Sevilla’s coach, Jose Luis Mendilibar, has announced that every player in his first-team squad will travel Tuesday to Budapest for Wednesday’s Europa League final against Roma, where they’ll strive for a seventh title in the competition.
This means the suspended Marcos Acuna, along with Jesus ‘Tecatito’ Corona and Pape Gueye, will travel for a match that has more than prestige at stake.
In addition to the opportunity to hoist the trophy, Wednesday’s victor also secures a spot in the European Supercup and next season’s Champions League, which could provide a significant financial boost for the club.
With high stakes, Mendilibar rested several key players during his team’s 2-1 home defeat against Real Madrid on Saturday. Full-backs Jesus Navas and Alex Telles, defensive midfielder Fernando and forwards Lucas Ocampos and Youssef En-Nesyri all rested, while others like Ivan Rakitic and Nemanja Gudelj played only part of the match.
Goalkeeper Bono, who has served as a substitute in La Liga since Mendilibar arrived at the club, did play over the weekend to ensure he is at peak form for Wednesday.
Mendilibar has executed a remarkable turnaround since his arrival at the club, with Saturday marking only the second defeat Sevilla has suffered since he replaced Jorge Sampaoli in March.
The former Eibar, Osasuna and Valladolid coach arrived at the Sanchez Pizjuan with the aim of preventing Sevilla’s relegation to the second division and has maneuvered them into a position where they still have a shot at finishing seventh in La Liga.
Mendilibar has steered Sevilla past Manchester United and Juventus on their journey to the final with dramatic comebacks in both stages.
The coach signed with Sevilla only until the end of the campaign, and his future at the club remains unconfirmed, although it increasingly appears that he will be offered a new deal, regardless of Wednesday’s outcome.
“What Jose Luis has done has been vital. He has gotten the best out of us, and when you look at the teams we’ve beaten, it’s something to be proud of. He deserves to be with us for a long time,” Navas told the press Monday.
After years of helping teams fend off relegation, Wednesday night could finally grant ‘Mendi’ the opportunity to coach in the most prominent club competition there is.
The penultimate matchday of the 2022/23 LaLiga Santander season is here and it will be an extra special round of action given that there is still so much to play for, particularly in the tight relegation battle where six of the contenders for the drop face off amongst each other. These relegation six-pointers will take place during a unified kick-off time of 19:00 CEST on Sunday evening, when the standings will shift back and forth as the goals fly in across the peninsula.
In Matchday 37, there will also be a strong anti-racism initiative at all of these stadiums. Following the disturbing scenes at Mestalla last weekend, hundreds of thousands of anti-racism flyers will be handed out to fans across all LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank fixtures this weekend, reiterating LaLiga’s zero-tolerance position on the issue and outlining all the ways in which they can report any racist behaviour they may see both inside and outside stadiums.
The very first match of Matchday 37 is Sevilla FC vs Real Madrid on Saturday at 7pm CEST and these two teams played out a thrilling duel earlier in the season, which Real Madrid ultimately won 3-1, but Sevilla FC will look to take the victory this time in order to head off to the Europa League final with extra confidence.
On Sunday, drama is guaranteed during the unified kick-off time, especially in the ever so tight LaLiga Santander relegation battle. Heading into this penultimate round, there are seven teams who still aren’t mathematically safe and they are: Valencia CF on 40 points, RC Celta on 40 points, UD Almería on 39 points, Getafe CF on 38 points, Cádiz CF on 38 points, Real Valladolid on 38 points and RCD Espanyol on 35 points. Incredibly, six of these sides face off amongst each other.
Although 19th-placed RCD Espanyol are a little further adrift, Los Pericos believe a great escape is still possible given that they produced a miracle comeback on Wednesday night. They trailed in-form Atlético de Madrid 3-0, but fought back to draw 3-3 and take a point. Now, they visit Valencia CF on Sunday, which is a huge direct duel for two of the teams involved in this relegation scrap.
Currently, Real Valladolid are in the final relegation spot of 18th, but Paulo Pezzolano’s squad are also full of confidence after defeating champions FC Barcelona 3-1 in midweek. They too take part in a relegation six-pointer on Sunday, as they’ll visit UD Almería, who the Pucela could leapfrog in the standings with a win.
It’s Cádiz CF who are 17th, the final safe spot, but they’re level on points with Real Valladolid and can’t afford any slip-ups. Los Amarillos will be hosting RC Celta and they can also leapfrog their Matchday 37 opponents if they achieve victory, so both these sides will be giving their all.
