Sevilla fought back twice to beat determined Dnipro 3-2 and retain the Europa League with their fourth edition of the trophy.
The silverware and becoming the first side ever to win the UEFA Cup four times wasn’t the only reward at the Stadion Narodowy in Warsaw, as Sevilla also earn place in next season’s Champions League.
Dnipro eliminated favourites Napoli in the semi-finals and took a shock lead over Sevilla too, as after just seven minutes Nikola Kalinic flicked on a ball for Matheus, then met the pass back with a header.
Sevilla fought back twice to beat determined Dnipro 3-2 and retain the Europa League with their fourth edition of the trophy.
The silverware and becoming the first side ever to win the UEFA Cup four times wasn’t the only reward at the Stadion Narodowy in Warsaw, as Sevilla also earn place in next season’s Champions League.
Dnipro eliminated favourites Napoli in the semi-finals and took a shock lead over Sevilla too, as after just seven minutes Nikola Kalinic flicked on a ball for Matheus, then met the pass back with a header.
Jose Antonio Reyes and Grzegorz Krychowiak tested Denys Boyko, but the trophy holders turned it all around with two goals in the space of three minutes.
First Krychowiak fired in after a short corner, then Carlos Bacca sprung the offside trap from a divine Reyes through ball to waltz round the goalkeeper.
Ukrainians Dnipro would not give in and, after Sergio Rico flew to fingertip a Konoplyanka strike over the bar, Ruslan Rotan curled a free kick into the near top corner to equalise.
Remarkably there hadn’t been two or more goals scored in the first half by both teams in a European Final since Barcelona-Fortuna in May 1979.
The second period was a less intense affair, though Unai Emery’s men had penalty appeals for a Leo Matos challenge on Vitolo.
The Spaniards restored their lead moments later, as Bacca completed his brace on a Vitolo assist, smashing the angled drive across Boyko. It was his seventh Europa League goal of the season.
It was almost a hat-trick for the Colombian, but his free header was somehow flapped away by Boyko’s trailing forearm.
There were moments of fear at the 88th minute when Dnipro player Matheus suddenly collapsed some time after an accidental clash of heads. Paramedics rushed on to the field and he was stretchered off, seemingly conscious, but perhaps suffering from delayed concussion.
Dnipro 2-3 Sevilla
Scorers: N Kalinic 7 (D), Krychowiak 28 (S), Bacca 31, 73 (S), Rotan 44 (D)
Dnipro: Boyko; Douglas, Cheberyachko, Fedetskyi, Matos; Fedorchuk (Bezus 68), Rotan, Kankava (Shakhov 85), Konoplyanka, Matheus, N Kalinic (Seleznyov 78)
Sevilla: Rico; Aleix Vidal, Carrico, Kolo, Tremoulinas; Mbia, Krychowiak; Reyes (Coke 58), Banega (Iborra 87), Vitolo; Bacca (Gameiro 82)
Ref: Atkinson (ENG)