ALBERTO MORENO SCORES HIS PENALTY WITH A LASHED STRIKE INTO THE CORNER! SEVILLA WIN THE EUROPA LEAGUE!!
120' +7
Luisaaooooo scores!! A ray of hope for Benfica! 3-2!
Minute
Description
120' +6
GOOOOOAAAALLLLLL FOR SEVILLA!!! Coke smashes into the bottom corner! 3-1!
120' +5
RODRIGO MISSES FOR BENFICA!! Beto saves to the left-hand side! Still 2-1 Sevilla!
120' +4
GOOOOOAAAAALLLLL FOR SEVILLA! Mbia smashes his penalty into the right corner! No question about that one! 2-1 Sevilla!
120' +3
Here we go; penalties!
CARDOZO MISSES!! The usually reliably Paraguayan is unsure in his run up and sends a poor penalty towards the bottom corner, which is saved by Beto!
120' +2
Full time in extra time! The Europa League will be decided on penalties! Both sides have had their fair share of chances, both nobody has proved to be a hero in regulation time as Sevilla and Benfica now face the prospect of spot kicks from 12 yards!
GOOOOOAAAALLL FOR SEVILLAAAA!! Bacca smashes his spot kick into the top left corner! Superb penalty! 1-1!
120' +1
GOOOOAAAAALLLL FOR BENFICA!! Lima steps up and lashes the first penalty into the bottom left corner!
120'
Two minutes of added time here! This would be a heartbreaker if anyone was to score now!
119'
Ivan Cavaleiro enters the game and replaces N. Gaitán.
118'
Jorge Jesus makes another change as Gaitan is replaced by Ivan Cavaliero. Hope he is a good penalty taker, because he doesn't have much time to do anything else!
116'
Lima runs at break-neck speed down the left wing and hits the byline before standing a cross to the back post, but Fazio is on hand to clear with a commanding header. The Argentine has been solid at the back for Sevilla tonight.
114'
We've got some pretty decent camaraderie on the field at the moment as opposition players are helping out each other with cramp stretches. Nice to see, but you wonder how long it'll last!
112'
The fans have been superb on both sides of the stadium tonight but the atmosphere has changed from vibrant to very, very tense in the last few minutes. They sense that nerve-shredding penalties kicks are only a few minutes away!
110'
Diogo Figueiras enters the game and replaces Vitolo.
The cramp is really starting to effect some of the players out there now and Vitolo appears to be the worst victim. The Sevilla winger is coming off and will be replaced by Diogo, who is usually deployed as a right-back but can be utilised as a winger.
108'
A Benfica cross is scrambled out of the box and the ball comes to Rakitic who threads a lovely pass down the channel for Gameiro, who takes it in his stride before reverting back to the Croatian. Sevilla just calming things down a little now.
106'
Second half of extra time under way! 15 minutes for a hero to emerge, or will the Europa League final be decided by penalties?!
105'
Half time in extra time. The Europa League final seems destined to reach penalty kicks as no sides look able or energised enough to go on and claim the victory without spotkicks. Do we have a hero out there?!
104'
K. Gameiro enters the game and replaces M. Marin.
103'
Now, we've got an interesting change from Emery here. It appears that Marin has picked up an injury and he'll be replaced by Gameiro, who'll go up to play alongside Bacca. These two rarely play together as a front two, so we'll see if they can produce any magic.
101'
BACCA MISSES THROUGH ON GOAL!!! Rakitic picks out one of the passes of the season through to the Colombian who bursts forward down the channel and into the box, but he hits the ball with the outside of his right foot, which means is attempt is screwed wide!
100'
André Almeida gets yellow.
99'
Ó. Cardozo enters the game and replaces Guilherme Siqueira.
Benfica get the free kick on the edge of the area and Lima steps up. The Brazilian lashes a strike through the Sevilla wall and the ball bounces up and off the chest of Beto, but there is nobody following up for the Portuguese side and Parejo manages to clear!
98'
Coke gets yellow.
