.Sevilla won a record third consecutive Europa League with a
3-1 victory over Liverpool in Basle
.Daniel Sturridge opened the scoring with a stunning finish
with the outside of his left boot
.Kevin Gameiro equalised within minutes of the break after
meeting a superb Mariano cross
.Sevilla captain Coke scored twice in the space of six
minutes to seal a historic victory at St Jakob-Park
.Reds manager Jurgen Klopp has now lost five consecutive cup
finals - in Germany, England and Europe
By MARTIN SAMUEL FOR BE INFORMED MAIL
PUBLISHED: 20:37 GMT, 18 May 2016 | UPDATED: 07:50 GMT, 19
May 2016
The famous press, the high energy, the heavy metal, the home
from home in Basle, it was all so much jazz. Liverpool succumbed to their
heaviest defeat in a European final, beaten by a team that are masters on this
stage, Sevilla — Europa League champions for a third year in succession.
To be fair, Liverpool have been punching above their weight
in Europe all season. According to the Premier League table, they are England’s
eighth best team, behind Southampton, behind West Ham. Yet, somehow, they have
defeated England’s fifth, Spain’s fourth and the runners-up in Germany.
This was a belt too far, however, Liverpool in the second
half walking on to the football equivalent of the punch that felled Amir Khan.
Sevilla now join an elite group of clubs who have won a European title in three
consecutive editions. Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Ajax are the others and
Sevilla are the first triple winners since Munich’s European Cup victory in
1976 — and the only club to have achieved it outside UEFA’s marquee competition
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Sevilla players pose with the trophy after completing a
stunning second-half comeback to win a record third consecutive Europa League
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Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp (centre) tries to console his
players after losing a fifth consecutive cup final as a manager
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The Spanish side, who have not won an away game in La Liga
all season, celebrate victory in front of their fans in Basle
|
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Sevilla captain Coke wheels away after scoring the first of
his two goals in the 3-1 victory over Liverpool
|
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Coke netted his second six minutes after his first despite
calls for offside from enraged Liverpool players
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France striker Kevin Gameiro grabs the badge on his shirt
after bringing Sevilla level 17 seconds into the second half
|
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| Sturridge (centre) opened the scoring for Liverpool with a stunning long-distance shot struck with the boot |
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Sevilla keeper Soria dives in vain as Sturridge's shot
screams past him and into the corner to hand Liverpool a first-half lead
|
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Liverpool players race to celebrate the opening goal as
Sturridge performs his now customary dance moves
|
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| Sevilla coming on after 17mins of second half like magicians |
Victors in the UEFA Cup or the Europa League tended to
graduate to bigger and better things in the past, but rule changes and fluidity
between competitions keep returning Sevilla to this happy hunting ground. Even
so it is an immense feat. They have won this competition in five of the last 11
seasons. Increasingly, they are to it what Real Madrid are to the Champions
League.
Not that this will be any consolation to Liverpool, of
course, or to the many thousands who made the journey, with or without tickets,
expecting to win. There was huge confidence in England around Liverpool’s
challenge, a belief that was exposed by 45 humbling second-half minutes in
which Sevilla took them apart. Fair to say, observers from Spain were fairly
certain of Sevilla’s superiority, too. By the end, it was their optimism that
appeared better forged in reality.
There was controversy around Sevilla’s third goal, perhaps,
but not their third trophy. Disappointing in the first half, they were
comfortably superior by the end, sweeping Liverpool aside with three
second-half goals.
Jurgen Klopp was left to contemplate another final defeat in
a fog of impotent fury. There has been much to laud about his first season at
Anfield, but ultimately it concludes with two final defeats, a mid-table league
position, and no European football next season.
That certainly makes the summer transfer market tougher to
negotiate, with a Champions League berth the bonus prize for victory here. He
will have to sell Liverpool hard, and while he has the personality to do that,
his options will unquestionably be limited now.
Klopp has now lost five finals in a row — in Germany,
England and UEFA competition — yet when Liverpool took the lead here it looked
as if that depressing run might be broken. It was a quite magnificent goal, too
— a reminder of the player Liverpool, and England, have if Daniel Sturridge can
stay fit. And if Klopp doesn’t want him, then after scoring such a goal on this
stage, plenty will.
PLAYER RATINGS by Pete Jenson
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Mignolet 6; Clyne 7, Lovren 6, Toure 6
(Benteke 82mins), Moreno 5; Milner 6, Can 6; Lallana 6 (Allen 73, 6), Firmino 6
(Origi 69, 7), Coutinho 6; Sturridge 7.
Unused subs: Henderson, Skrtel, Ward.
Manager: Jurgen Klopp 7.
Sevilla (4-2-3-1): Soria 6; Ferreira 8, Rami 6
(Kolodziejczak 78), Carrico 6, Escudero 6; Krychowiak 6, NZonzi 6; Coke 7,
Banega 7 (Cristoforo 90), Vitolo 6; Gameiro 7 (Iborra 89).
Unused subs: Rico, Pareja, Konoplyanka, Llorente.
Manager: Unai Emergy 8.
