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An Inter plagued with gunpowder separates Sevilla from their sixth crown

What he Sevilla has meant in the Europa League in the last fifteen years, with his five titles, it was the Inter de Milan in the second European club competition, when it still had the name of the UEFA Cup, in the 1990s, and the Lombard club won its three trophies. Sevillistas and ‘nerazzurri’ lead the tournament winners, so it can be assured without risk of error that the final between the two is the best one could imagine.

It is because of the history and weight of the jerseys, but also because of what the teams have shown. Julen Lopetegui and Antonio Conte in this final phase of the competition held in Germany. Sevilla and Inter stand out for their opposite virtues, as the revelation of Bono in the Seville goal, the security of the pair of centrals formed by Diego Carlos and Koundé, the electricity of the lanes occupied by Navas and Reguilón and the precision of the center of the field with Fernando and Banega’s compass will be measured in Colonia at a front that scares, with Lukaku and Lautaro Martínez in top form and unleashed in the filmmaking side.

Inter already warned against Getafe in the round of 16 or in their semifinal against Shakhtar Donetsk. You do not need a succession of passes to reach the rival frame and make it loaded with danger. A seemingly harmless long ball can become the worst threat when Lautaro’s talent and Lukaku’s impressive physical display appear, which they handle different records but they are just as decisive when it comes to piercing the rival network. Lukaku is one of the best forwards in the world. He is physically strong but he is also good with the ball at his feet and in duels. It uses its body very well and it is also fast. He is at a higher level than any other striker we have faced this season. We will need to improve our game ”, warns Koundé about the mission that awaits him in the final.

There are those who even these days have dared to compare the Belgian’s rides with those of that Ronaldo Nazario that for two consecutive seasons hammered their rivals in UEFA with the ‘nerazzurra’, to put the icing on the cake with the historic 1998 final against Lazio, the first in a single match. That purely Italian duel for the title left Inter’s third goal to remember, in which the best Ronaldo destroyed Marchegiani, goalkeeper of the Roman team that night in the Parc des Princes in Paris with feints.

Beyond the comparisons, which are hateful for anyone when the reference is ‘O phenomenon’, the truth is that Lukaku is going through one of the best moments of his career, powerful in the physical plane as always but fine and successful in the face of goal like few times. The former Manchester United has seen the door in all five Inter games in the tournament, as he scored against the Bulgarian Ludogorets in the two round of 32 games prior to the break by covid-19, against Getafe in the round of 16, against Bayer Leverkusen in fourth and stand in the final after a double against Shakhtar in the semifinals. His teammate in the interista attacking duo, the one desired by half Europa Lautaro, also sharpened his claws with another double against the Ukrainians, the revelation team of the tournament turned into a toy broken by the offensive power of the Italian Serie A runner-up.

Virtues found

This Inter de Conte lives not only from forwards, as it has a great goalkeeper like Handanovic, the hierarchy of Godín y De Vrij in the rear and the success in the core of Barella, another of the ‘Nerazurri’ footballers with the best tone in this Europa League. They are not few virtues, they undoubtedly deserve respect, but much less Sevilla lags behind in their potential. It is true that Lopetegui does not even dream of having a forward like Inter’s, since he has to be content with Luuk de Jong and En-Nesyri, with a clear advantage for the Dutch after signing the decisive goal in the semifinals against Manchester United, but so is that Koundé and Diego Carlos currently form the most fit central pair in Europe, which Navas and Reguilón far surpass D ‘Ambrosio and veteran Ashley Young in the duel for the lanes and that the mastery to handle the games and visualize the Banega’s decisive pass none of Inter’s midfielders have it.

Eindhoven 2006, Glasgow 2007, Turin 2014, Warsaw 2015 and Basel 2016. Cologne will join the long list of finals won by Sevilla or will it be the fourth victory of five possible for an Inter that also knows how to deal with the pressure of the matches for the title. Without the color and emotion of the displaced fans, but this final of the Europa League has the aroma of Champions.

– Probable lineups:

Sevilla:

Bond; Navas, Koundé, Diego Carlos, Reguilón; Fernando, Banega, Joan Jordán; Ocampos, Luuk de Jong and Suso.

Inter:

Handanovic, D’Ambrosio, Godín, De Vrij, Bastoni, Young; Barella, Brozovic, Gagliardini, Lukaku and Lautaro Martínez.

Referee:

Danny Makkelie (Netherlands).

Stadium:

Cologne Stadium (Colonia).

Time and TV:

9:00 p.m., Movistar Champions League.

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