Sevilla vs AS Roma Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News & Key Stats

The 2022/23 UEFA Europa League will be on the line when Sevilla and AS Roma clash in the final at the Puskas Arena on Wednesday.

The 2022/23 season is on the cusp of ending, with only a few high-stakes encounters remaining before the curtains fall. One such match will see Sevilla and AS Roma locking horns at the Puskas Arena in the UEFA Europa League final on Wednesday night.

2022/23 has been a bizarre campaign for Sevilla, who might finish the season outside the top half of La Liga. But considering they were in the relegation zone for so long, they will be happy with the final output. As for Los Nervionenses’s output in Europe, they finished third in UEFA Champions League Group G behind Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund.

But the Andalusian giants have been top-notch in the UEFA Europa League, despite their defensive shortcomings. They beat PSV Eindhoven in the playoffs before beating Fenerbahce, Manchester United, and Juventus in the three knockout stages. As for AS Roma, they finished second in the UEFA Europa League Group C before getting past Red Bull Salzburg to reach the Round of 16.

The Giallorossi then eased past Real Sociedad, Feyenoord, and Bayer Leverkusen, with Jose Mourinho again showcasing his European pedigree. But Roma’s Serie A campaign is not ending well, as a seven-game winless run has dropped them to sixth on the table and out of top-four contention. So the Europa League is their best avenue to reach next season’s Champions League.

Sevilla and AS Roma last met in the UEFA Europa League in 2020, with Los Nervionenses grabbing a 2-0 win. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.

Team News & Tactics

Sevilla

Jose Luis Mendilibar does not have many pressing roster issues hampering his preparations ahead of the trip to Hungary. Against AS Roma on Wednesday, the Sevilla manager will be bereft of the services of only three first-team players in the worst-case scenario.

Marcos Acuna will definitely be unavailable on Wednesday due to suspension. Meanwhile, Tanguy Nianzou and Marco will likely miss out this midweek as they recover from their minor injuries. Otherwise, Mendilibar should have a full-strength squad at his disposal at Puskas Arena.

Yassine Bounou should start ahead of Marko Dmitrovic, with Sevilla lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him. And the backline should feature Keylor Navas, Loic Bade, Nemanja Gudelj, and Alex Telles. Navas will become the oldest outfield player to start a UEFA Cup or Europa League final since David Weird in 2008.

As for the midfield unit, Fernando should regain fitness to start in the double pivot, where he will accompany Ivan Rakitic. The duo will aim to keep things tight in the middle of the park while being combative in their approach. But Rakitic will also provide the creative impetus from the middle of the park.

Oliver Torres should be the most advanced midfielder for Sevilla, looking to pull the strings high up the pitch. Finally, Youssef En-Nesyri will spearhead the attack against AS Roma, with Lucas Ocampos and Bryan Gil being the two wide attackers.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Bono; Navas, Bade, Gudelj, Telles; Fernando, Rakitic; Ocampos, Torres, Gil; En-Nesyri

AS Roma

Like his counterpart in the Sevilla dugout, Jose Mourinho barely has any fitness issues to deal with ahead of the trip to the Puskas Arena. The AS Roma manager will be without only two first-team players on Wednesday.

Marash Kumbulla (knee) and Rick Karsdorp (knock) are the only players on the sidelines. And there is some good news as Paulo Dybala and Leonardo Spinazzola have regained enough fitness to be available to take on Sevilla.

But Dybala might not be fit enough to start, although he should make a cameo in the second half. That should give Roma the impetus when they start pressing for a winner in what should be a tight game. However, Spinazzola should feature from the get-go on Wednesday.

Rui Patricio should take his spot between the sticks, with AS Roma lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him. And the central defensive unit will likely feature Gianluca Mancini, Chris Smalling, and Roger Ibanez.

Zeki Celik and Spinazzola should be the two wing-backs, with the duo having the license to express themselves better in the final third. The wide men will flank Bryan Cristante and Nemanja Matic in the middle of the park. And the central midfield pairing will primarily look to keep things tight in the centre of the pitch.

Cristante and Matic’s presence will mean that Lorenzo Pellegrini and Stephan El Shaarawy can go deep into the final third. That will help Roma create overloads in and around the Sevilla box while taking the burden off Tammy Abraham.

Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Patricio; Mancini, Smalling, Ibanez; Celik, Cristante, Matic, Spinazzola; Pellegrini, El Shaarawy; Abraham

Key Stats

• Sevilla have reached the final of the UEFA Cup/Europa League for the seventh time, two more times than any other club. They have won the competition on each previous occasion they have reached the final (2006, 2007, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2020).
• AS Roma will contest the final of the UEFA Cup/Europa League for the second time, losing in the showpiece in 1991 against Inter Milan. Wednesday is their fifth major European final overall, after 1961 (Fairs Cup), 1984 (European Cup), 1991 (UEFA Cup) and 2022 (Europa Conference League).
• The only previous meeting between Sevilla and AS Roma in Europe saw the Spanish side win 2-0 in the Europa League Round of 16 in 2019/20, which was the last season in which Sevilla won the competition.
• Wednesday’s game will be the 14th instance of a Spanish club facing an Italian team in the final of a major European competition, with the Spanish side being crowned champions on nine of the previous 13 occasions, including the last three in a row.
• Jose Mourinho has won five major European titles to date – UEFA Cup in 2003, Champions League in 2004 and 2010, Europa League in 2017 and Europa Conference League in 2022. Should Roma lift the trophy on Wednesday, Mourinho will be the most decorated manager in the history of major European competition, going clear of Giovanni Trapattoni (5).

Player to Watch

Tammy Abraham

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2022/23 has been a campaign to forget for Tammy Abraham. The English international came into the season on the back of a memorable debuting term. But he has blown hot and cold throughout 2022/23, struggling to be nearly as prolific as 2021/22.

Despite that, his stock remains high, with several Premier League bigwigs keen on signing him. And with a summer move possible, Abraham will look to grab his opportunity with both hands by producing a game-changing performance on Wednesday. Expect the 25-year-old to rise to the occasion to end a miserable season strongly.

Prediction

Sevilla 0-1 AS Roma

The match will pit two European juggernauts who never lose a final in a continental competition. Sevilla’s record in the Europa League finals is unblemished, while Jose Mourinho has never faced defeat in the trophy game in any European competition. So with the chance to make history, both parties will have no margin of error.

Mourinho will, as he so often does in a knockout setting, set his team up to defend with numbers behind the ball. That will frustrate a Sevilla side that will not create chances by the bagful. And with Los Nevionenses having a dreadful defensive record, AS Roma will have enough opportunities to get past Rui Patricio at the end of counter-attacking moves.

In the end, Roma will barely concede chances while looking to one decisive opportunity to strike a killer blow. The Hard Tackle predicts a keenly-contested affair which will not have much goalmouth action. But Jose Mourinho’s charges will make a counter-attacking opportunity count to seal a 1-0 win.