controls the game is almost supernatural. A supreme midfield maestro who always stands up to be counted in the big games.
Oliver Torres – 5 – Struggled to get into the first half as Roma kept things tight and compressed the space, before coming off at the break.
Lucas Ocampos – 7 – Sevilla’s most creative and menacing player in the final third. His link-up play with Jesus kept Spinazzola on his toes and gave Sevilla a genuine threat against Mourinho’s compact rearguard.
Sevilla have never lost a Europa League final:
? 2006 vs. Middlesbrough
? 2007 vs. Espanyol
? 2014 vs. Benfica
? 2015 vs. Dnipro
? 2016 vs. Liverpool
? 2020 vs. Inter
? 2023 vs. RomaNot even José Mourinho could end the streak.#UELfinal pic.twitter.com/5uBIY4Qlap
— Squawka (@Squawka) May 31, 2023
Bryan Gil – 5 – Had a few moments of quality, but those were few and far between as Roma suppressed his creativity, forcing Mendilibar to hook him at the break.
Youssef En-Nesyri – 6 – Cut an isolated figure for most of the match. The Moroccan forward was overwhelmed and crowded out by Roma’s backline, who muzzled his influence almost entirely, save for a few solid touches and headers.
Substitutes:
Suso (for Torres 45′) – 7 – A game-changer at the break, the roaming playmaker changed the complexion and attacking emphasis for Sevilla after coming on.
Erik Lamela (for Gil 45′) – 6 – Showed far more promise than his predecessor, but he broke up a few potential chances with some sloppy touches.
Gonzalo Montiel (for Navas 94′) – 6 – Brought a vigour and new depth to Sevilla’s backline in a sinew-sapping affair.
Karim Rekik (for Telles 94′) – 6 – Put his body on the line and got stuck in for that physically-draining extra time.
Marcao (for Gudelj 120′) – N/A – Came on for the final few minutes.
Joan Jordan (for Fernando 120′) – N/A – Came on for the final few minutes.
Roma
Rui Patricio – 6 – Sevilla had few clean chances throughout the match, but he was there to deny them and prevent their players from scoring. Unlucky on penalties too.
Zeki Celik – 6 – Set up Spinazzola early on, but retreated as the game went on and his influence started to wane. His name cropped in the 74th minute, but only as Anthony Taylor produced Roma’s fifth caution of the night.
Roger Ibanez – 7 – Strong, tenacious and physically imposing. Ibanez really got stuck in to stifle and thwart the efforts of En-Nesyri. His last-ditch tackle on Ocampos drew a penalty on first viewing, but upon consultation with VAR, Taylor overturned his decision. It was an inch-perfect lunge.
Gianluca Mancini – 6 – Played the crucial assist to Dybala for Roma’s opener, but it was his deflected clearance that landed into his own net and dragged Sevilla back into the game when Roma looked relatively comfortable at that point.
Gianluca Mancini is the first player to score against a José Mourinho side in a European club tournament final since Henrik Larsson in 2003.
And he plays for José Mourinho’s team. ?#UELfinal
— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) May 31, 2023
Chris Smalling – 8 – Absolutely titanic during the match. The former Man Utd centre-back won nigh-on every header and aggressively kept a lid on En-Nesyri. He showcased a lion-hearted determination to prop up the Giallorossi defence and refused to yield.
Leonardo Spinazzola – 5 – Has reinvigorated his career following a long-term injury set-back, but tonight’s showing was anything but a pre-sidelined Spinazzola. He was often erratic going forward, and defensively questionable as Navas and Ocampos enjoyed their best success down the right.
Bryan Cristante – 6 – Won the ball crucially against Rakitic to set up Roma’s opening goal. But it was a difficult game for the Italian as Sevilla threw bodies into the centre of the pitch and overwhelmed him.
Nemanja Matic – 7 – Oozed class in the centre of the pitch. The towering anchorman snuffed out danger and put out fires like his life depended on it. You can see why Mourinho brought him to Rome; his midfield tenacity and intelligence embodies his coach’s none-shall-pass philosophy on the touchline.
Lorenzo Pellegrini – 6 – Showed some world-class touches and movement, but his influence waned as the game progressed and Roma started to creep back and encamp in their own half.
Paulo Dybala – 7 – Majestic and graceful, the Argentine injected life and a creative spark into Mourinho’s attack. It was his well-take finish in the 35th minute that got the ball rolling for Roma and sent the Giallorossi half of the stadium into raptures.
Tammy Abraham – 6 – Worked hard and ran relentlessly for the cause, but it was a quiet night for him for the most part, save for one glaring opportunity after the restart as Bono blocked his shot from close range.
Substitutes:
Georginio Wijnaldum (for Dybala 68′) – 6 – Didn’t offer the creative output of Dybala, but he tried to get stuck in a link play in the hole.
Andrea Belotti (for Abraham 74′) – 6 – Ran around a lot and brought an Abraham-esque energy, but he will begrudge that wasted chance from a quick-thinking Pellegrini free-kick, which he shanked at.
Nicola Zalewski (for Celik 90′) – 6 – Offered new life and vitality to a draining Roma side.
Stephan El Shaarawy (for Pellegrini 105′) – N/A – Came on for the second half of extra time.
Diego Llorente (for Spinazzola 105′) – N/A – Came on for the second half of extra time.
Edoardo Bove (for Matic 120′) – N/A – Came on for the second half of extra time.