Getafe CF are the only club in the relegation battle who won’t face a fellow contender for the drop. They’ll instead host Europe-chasing CA Osasuna at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez and José Bordalás’ side will hope home advantage can lead them to another much-needed victory.
As well as the relegation battle, there is also the race for European football to consider and two key games will be taking place in Madrid at the same time. Villarreal CF will travel to Vallecas to face Rayo Vallecano aware that they still have a chance of Champions League qualification. El Submarino Amarillo trail Real Sociedad by five points, but La Real have a tough assignment of their own in the capital as they visit Atlético de Madrid.
A little further down the table, there is a thrilling contest to catch the seventh and final European spot, currently occupied by CA Osasuna. Athletic Club believe they can return to UEFA competition this season and they’ll aim to take a big step towards this objective when they welcome already-relegated Elche CF to Bilbao. Meanwhile, Girona FC, who have never been in Europe before, will take on Real Betis hoping to keep their chances alive.
Another game that will be special, but for a very different reason, is FC Barcelona vs RCD Mallorca. This will be the final game at the Spotify Camp Nou for the departing Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba and they’ll hope to enjoy one more victory in front of the Barça faithful. That will be an emotional moment, taking place at the same time as the spectacle of the European race and relegation battle unfolds.
See how the battle to qualify for next season’s UEFA competitions is shaping up.
There are now just two matchdays remaining in LaLiga Santander and there is still so much to play for. Several clubs are currently taking part in the race to qualify for the 2023/24 UEFA competitions and the battle is ever so tight.
With FC Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid set in stone to qualify for the Champions League, here’s a round-up of the other teams fighting it to secure a European berth, from fourth-placed Real Sociedad down to 12th-placed Rayo Vallecano.
Real Sociedad (4th, 68 points)
After the top three of FC Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid, the team currently occupying the final Champions League spot is Real Sociedad. Under the coaching of Imanol Alguacil, La Real have come close to reaching the Champions League on a few occasions over the past few years. Returning to Europe’s top competition, which the Basque side last participated in in 2013/14, has become an objective for the club and they currently hold a comfortable advantage over Villarreal CF, thanks to the recent good performances of the likes of David Silva, Takefusa Kubo, Mikel Merino, Alexander Sørloth and others.
Remaining fixtures: Atlético de Madrid (A), Sevilla FC (H)
Villarreal CF (5th, 63 points)
At Villarreal CF, nobody is giving up hope of making a return to the Champions League. Even though there is a five-point gap, Villarreal CF are in excellent form, with five wins from their past six matches and with Nicolas Jackson scoring eight goals across that run. They still believe that they could make a return to the Champions League, a competition they reached the semi-finals of in 2021/22. Even if Quique Setién’s men don’t end up catching La Real for fourth, fifth place brings direct passage to the Europa League group stages and that too is a success for this club from a city of 50,000 people.
Remaining fixtures: Rayo Vallecano (A), Atlético de Madrid (H)
Real Betis (6th, 56 points)
Real Betis have never before qualified for European football in three consecutive seasons, but they have done so this year. Los Verdiblancos currently hold a Europa League group stage ticket as they sit in sixth place. Thanks to their recent wins over Athletic Club and Rayo Vallecano and their draw in El Gran Derbi, Manuel Pellegrini’s men have opened up a sizable gap. That’s very impressive considering the team lost star midfielder Nabil Fekir to a season-ending injury in February.
Remaining fixtures: Girona FC (A), Valencia CF (H)
CA Osasuna (7th, 50 points)
CA Osasuna have moved into seventh place, which brings a ticket to the Conference League. They did so by defeating direct rivals Athletic Club 2-0 in Matchday 36, and they have another direct duel coming up as they will host Girona FC on the final matchday.
Remaining fixtures: Getafe CF (A), Girona FC (H)
Athletic Club (8th, 50 points)
Athletic Club are no strangers to European football, however the Basques haven’t had to look out their passports since 2018. With Ernesto Valverde back at the helm this season, Los Leones want to qualify for Europe again, but their loss to CA Osasuna means they are currently just outside the top seven.
Remaining fixtures: Elche CF (H), Real Madrid (A)
Girona FC (9th, 49 points)
Girona FC have fallen out of the top seven, but they still have a chance of making history. The Catalan club have never before qualified for Europe, but they’re only one point behind the final European ticket. After winning promotion through the LaLiga SmartBank playoffs last season, Míchel’s side have been playing some thrilling football this term, and they’re currently the fourth-top scorers in the division with 56 goals scored from 36 matches.