Jorge Jesus does just that and makes his second switch. Oscar Cardozo comes on to replace Siqueira, which will mean Maxi Pereira reverting back to his position at right-back.
96'
As expected, the opening few minutes of extra time have featured a low tempo, energy-saving type of play. Rather incredibly, both coaches have only opted to make one change so far, but it's likely we'll see a few more before the end.
94'
Rakitic breaks into his favourite position just in front of the opposition defence but the Croatian just displays signs of fatigue as he attempts a tired pass through to Bacca.
92'
We've got a small break in play in the early stages of extra time here as Mbia and Andre Gomes are involved in a collision on the edge of the Sevilla box. The former has came off the worst, and is currently down receiving treatment.
91'
Extra time is under way in the Europa League final!
90' +2
End of 90 minutes in Turin. There has been nothing between Benfica and Sevilla in the Europa League final so far as we head into extra time at a 0-0 stalemate. The Portuguese champions have perhaps been the better side and may have clinched it had we played a bit more injury time, but both sides get a few minutes to recover before our two halves of extra time and possibly penalties.
90' +1
Garay!! Benfica swing a corner kick into the box and the ball breaks to the Argentine defender, who attempts the spectacular overhead kick, but his attempt goes a few yards over! That was the chance!
89'
Two minutes of added time here, which isn't too generous considering we have had one or two injuries! Extra time looms at the Juventus Stadium!
87'
However, there's only really one team who look like scoring at the moment, and that is Jorge Jesus' outfit. Sevilla have been camped inside their own half for a good five or six minutes now and the Spanish side appear to be settling for extra time. Still plenty of time for someone to claim he win though!
85'
Don't forget folks, Benfica lost the Europa League final last year to Chelsea in stoppage time thanks to a 93rd minute strike from Branislav Ivanovic, so this will no doubt be in the back of their minds here as we approach the last few minutes. Lightning can't strike twice, can it?!
83'
LIMAAAAAAA!!! HE NEARLY SCORES A SCREAMER!! The 30-year-old cuts inside from the left-hand side and hits a superb, dipping strike towards the far corner which is wonderfully tipped over by Beto! Benfica go close again!
81'
Siqueira stretches his legs down the left wing and hits the byline before standing a cross to the back post for Rodrigo, but the Benfica forward is well marshaled off the ball by Pareja, who remains solid to usher the ball out of play.
79'
A massively fortuitous deflected sees Lima go through on goal, but the Brazilian inexplicably decides against smashing a strike towards Beto with his left foot and instead cuts back inside on his right, which allows Pareja time to recover and get back to make the challenge!
78'
M. Marin enters the game and replaces José Antonio Reyes.
First change of the match from Sevilla as Jose Antonio Reyes is replaced by Marko Marin, who'll certainly add some pace down that right-hand side.
76'
Kevin Gameiro and Oscar Cardozo are certainly two accomplished finishers and both feature on the bench for their respective sides tonight. You can't help wondering whether either one of that duo would have gobbled up any of the chances presented tonight! No sign of the Frenchman or Paraguayan as of yet though!
74'
The build up play from both sides has been wonderful so far, but neither team just has had that cutting edge to be able to get the all important finish. Plenty of chances, but none put away!
72'
Maxi Pereira takes a fantastic touch beyond Alberto Moreno after receiving a long pass out of the air. The Uruguayan has a clear shot on goal but instead of shooting himself looks for a team-mate in a more central position! Sevilla manage to clear!
70'
Rakitic takes the next free kick opportunity to pump a ball into the box for his big team-mate, Fazio, again. The Argentine outjumps Luisao for the initial header but none of the Sevilla players read the drop down and Oblak comes off his line to claim out of the air.
68'
We had a 10 or 15 minute period there in which the match was extremely open and both sides were going all out for their opening goal, but in the past few moments the tempo has just dropped slightly and both sets of players are more reserved. I'm sure this is just the calm before the storm!
66'
That's a waste of a set-piece from Sevilla. Rakitic has the opportunity to stand a cross into the box with all the big guns present inside the area, but opts for a square pass to Carrico, who floats the ball out of play with an attempted pass to Fazio.
