A four-quarter ace a bit in the shadow of the Lisbon Champions League: Sevilla FC and Chakhtar Donetsk joined Manchester United and Inter Milan in the semi-finals of the Europa League on Tuesday, August 11. All are former winners of the event, and all have already qualified for the Champions League next season – a configuration which in the process offers a direct place in the group stage of this C1 in Rennes, third in the French championship.
Manchester United and Inter arrive launched: the Red Devils finished the Premier League with a streak of fourteen games unbeaten. The Milanese have, for their part, conceded only one defeat in the last twelve days of Serie A, to win the honorary title of vice-champion behind Juve.
Sevilla narrowly avoids extra time to Wolverhampton
Sevilla cannot be removed from the favorites list: the Andalusian club have won the Europa League five times in the past fifteen years, including three consecutive times under the leadership of Unai Emery (2014, 2015, 2016).
Tuesday evening in Duisburg, the team now coached by Julen Lopetegui nevertheless suffered to overcome the « Wolves » from Wolverhampton. It was the Argentinian Lucas Ocampos, with a header from a free kick, who delivered the Spaniards in the 88e minute, while overtime seemed to be taking shape after a very balanced game.
Wolverhampton missed his chance in the first half, when Raul Jimenez took a penalty too softly, stopped by Sevilla goalkeeper Bono who had started on the right side.
In the Cologne stadium on Sunday, Seville will not be without strengths against the Red Devils, suffering Monday in the quarter-finals. Third in the Premier League and logical favorites in this Europa League, Paul Pogba’s teammates had to fight until extra time on Monday and wait for a penalty to overcome the Danes in Copenhagen (1-0).
In the other semi-final scheduled for Monday in Düsseldorf, Inter will have to remain on its end-of-season momentum so as not to be trapped by a Donetsk team that appeared very disciplined, talented and efficient on Tuesday against Basel.
In Gelsenkirchen, the Swiss quickly gave in to the individual and collective superiority of the Ukrainians, who made the hole in a quarter of an hour and then managed their lead.
In the second minute, the Ukrainian international of Brazilian origin Junior Moraes scored with a header (1-0) on receiving a corner, followed twenty minutes later by the Brazilian Taison, whose shot was deflected in his own goal by Basel defender Fabian Frei (2-0, 22e).
Alan Patrick has definitely buried the hopes of Basel by converting a penalty to the 75e minute (3-0), and Dodo concluded the party at the very end of the match (4-0, 88e). Ricky Van Wolfswinkel saved the honor for the Swiss in added time (4-1, 90 + 2).
Now it’s time for these semi-finals which will not be lacking in salt.