Remaining fixtures: Real Betis (H), CA Osasuna (A)
Sevilla FC (10th, 49 points)
Just a few weeks ago, Sevilla FC were more concerned about the threat of relegation than about the possibility of finishing in the European positions. But, their results have improved significantly under new coach José Luis Mendilibar and Los Rojiblancos could finish inside the top seven.
Remaining fixtures: Real Madrid (H), Real Sociedad (A)
RCD Mallorca (11th, 47 points)
RCD Mallorca have joined the European race too, thanks to their 1-0 victory over Valencia CF in Matchday 36, with Vedat Muriqi scoring yet another goal. Although Javier Aguirre’s side must visit the Spotify Camp Nou next, the islanders are optimistic.
Remaining fixtures: FC Barcelona (A), Rayo Vallecano (H)
Rayo Vallecano (12th, 46 points)
Another team that still has a slight chance of European qualification is Rayo Vallecano. The team from the capital city have been in Europe once before, in the 2000/01 UEFA Cup, and they’re aiming for a return this year. Even though the capital city side are now four points behind, coach Andoni Iraola has insisted that his team will fight to the end.
What has been going on in LaLiga this past week? Here are 10 of the top stories, from Sevilla FC reaching another Europa League final to the ‘Team Of The Season’ announcement.
Not only were there several important results in Matchday 35 of LaLiga Santander, but this past week also saw Sevilla FC reach another Europa League final. Off the pitch, there were also contract renewals and the retirement announcement of one of Spanish football’s top 21st century strikers. All of that and more is outlined here.
Sevilla FC reach another Europa League final
Having lifted the Europa League trophy six times already, Sevilla FC have a beautiful love story with this continental competition and the Spanish side are back into another final. After drawing 2-2 with Juventus over 180 minutes of their semi-final, a header from Erik Lamela in extra time proved to be the winner on Thursday night at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán. José Luis Mendilibar’s side will now face Roma in the final in Budapest on May 31st.
The spoils are shared in El Gran Derbi
Just three days after the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán hosted that special European semi-final, the Sevilla FC fans packed the stadium once again for El Gran Derbi. This is always a special event in the city of Seville and a fascinating duel was played out between Sevilla FC and Real Betis, one which ultimately ended 0-0 to give each side a valuable point.
FC Barcelona have their trophy
After clinching the 2022/23 LaLiga Santander title away from home in Matchday 34, FC Barcelona then received the trophy following their Matchday 35 fixture at home to Real Sociedad. Even though La Real earned an impressive 2-1 win, it was a night for the fans at the Spotify Camp Nou to celebrate Xavi’s squad of champions. The Blaugrana fans also lined the streets of the Catalan capital for an open-top bus parade to celebrate the league titles of both the men’s and women’s teams.
Valencia CF’s youngsters are firing the team towards safety
Valencia CF now have a five-point cushion to the relegation zone, and this is largely down to the youngsters that coach Rubén Baraja has promoted from the academy. After 21-year-old Alberto Marí scored the winner away at RC Celta in Matchday 34, fellow 21-year-old Diego López then scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in Matchday 35.
Javi Guerra earns a new contract at Valencia CF
Another of the youngsters who has been making an impact for Valencia CF is 20-year-old Javi Guerra, who scored a winning goal against Real Valladolid in April. The young midfielder has been rewarded for his performances with a new contract, one which runs until 2027.
Juanpe is staying on with Girona
Another player who penned a contract renewal this past week is Juanpe, the centre-back who has been at Girona FC since 2016. He is one of the captains at the club and was delighted to sign a new deal to continue his career at the Estadi Montilivi, renewing this past week until 2024.
The European and relegation battles will go down to the wire
There are just three LaLiga Santander matchdays remaining and the race to finish in the European positions is so tight, along with the relegation battle. Athletic Club currently hold seventh place, the final UEFA ticket, but Girona FC and Sevilla FC are just two points behind while CA Osasuna are only three points off the Basques. At the other end, RCD Espanyol, on 34 points, and Real Valladolid, on 35 points, are inside the relegation zone, but Getafe CF in 17th place are also on 35 points. It’s so tight.
Fernando Llorente announces his retirement
Former Athletic Club, Sevilla FC and SD Eibar striker Fernando Llorente announced his retirement this past week, as he is hanging up his boots at the age of 38. The 2010 World Cup winner was a dominant presence in the penalty area over his 285 LaLiga Santander appearances, scoring 88 goals.