64'
Rakitic fizzes a lovely pass into the feet of Vitolo, who drops the shoulder on Almeida before gliding into the box. Instead of having a shot though he opts to reverse a pass back inside! He should have been more selfish and got a strike away, but Benfica manage to clear!
62'
This is a fantastic game in the Juventus Stadium folks! It is almost like a basketball match as both sides look to counterattack at pace whenever they can. We surely won't be waiting too long to see the deadlock broke, but who will it be?! Both sides going for it!
60'
Benfica are yet to concede a goal in the first hour of any match in their Europa League campaign, and their fantastic record has stretched to the final! A superb effort from their defence, but will they concede in the 90 minutes? That's the most important question!
58'
Sevilla have Benfica pinned into their own half but an awful pass from Carrico sees the Portuguese side instigate a pacey counterattack! Lima bursts through the middle and looks for a team-mate on the right, but Fazio intercepts with a dodgy clearance that nearly goes into his own goal!
56'
We've got yet another penalty shout here as Lima looks to latch on to a pass over the top of the Sevilla defence only to go down under the sliding challenge of Alberto Moreno! There may just have been contact there; that's a penalty!
54'
Reyes looks to make amends for his earlier error as he collects the ball 25 yards out and hits a stinger of a shot towards goal. Oblak gobbles is up but it was definitely well-struck. If he made the same connection with his previous attempt it would be 1-0 Sevilla!
52'
REYES!!! HE SHOULD HAVE SCORED! Rakitic wins the ball back in the final third and slides the ball through to the Spaniard, who seems to bothered by the challenge of Luisao to get a clean shot at goal, and ends up screwing his strike wide! Golden opportunity wasted!
50'
Siqueira gets into an advanced position once again down the left wing and whips a dangerous cross into the box, but Beto proactively comes of his line to come out and claim! Great start to the second half from Jorge Jesus' men!
48'
Sevilla just can't clear this here! Lima and Gaitan have another bit of the cherry with another couple of close range shots, but both are denied by the sturdy defence of Unai Emery!
47'
CLEARANCE OFF THE LINE FROM PAREJA!! Gaitan displays some trickery on the right wing before clipping a pass to the back post for the unmarked Lima, who lashes a shot beyond Beto, but the Sevilla defender got back into position to make the vital clearance!
46'
We are back under way in Turin!
45' +1
Massive penalty shout for Benfica! Gaitan gets the wrong side of Fazio and looks to get the show away, but goes down under the challenge of his compatriot, who comes in with the slide challenge! NO PENALTY AWARDED! Looked like the correct decision; Fazio got the ball!
45'
SAAAAAAAAVE BY BETO! Maxi Pereira meets the ball at the back post and just looks to divert a strike beyond the Sevilla goalkeeper, who remains solid to make a super stop with his left hand!
43'
Both sides have had their moments in the game were they look likely to make something happen, but neither goalkeeper has been truly tested as of yet.
41'
Most of the noise so far in the Juventus stadium has came from the Sevilla fans, who've got right behind their side from the get-go. But in the last few minutes the Benfica faithful have found their voices and we're having a bit of a sing-off! Fantastic atmosphere!
39'
LUISAO!! Not too far away! The big Brazilian gets into the box for a corner kick and rises high to meet Gaitans's cross before bulleting a header at goal, but it was mostly power and not much direction, as his attempt goes a few yards over.
37'
Gaitan's eventual ball into the box is too shallow and Sevilla counterattack with pace. Their furthest forward player is Alberto Moreno who gets beyond the Benfica defence before reverting back inside on his left foot. He looks to whip a strike towards the top corner but it is easy for Oblak in the end.
35'
Gaitan collects the ball 10 yards or so into the Sevilla half and is unceremoniously bundled over by Pareja, who charges out from his position at central defence. An extremely daft foul from the former Spartak Moscow man, as Benfica pose a real threat from set-pieces.
