Sevilla will put their unblemished Europa League Finals record on the line when they take on Inter Milan. The five-time champions have looked great throughout this year’s Europa League, knocking off Roma, Wolverhampton, and Manchester United to get to this point and only allowing a single goal in that stretch. Meanwhile, the Italian giants are out to win their fourth Europa League title. Inter have looked great since the restart, and their obliteration of Shakhtar Donetsk in the semifinals on Monday helped make them close to an odds-on favorite on the three-way betting line.
The Europa League Final will be held on Friday, August 21, 2020 at 3 p.m. ET at RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne, Germany.
Europa League Finals Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Sevilla FC +249
FC Inter Milano +114
Draw +244
Over/Under 2, 2.5
In their last match, Sevilla overcame an early 1-0 deficit to beat Manchester United 2-1. Suso and Luuk de Jong provided the tying and go-ahead goals, but Sevilla’s defense was harried throughout and allowed the Red Devils to fire 20 shots on the evening.
Lucas Ocampos has been superb for Sevilla this season. Ocampos has 15 goals and four assists for the Spanish club in all competitions, and he fired his team past Wolves in the quarterfinals with a sensational goal in the 88th minute. He had to be subbed off against Manchester United due to a knee injury though, so his status is in doubt for this game. If he can’t go, that will be a critical blow for Sevilla’s chances of pulling off the upset.
This will be Ever Banega’s last game with Sevilla. He is in his second stint at Sevilla after leaving for Inter Milan during the 2016-17 campaign, and he agreed to join Saudi Arabian club Al-Shabab at the conclusion of the campaign. Banega is key to what Julen Lopetegui wants to see out of his team. He is a precision passer that directs the attack, and that should lead to Sevilla controlling the ball for long stretches.
As for Inter, they were the best team in Italy after the restart. They finished a single point behind Juventus in the Serie A table this season, indicating that they could be primed to finally halt their rival’s dominance in the domestic league.
Antonio Conte is a defensive mastermind. He has tinkered with Inter’s formations to make this one of the top back lines in European football. The club conceded just 36 goals throughout the Serie A campaign, and they were the only team to allow less than a goal per game. That stinginess has transferred over to the Europa League too with Inter allowing just two goals in their five Europa League matches.
What sets Inter apart from other defensive-minded clubs is a great pair of forwards. The decision to bring in Romelu Lukaku was an inspired one. Lukaku was always underappreciated at Manchester United, and he has had a chance to flourish at the San Siro. Lukaku led the team with 23 goals in Serie A action during the year, and he has scored four times over Inter’s last three games in the Europa League.
That has taken the pressure off Lautaro Martinez. Martinez has thrived as a second striker beside Lukaku with 14 goals in domestic play during the season. His best years are still ahead of him as he will be celebrating his 23rd birthday the day after the final, and that has led to other clubs reportedly targeting Martinez.
Prediction
Sevilla are the most successful club in the history of the Europa League. Their five titles are more than any other team, and they have won them all in the last 15 years including an unprecedented threepeat. However, Inter Milan look too strong up top with Lukaku and Martinez, and that will be the difference.
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