Europa League 22/23 | Final: Sevilla vs Roma (May 31)

Sevilla is a team that plays dirty. You'll see a match against a team that constantly falls to the ground, looking for fouls, penalties, and anything they can claim. They do this with the entire team surrounding the referee. In addition to their unsportsmanlike conduct, they are also very bad, and you should be able to easily beat them in your stadium, as you did against us. The only difference is that they will likely try to waste time and play as defensively as possible, in order to avoid conceding too many goals.
 
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Sevilla will be tough as they'll sit in the 541 at OT and try to make it a 0-0 boring game in hopes they can nick a goal in the home leg

unreal though having to play Juve/Sporting in the semi....might as well hand the easy route to Roma just so we can face him
 
Nailed on to get Sevilla next.
My first news of the morning (US Eastern time zone here) was having drawn Sevilla for the next game. The first post I see in this thread was this, from yesterday. Good call.

We're working our way down the table... Barcelona (1st), Real Bettis (5th), and now Sevilla (13th).
 
Mind, Feyenoord vs Roma is going to be really bad if fans are allowed to travel for their away game.
 
Another Spanish team! Sevilla are boring aswell. Luckily we’re at home first. Hoping to put them away first leg like we did with Betis then it’s less pressure away to them.
 
Juve would be in 2nd place in Serie A if it wasn’t for the point deduction and above two of the teams who are among the last 8 in CL. Winning EL is probably also their only chance of playing CL next year so they will definitely be up for it and a tough one if we make it past Sevilla.
 
fecking hell - 9 games in April and 9 games in May is crazy. Does anyone know if we've ever managed 10 games in a month?

Not sure about United but, found this list from an 2012 article:
Middlesbrough played 10 games in April 2006.
Stockport County played 10 games in April 1997.
Arsenal played 10 games in April 1980.
Nottingham Forest played 10 games in April 1979.
Coventry played 10 games in April 1955.

Canvey Island apparently outdid them all:
Paul Roberts said:
"For some sad reason, I'll always remember seeing a set of remaining fixtures for Canvey Island in the spring of 2001. Due to runs in the FA Cup and FA Trophy, they had to play their final 12 games of that season in 13 days. They were gunning for promotion to the Conference but ended up relinquishing top spot – presumably because they were totally shagged. Sadly I can't find a results list from that season to verify."

Was a dead link to results list in the article, apparently 12 league and cup games in April, and five matches on successive days at the beginning of May, including 9 games over the last 12 days of the season.

Also this from Mick Bodley, who was combining centre-half duties with his day job as a postman, he had to get up early for work each day having returned home from away trips long after midnight.

Mick Bodley said:
"I had to laugh when I heard Gérard Houllier moaning about Liverpool's number of games," he said. "He should try playing eight games in nine days – and go out on the post every morning. I'm up at 4.30am, home at lunchtime, couple of hours kip, out to football, back at midnight. And then I'll go and do it all again."
 
FrX5zJEWcAE2tvu
Ah damn
 
I dont know this for a fact - but surely no other team has ever played 4 teams from one country in one European competition before ?
 
I dont know this for a fact - but surely no other team has ever played 4 teams from one country in one European competition before ?

Leeds faced Barca, Real, Deportivo and Valencia in 2000/01. This is the second instance.
 
We owe Sevilla a good beating. Bring it on :devil:
 
Sevilla have been terrible in the league. We’ve beaten 3 of the top 5 teams in Spain already, Sevilla should not pose a problem.
 
3 Spanish teams in a row is overkill.

Anyway great chance to get one over them just like what we did with Barca.
 
After the International Break

April 2nd - Newcastle (A)
April 5th - Brentford (H)
April 8th - Everton (H)
April 13th - Sevilla (H)
April 16th - Nottingham Forest (A)
April 20th - Sevilla (A)
April 23rd - Chelsea (H) or FA Cup semi final???
April 27th - Tottenham (A)
April 30th - Aston Villa (H)
May 3rd - not set yet but Brighton (A) for this date?
May 6th - West Ham (A)
May 11th - Europa league semi final Juventus or Sporting Lisbon (A) ?? ??
May 14th - Wolves (H)
May 18th - Europa league semi final Juventus or Sporting Lisbon (H) ?? ??
May 21st - Bournemouth (A)
May 24th - Possible date for Chelsea (H) if United beat Fulham on Sunday.
May 28th - Fulham (H)
May 31st - Europa league final?
June 3rd - FA Cup final?
That's what, 19 games in 60 days? That's one game every 3 days for 2 months. :lol:
 
Not sure about United but, found this list from an 2012 article:
Middlesbrough played 10 games in April 2006.
Stockport County played 10 games in April 1997.
Arsenal played 10 games in April 1980.
Nottingham Forest played 10 games in April 1979.
Coventry played 10 games in April 1955.

Canvey Island apparently outdid them all:


Was a dead link to results list in the article, apparently 12 league and cup games in April, and five matches on successive days at the beginning of May, including 9 games over the last 12 days of the season.