The ‘Team Of The Season’ selections are revealed
The 15 selections who have made up the LaLiga and EA SPORTSTM ‘Team Of The Season’wereannounced this past week, and they are: Marc-André ter Stegen; Alejandro Balde, Éder Militão, Jules Koundé, Nahuel Molina, David García; Luka Modrić, Pedri, Fede Valverde, Mikel Merino, Gabri Veiga; Antoine Griezmann, Robert Lewandowski, Vini Jr and Karim Benzema.
Four teams have a shot of automatic promotion on LaLiga SmartBank’s last matchday
There is just one matchday remaining in LaLiga SmartBank, Spanish football’s second division, and Granada CF, UD Las Palmas, Deportivo Alavés and Levante UD all enter the final day aware that they have a chance of securing automatic promotion but also knowing that they could still finish outside the top two. Making next weekend’s Matchday 42 especially fascinating is the fact that UD Las Palmas and Deportivo Alavés face off against each other.
With the La Liga title already in the bag, this weekend’s matches shift focus to the fierce battles for European spots and the struggle to avoid relegation.
The fight against relegation takes center stage in the first match of the weekend. Cadiz, currently fifth from the bottom, hosts Valladolid, fourth from the bottom, on Friday evening. Valladolid’s recent 3-0 defeat at home to Sevilla has put them just a point above the relegation zone following four consecutive losses. They must seize this opportunity against Cadiz, who face an injury list of five sidelined players and uncertainties over the participation of Joseba Zaldua and Roger Marti.
The quest for European places is the focal point in the subsequent two matches, as seventh-placed Girona takes on Villarreal and Athletic Club Bilbao hosts Celta Vigo. Girona’s recent draw with Real Sociedad leaves them in seventh place, on track for a spot in next season’s Conference League. Villarreal, on the other hand, coming off a 5-1 home victory over Athletic Club, sit fifth in the table, only five points behind fourth-placed Real Sociedad, who are set to visit Barcelona later in the day.
Both sides embrace open, attacking football, with Villarreal’s trio of Alex Baena, Nicolas Jackson and Samuel Chukwueze performing exceptionally well in recent weeks. Athletic Club, despite amassing just two points from their past five games, remain eighth, only a point behind Girona. They could advance into European places if Girona fail to defeat Villarreal.
Dani Vivian is set to return from suspension, while much focus will be on Celta defender Unai Nunez, currently on loan from Athletic Club. Real Sociedad will keenly watch Villarreal’s result as they gear up to play in Camp Nou, where they will form a guard of honor for the newly crowned league champions.
Saturday also features critical matches at the bottom, with Getafe hosting Elche. Getafe must win to move out of the relegation zone. However, already-relegated Elche, after victories over Rayo Vallecano and Atletico Madrid, are playing their best football of the campaign.
Almeria, sitting two points above Getafe, need a win against mid-table Mallorca, who have neither relegation worries nor European aspirations. Espanyol, second from the bottom, must break an unfavorable streak when they visit Rayo Vallecano on Sunday. Rayo’s coach, Andoni Iraola, has won all five encounters against Espanyol. A repeat at Vallecas Stadium would push Espanyol perilously close to the second division.
Atletico Madrid need to bounce back from their surprise defeat in Elche when they face Osasuna, who trail Girona by a point and are still in the race for a place in next season’s Conference League.
Real Madrid welcome Valencia in their first match following a bitter Champions League exit midweek. After Madrid’s 4-0 defeat to Manchester City, their season is all but over. Valencia, however, three points above the relegation zone, have work to do to ensure their survival in the top flight.
The weekend concludes with a traditionally tense Seville derby as Sevilla host Real Betis. Much could depend on Sevilla’s Europa League semi-final result against Juventus on Thursday. Given both teams’ aspirations for European qualification, expect a hotly contested match rife with controversy.
Sevilla triumphed over Juventus 2-1 in an exhilarating 120-minute contest that extended into extra time, cementing a 3-2 aggregate victory to book a Europa League final against Roma.
Securing this chance to vie for their seventh Europa League title is a testament to Sevilla’s remarkable transformation under coach Jose Luis Mendilibar, who has overseen just one defeat in his 12-game tenure.
The initial half was an absolute spectacle of offensive prowess, with both teams creating opportunities to seize control in a fervently contested match.