33'
Fazio breaks out of his position at centre back and takes the ball for a walk down the left-hand side. The Argentine looks to fizz a pass in behind the Benfica defence for the onrushing Alberto Moreno, but Luisao reads the game perfectly to step in and claim possession back for his side.
31'
Siqueira is the latest player to go into the book as he goes in high and knees Mbia in the hip. Another easy decision for the referee as he brandishes the yellow card. It's all getting pretty feisty out there, and I doubt this will be the last card we see!
30'
Guilherme Siqueira gets yellow.
29'
Rakitic looks to write his name into the history books in spectacular fashion as he looks to lob Oblak from the halfway line, but the Croatian's attempt rather predictably doesn't pose a threat to the Benfica goal and goes wide by some distance.
27'
Rakitic is completed taken out in the middle of the park and Sevilla are awarded the free kick. Mbia spots the run of Vitolo and quickly pops the set-piece over the top of the Benfica defence for his team-mate, who looks to dance into the penalty area. He is outnumbered eventually and the ball breaks to Rakitic again, but his shot is well blocked on the edge of the area.
25'
André Almeida enters the game and replaces M. Sulejmani.
Coke threads a pass into the feet of Reyes, who takes a couple of assured touched on the edge of the box before attempting to squeeze a pass through the eye of the needle for Bacca, but Garay reads it and intercepts. Good defending in the end.
23'
A blow to Benfica early on here as Miralem Sulejmani hasn't fully recovered from the Fazio and Alberto Moreno challenges, and will be replaced by Andre Almeida. It looks like the substitute may be deployed at right-back, with Maxi Pereira moving into a more advanced role.
21'
Vitolo goes on a dribble near the touchline and finds he doesn't have a team-mate near enough to pass to, so falls down completely untouched looking for a free kick. Nice try, but the referee is having none of it and waves play on.
19'
Rakitic takes the ball into his path with a couple of tremendous touches and bursts down the left wing with pace. He whips a dangerous left-footed cross to the back post but Bacca just couldn't make up the ground to get on the end of it!
17'
Reyes gives the ball away with a poor pass in a dangerous position inside his own half, but he is bailed out by his team-mate, Fazio, who's positioned perfectly to halt any potential Benfica counterattack. The former Arsenal man let off the hook massively there!
16'
So that makes Moreno and Fazio both on yellow cards and we are just 16 minutes in. With the pace and power of Sulejmani and Pereira down the right-hand side for Benfica, you wouldn't bet against them getting into further trouble. Some cool heads needed!
15'
Some pretty dodgy goalkeeping from Beto! A Benfica free kick is swung in from the right-hand side to the back post and the Portuguese keeper palms it straight to the feet of Garay, who just can't sort his feet out in time to get a clean shot on goal!
13'
Alberto Moreno gets yellow.
It seems the Sevilla defence are doing their best here to risk the wrath of the officials. Alberto Moreno quickly follows his team-mate into the book after a scything challenge on the same player, Sulejmani. The Serbian has certainly received some rough treatment so far!
11'
F. Fazio gets yellow.
The first yellow card of the match goes to Fazio as the central defender takes out Sulejmani with horribly misplaced boot to the gut. The Argentine will need to play 80 minutes whilst on a booking, so he'll be walking on egg shells around the ref!
9'
Sevilla counterattack through the middle as Rakitic eats up the grass. The Croatian slides a pass to the left for Reyes, who teases a cross along the box for Bacca, who allows the ball to bounce off his foot and out of play! Lucky for him he was offside!
7'
For the first time in the match Sevilla are just enjoying a period of sustained possession in the final third. It was a solid start from Benfica, but that Bacca opportunity just has them rattled a bit. Let's see if Emery's men can take advantage.
5'
What a challenge by Siqueira! Reyes drives down the left wing and reverses a cross to the penalty spot for Bacca, who looks poised to have a shot on goal, but the Benfica full back just manages to stick out a leg to take the ball away from the Colombian's foot!
