The final showdown: Liverpool -v- Sevilla

Emdad Rahman previews tonight’s Europa League Final 2016
– Liverpool -v- Sevilla.

Ahead of tonight’s final against Sevilla in Basel. Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson could make a return to the starting eleven to bolster Jurgen Klopp’s attempt to secure Liverpool’s twelfth piece of European silverware. Henderson featured against West Brom on Sunday and could be joined by Divock Origi, who returns to the fold after recovering from an ankle knock which has kept him out for several weeks. Mamadou Sakho is still banned and will not feature at all.

For both teams tonight there is also the added pressure of Champions League football. Jurgen Klopp is optimistic ahead of tonight’s clash at St-Jakob Park. “I came here because I was really convinced about the qualities of these players and this squad, despite the doubts people had,” he said. “To see how they have reached this final gives me a really good feeling. I am really happy they can show how strong they are and it is a big opportunity to make the final step this season and achieve something. I don’t feel the pressure. I cannot change. I feel opportunity.”

A win for the Reds would draw them level with Unai Emery’s team as the joint most successful ever teams in the 45 year history of the UEFA Cup and Europa League. The game will most definitely see the end of one record, as both Liverpool and Sevilla have both won all seven Europa League and UEFA Cup finals they have played in. Unai Emery’s holders, though, have not won outside Spain all season long, a run that began in August 2015.

Speaking to UEFA.com, the Sevilla manager hoped experience and know how will make a difference: “The fact that this is our third consecutive final demonstrates how focused and hungry we have been to do well in the Europa League – and win it. That means competing – standing up to be counted throughout the 90 minutes.”  Sevilla are still missing Michael Krohn-Dehli who is sidelined with a long term knee injury.

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Liverpool -v- Sevilla Factsheet

•This is the first meeting between the two clubs.

•Spain’s oldest club has Kevin Gameiro. The danger man had seven goals in this season’s competition.

•Sevilla is chasing a hat trick of wins, but so is Liverpool. The Merseysiders have won both of their two European finals against Spanish teams, beating Real Madrid in the 1981 European Cup and Alaves in the 2001 UEFA Cup.

•Overall this would be Sevilla’s fourth win in this competition if they were to triumph tonight. The Spaniards defeated Middlesbrough in the 2006 UEFA Cup final.

•The 2014 clash between Sevilla FC and Benfica in Turin was the first UEFA Europa League final to end goalless and the first to be decided on penalties.

•Unai Emery became the third different Spanish coach to win the UEFA Europa League – after Quique Sánchez Flores (Atlético Madrid, 2010) and Rafael Benítez (Chelsea, 2013).

•The first president of Sevilla was a Scotsman – Mr Edward Farquharson Johnston, who was the British Vice-Consul in Seville.

•The club won its first La Liga title in 1945-1946.

•Sevilla suffered their worst La Liga defeat in 1959 – 8-0 to Real Madrid.

•In the 1950s the club was managed by the legendary Argentinian Helenio Herrera Gavilan who went onto manage the “Grande Inter” team of the 1960s.

•Sevilla has two official anthems: the official “Anthem of Sevilla FC” and the “Centennial Anthem of Sevilla FC”.

•It was 1986/87 before Sevilla wore sponsored shirts for the very first time to promote the Seville Expo ’92.

•Daniel Carrico holds the appearance record since the competition became the Europa League in 2009.

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