Sevilla’s goalkeeper, Bono, made an extraordinary save in the game’s 12th minute, deflecting Gatti’s powerful header following a corner kick. Sevilla dominated possession, and Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was forced to pull off a last-ditch save to thwart Lucas Ocampos’ diving header in the 23rd minute.
Following this, Youssef En-Nesyri inadvertently obstructed Ivan Rakitic after a corner, whereas at the other end, Angel Di Maria squandered two prime opportunities to put Juventus in the lead, sending one shot wide and failing to lift the ball over Bono.
The action remained relentless, with Szczesny twice denying Marcos Acuna, while Moise Kean’s effort clanged off the frame at the other end. Ocampos continued to pressure Szczesny, but a promising penalty appeal for Sevilla was dismissed. Despite Juan Cuadrado apparently fouling Oliver Torres, and TV images suggesting the foul occurred at least on the edge of the area, the VAR did not intervene.
In the second half, substitute Vlahovic put Juventus ahead, capitalizing on poor control in the Sevilla defence to clip the ball over Bono in the 65th minute. However, Sevilla responded swiftly, with Suso equalizing just six minutes later via an unstoppable shot from outside the box.
Fueled by the roaring home crowd – a sea of red shirts – Sevilla pressed on, seeking a decisive goal. Szczesny was forced into excellent saves to fend off attacks from Suso, Bryan Gil, and En Nesyri as normal time dwindled.
Just five minutes into extra time, Lamela put Sevilla ahead with a brilliant header, assisted by a precise cross from Gil, just moments after Bono had denied Vlahovic. The nerve-wracking match escalated further when Acuna received a second yellow card for timewasting during a throw-in in the 114th minute. Despite this setback, Sevilla persevered to clinch victory on yet another unforgettable night in southern Spain.
Spanish La Liga side Sevilla are aiming to take another step towards a seventh Europa League title when they entertain Juventus in their Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium on Thursday night.
Only a goal late in injury time denied Sevilla a 1-0 win in Turin a week ago and Juventus will have to deal with packed stands and an intense atmosphere in Sevilla’s home ground.
The side coached by veteran Jose Luis Mendilibar used that atmosphere to good effect in the quarterfinals when they thrashed Manchester United 3-0 and they go into Thursday’s match after a 3-0 La Liga win away to Valladolid at the weekend.
Mendilibar has been key to the club’s turnaround in recent weeks from relegation candidates to challengers in Europe, with the club losing just one in 11 games since he replaced Jorge Sampaoli as coach.
His move to Sevilla has seen the former Eibar coach reunited with midfielder Joan Jordan and winger Bryan Gil – both of whom worked with him at Eibar and although Jordan is an injury doubt for Thursday, Gil is delighted to be back at the club where he began his career and working with a man he knows well.
“I’m here because (Director of Sport) Monchi and Sampaoli wanted me, but when I saw that Mendilibar, a man who got the best from me at Eibar, was coming, I was really happy.”
“He’s getting the best out of our team and we are seeing that on the pitch,” said Gil in an interview with Spanish sports paper Diario AS.
The winger described the 62-year-old as “very demanding” but “what makes him special is that he likes things to be simple and he is very clear and easy to get along with in your day-to-day dealings with him and that makes things easy,” he explained.
Winger Suso will miss out through injury on Thursday, while influential defender Pape Gueye wasn’t included in Sevilla’s squad for Europe and is ineligible to play.
Sevilla trashed Copenhagen 3-0 at home in the UEFA Champions League Group G on Tuesday night.
The Spanish side overcame a poor first half and won with second-half goals from Youssef En-Neysri, Isco and Gabriel Montiel.
The first half was short on action, but Copenhagen showed themselves to be a hard-working and well-drilled unit who were able to keep Sevilla at bay with relative ease.
The main threat from the home side came from wingers Suso and Papu Gomez, while the best chance of the first 45 minutes fell to Hakon Haraldsson, whose shot on the turn was well turned away by Marco Dmitrovic, who started in Sevilla’s goal ahead of Bono.
Copenhagen continued to impress in the second half and were unlucky not to take the lead in the 49th minute when William Clem rattled the post with Dmitrovic rooted to the spot.
Haraldsson had another chance when his attempted chip went high as the Sevilla defense again failed to convince on the hour, and that was to prove expensive as Youssef En-Neysri got in ahead of the Copehagen defense to nod Sevilla ahead.
Copenhagen were out of luck again in the 82nd minute when Kevin Diks headed against the crossbar when perhaps he should have done better, and again it was to be expensive as Isco added Sevilla’s second with a curling shot into the corner of the net.