The farewell of the six-time champion

A Ukrainian, Andriy Yarmolenko, put an end to the future of Sevilla in what should have been their Europa League, on the way to the Seventh, since the final is played at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán. Lopetegui’s men will not play it, who mismanaged their 1-0 first-leg lead, lived timid during many phases of the match and were already exhausted in extra time, embroidery of changes that forced Lopetegui to finish with an eleven of circumstances unable to resist the final push. The six-time champion, accustomed to heroics, did not deserve much more than to leave the tournament this time. He will have to recompose himself now for what remains, to keep second place, or at least one of the Champions League, in LaLiga.

The previous one was presented with endless Sevilla casualties (Diego Carlos, Rekik, Papu, Acuña, Lamela, Suso…) and up to four doubts, a couple for each team. Antony and Cresswell They had retired injured against Aston Villa on Sunday, but Moyes rescued them with headgear for eleven. Meanwhile, Lopetegui did not risk the two great novelties that he had brought to London: Montiel on the bench and Fernando, the vital Fernando, did not even enter the squad.

In a packed and roaring stadium, with almost 60,000 hammers against some 1,000 sevillistas, Lopetegui’s team He managed to shake off with integrity and almost without rival occasions the predictable English arreón of the beginning. Fornals and Lanzini invented between the lines, but it was Sevilla who enjoyed the first clear chance. Martial and Augustisson connected on the left and En-Nesyri finished off the Swede’s death pass strongly but focused. A great hand from Areola disrupted the play so that Michael Antonio, a pilon hammer, began some hostilities that ended in a goal.

Bono saved a one-on-one from the explosive Jamaican striker who then a great center was invented so that Soucek, waking up to Augustinsson early, put the 1-0 upside down shortly before the break (1-0, 39′). Moyes and the London Stadium, appeased until then by what seemed more or less a control of the sevillista party, they exploded, hopeful with the second half.

And as soon as he returned from the locker room, football wanted to agree with them. Bono saved a shot from Soucek and two other shots from close range from an inspired Lanzini and Sevilla was overwhelmed by Antonio’s attacks and above all, in corners that the London Stadium celebrated as half a goal. Sevilla played more fake than real, He was barely scared in two deflected shots from En-Nesyri and Tecatito in the middle of the tension. Neither did West Ham seem to want much more hostilities, nor did Lopetegui’s team find their way, and the game inexorably went into extra time.

Soucek headed the squad but outside the umpteenth corner drama against a scary and sharp Sevilla, unable to even have possession of the ball anymore. Gudelj, Navas and Tecatito could not and the homegrown players Luismi and Carmona had to enter. West Ham was no longer percussing too much, but they did so with a feeling of danger. In one of those shots from the front Fornals and His rejection in extremis was hunted down by the hero Yarmolenko, who also wept with joy against West Ham (2-0, 110′). There was some time left but no strength, and hardly any pieces. Just the rumble of local qualifying.