4'
Benfica massively on top in the opening stages here as they look to show their dominance early on. Siqueira has showed already that's he's got plenty of attacking ambition going forward down that left-hand side.
3'
Lima looks to latch on to a pass in behind the defence but the initially hesitant Beto eventually comes out of his goal to claw the ball away from just outside the six yard box.
2'
Gaitan collects the ball in the middle of midfield and looks to skip past a couple of challenges, but he gets as far as Carrico, who takes the Argentine out with a cynical trip. A bit later in the game and that could have been a yellow for the Sevilla midfielder.
1'
We are under way in the Europa League final!
Good evening football fans, and welcome to LIVE coverage of the UEFA Europa League final between Sevilla and Benfica from the Juventus Stadium!
I'm Martin Macdonald, and it's my pleasure to take you through the action!
Any lead up to a European final involving the Portuguese side is always dominated by one question: Can Benfica break the 'Guttman Curse'?
Benfica have responded in tremendous style this season though and are still on course for an incredible quadruple. They arguably go into this match as favourites tonight having dumped final hosts, Juventus, out in the semi-final thanks to a 2-1 aggregate score over two legs.
However, that victory seems to have come at a price as they are without Lazar Markovic, Enzo Perez and Eduardo Salvio due to suspension for the final.
Unai Emery's men have played 18 matches so far in the competition as they entered at the 3rd qualifying round.
They reached the final tonight due to one of the most dramatic moments of the season. Progression from the semi-final looked to be lost as Los Rojiblancos were down 3-0 away to domestic rivals, Valencia, but a dramatic 94th minute header from Stephane Mbia clinched the vital away goal which would see them make the final in Turin.
Both sides' first ever European clash was played against each other. Sevilla defeated Benfica 3-1 in the 1957/58 European Champion Clubs' Cup .
Their latest defeat came just last year in the final of this competition, when a last-gasp Branislav Ivanovic winner saw them go down 2-0 to Chelsea. That campaign also featured narrow losses in the league campaign and also the league cup, so a season to forget it seems!
Bela Guttman was in charge of Benfica between 1959 and 1962, in which he lead them to two league titles and two European Cups, but a dispute over the legendary Hungarian's pay lead to a rather icy exit from the club. He famously claimed that after his exit, the Portuguese outfit would not win another European trophy for a century, and so the famous 'Guttman Curse' myth was born. It seemed he was a spectacularly good guesser, as seven European final losses have since come and gone. Jorge Jesus and his men will be looking to exorcise a few demons tonight!
Sevilla are looking to claim their third Europa League/UEFA Cup title which would make them only the fourth ever side to do so, with the other teams being Juventus, Inter Milan, and Liverpool.
Emery has mainly fielded this XI in the Europa League this year, so no real surprises in the Sevilla line-up. There had be some worries about the fitness of Vitolo, but the 24-year-old has shook off any niggling injuries to feature tonight.
Benfica may be down to the skeleton of their squad due to the suspensions leading into the final, but Sevilla certainly have some potent options off the bench. Kevin Gameiro, in particular, is definitely going to make an appearance if Emery's men are chasing the game.
Half time in the Europa League final from the Juventus Stadium. A predictably cagey first half so far, but Beto kept his side in with a shout towards the end of the opening 47 minutes thanks to a decent stop from Maxi Pereira. Both sides have had their moments on top, but no clear favourite has presented themselves. If the second half matches the same formula, we could be in for extra time and penalties! An intriguing 45 minutes in store!
Sevilla win the Europa League after going all the way from the 3rd Qualifying Round to the final, before defeating Benfica on penalties. The 'Guttman Curse' lives on for the Portuguese side as they fail again in a European final, but Unai Emery's outfit won't care! They held their bottle when it mattered and are now champions! Both sides had their opportunities in normal time and extra time to claim the opening goal, but a lack of quality in the final third took us all the way to spotkicks. Cardozo and Rodrigo the villains for Benfica!
Sevilla are Europa League champions!
I'm Martin Macdonald, and it has been my pleasure to take you through the action. Congratulations, Sevilla!
Commentary
More…