Also this from Mick Bodley, who was combining centre-half duties with his day job as a postman, he had to get up early for work each day having returned home from away trips long after midnight.
That's incredible research - cheers.

Great story about Mick Bodley too!
 
Why is that ? Their ECL final last year did not entail any major incidents.
Neutral location might've helped?
Sevilla is a team that plays dirty. You'll see a match against a team that constantly falls to the ground, looking for fouls, penalties, and anything they can claim. They do this with the entire team surrounding the referee. In addition to their unsportsmanlike conduct, they are also very bad, and you should be able to easily beat them in your stadium, as you did against us. The only difference is that they will likely try to waste time and play as defensively as possible, in order to avoid conceding too many goals.
So basically like every other Spanish side? :p
 
Roma are much better than Lazio and the last time you played in Rome they made you look like an amateur side...just saying
Start of a season were we lost 8 of our 11 starters. AZ handily beat them twice and we also beat them in the return leg. They also finished 3rd in our group (even if on the same points total).

If Roma are much better than Lazio why are they 5th and Lazio 3rd with more points and a massively better goal difference? Is it xG? :nervous:
 
Start of a season were we lost 8 of our 11 starters. AZ handily beat them twice and we also beat them in the return leg. They also finished 3rd in our group (even if on the same points total).

If Roma are much better than Lazio why are they 5th and Lazio 3rd with more points and a massively better goal difference? Is it xG? :nervous:
Roma has a habit of shooting themselves in the foot, but their ceiling is higher. They're solid, and strong in set piece. They're a bit underproductive. By saying that if they click on the day, they have something more to offer than the table/ goal record show.

Lazio is very underwhelming. I don't see they have a stand out strong point. They somehow got result, and some freak result at that against stronger team. Even then, Lazio doesn't look like they have any potential left in them. There is no extra surprise element in performance. Study them well, and you know you can have a good game against them.
 
Repeat of the conference league final, or are you guys going to do it?
Roma isnt the hardest draw, but they're easily the favourites to go through. Far stronger squad. I think we can give them a challenge though.
 
Start of a season were we lost 8 of our 11 starters. AZ handily beat them twice and we also beat them in the return leg. They also finished 3rd in our group (even if on the same points total).

If Roma are much better than Lazio why are they 5th and Lazio 3rd with more points and a massively better goal difference? Is it xG? :nervous:
Deeper squad, actually bring their best in EL unlike Lazio, and just a better team in general. Their one fatal flaw is the strikers, who are very bad, and when Dybala got injured earlier in the season they struggled. Much higher ceiling and they're not lightweights
 
Deeper squad, actually bring their best in EL unlike Lazio, and just a better team in general. Their one fatal flaw is the strikers, who are very bad, and when Dybala got injured earlier in the season they struggled. Much higher ceiling and they're not lightweights
Is Abraham that bad?
 
If Roma are much better than Lazio why are they 5th and Lazio 3rd with more points and a massively better goal difference? Is it xG? :nervous:

Roma has better players than Lazio. The team you lost to in a tight final last year didn’t lose any meaningful player and instead added previous CL winners or finalists (Wijnaldum, and Dybala)… All in all they have more depths and experience of this level than Lazio has. A lot of international experience as well (4 Euro winners too..)
 
Sevilla is a team that plays dirty. You'll see a match against a team that constantly falls to the ground, looking for fouls, penalties, and anything they can claim. They do this with the entire team surrounding the referee. In addition to their unsportsmanlike conduct, they are also very bad, and you should be able to easily beat them in your stadium, as you did against us. The only difference is that they will likely try to waste time and play as defensively as possible, in order to avoid conceding too many goals.
That description fits every Spanish team we've played this season.
 
Didn't really want another Spanish team - guess fear from being poor against them in the past but, it's obviously not based on reality. Reality is we are actually becoming a better team in possession and can/will dominate most teams except for a few of the top ones. It will be a big upset if we don't go through the tie. Just need to make sure we take care of business in the first leg though.
 
Hmm. Last time we played them (in the semi in 2020), our defense was:

AWB - - - Lindelöf - - - Maguire - - - Williams
When we were chasing the match we subbed on Mata, Ighalo, Fosu-Mensah and James. Something tells me we've come a long way from that.
 
Not sure why folks are concerned about drawing Sevilla. Past history means nothing when the teams no longer have the same players and coaches.
Based on this season's performance, we should beat Sevilla comfortably over two legs.
 
Roma has better players than Lazio. The team you lost to in a tight final last year didn’t lose any meaningful player and instead added previous CL winners or finalists (Wijnaldum, and Dybala)… All in all they have more depths and experience of this level than Lazio has. A lot of international experience as well (4 Euro winners too..)
Wijnaldum will score an own goal. You can leave Feyenoord, but Feyenoord never leaves you. Him and Karsdorp.
 
Another trip to spain incoming. Would prefer to miss the italian sides for next 2 rounds
Called it. I am happy we got Sevilla so we can bury our old bogey teams and move ahead. First Barcelona and now Sevilla.