Referee: Jonas Eriksson 6.
Attendance: 35,000.
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Both sides line up at the St Jakob-Park stadium in Basle
ahead of the 2016 Europa League final on Wednesday night
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Brazilian forward Roberto Firmino brings the ball down
acrobatically as Liverpool dominate the early exchanges
|
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Sturridge (right) meets a cross from Liverpool and England
team-mate Nathanial Clyne and head across goal but sees it cleared off the line
|
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With Sevilla's goalkeeper stranded, Sturridge's first-half
header was cleared away by defender Daniel Carrico as it headed in
|
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Liverpool's influential midfielder Emre Can (left) and Coke
of Sevilla engage in a synchronised battle for the ball
|
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Sturridge comes close to breaking the deadlock again only
for his shot to be crowded out by the Sevilla goalkeeper David Soria
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Sevilla's Caricco (right) appears to handle the ball as
Liverpool forward Firmino bursts into the box during the first half
|
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The Brazilian appeals for a penalty after what appeared to
be a certain handball by the Sevilla defender
|
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Gameiro (fourth left) missed a chance to give Sevilla the
lead after his dramatic overhead kick went narrowly wide
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There were 35 minutes gone when Roberto Firmino found
Philippe Coutinho, strangely quiet until this point, and he moved it on to
Sturridge. The striker took a couple of touches and then curled it,
beautifully, perfectly, with the outside of his left boot into the far corner.
It was a quite magnificent strike, and not just for Liverpool, but as a
reminder to all that he is by no means the fourth, or fifth, name on Roy
Hodgson’s roll call of strikers this summer.
That is not to say his contemporaries could not have scored
it — but, let’s face it, they didn’t and he did. And at a grand arena, too. He
ran away in triumph and did his little dance, unfortunately to the wrong corner
of the ground — although in his defence it was hard to tell, so overwhelming
was Liverpool’s support.
And at that time, Klopp’s men looked good for their lead.
Emre Can and Sturridge had forced saves from goalkeeper David Soria —
unconvincing, but he survived — while Daniel Carrico had made a desperate
hooked clearance from deep inside his six-yard box and toughed out a decent
penalty shout for handball.
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France international Gameiro (second right) meets a superb
cross from Mariano to draw Sevilla level just after the break
|
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The Sevilla striker wheels away leaving a crowd of dejected
Liverpool defenders in his wake
|
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| Sevilla coach Unai Emery (centre) celebrates the equaliser with his substitutes on the sidelines |
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Gameiro almost scored a second moments after the equaliser
before being denied by a last-ditch Kolo Toure tackle
|
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| both half analysis |
They immediately went on the attack and after an Alberto
Moreno header had fallen to Mariano Ferreira on the right, Liverpool fell apart
defensively. Mariano cut inside, beat Moreno easily, got to the byline, struck
a low cross and Gameiro was on hand to tap in from close range.
It is not the first time Moreno’s defensive frailty has cost
Liverpool in Europe this season and it seemed to leave them in shock. Their
fans fell quiet and minutes later, Gameiro broke free, a magnificent recovery
by Kolo Toure on ageing legs all that thwarted Gameiro as he bore down on goal.
It was goalkeeper Simon Mignolet to the rescue next, an
excellent save from Gamiero keeping Liverpool in the game. Klopp implored the
fans to make Basle feel like Anfield on a Thursday night again, but it was no
use. Like his players, they never recovered.
Ultimately, Sevilla’s momentum rode over Liverpool, the way
Liverpool have ridden over opponents in Europe this season. The second goal was
quite magnificent, brilliant work from Vitolo in midfield playing a matching
pair of one-twos — the second with the ever-dangerous Ever Banega — before
captain Coke swept in to finish, running off Nathaniel Clyne.
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Coke finished a brilliant run from Vitolo with a well-struck
effort into the bottom corner to send Sevilla 2-1 up
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Former Crystal palace defender Clyne fails to prevent Coke
from lashing home a beautiful effort to put Sevilla in the lead
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The Sevilla captain is mobbed by team-mates as the La Liga
side take the lead for the first time in the game
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Coke watches as the ball finds the back of the net for his
second goal of the evening to hand Sevilla a 3-1 lead
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Coke, who had never scored a single goal in European
competition, pumps his fist en route to victory
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Liverpool substitute Skrtel (right) is shown a yellow card
after protesting that Sevilla's third goal was offside
|
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Coke drops to his knees at the final whistle as Sevilla make
history with a third consecutive Europa League victory
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Can (centre) hides his face as he is consoled by Liverpool
team-mate Lucas Leiva (left) and
Sevilla's Carrico
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Klopp speaks to referee Jonas Eriksson (third right) at the
end of the game after complaining about Sevilla's third goal
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Sturridge struggles to hide his disappointment as he sits in
the rain while Sevilla players celebrate victory around him
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Former Arsenal forward Jose Antonio Reyes joins in the
celebrations despite not featuring in Sevilla's matchday squad
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Coke scored the clincher, too — they were his first goals in
European competition, proving from Liverpool’s point of view that things don’t
always go better with Coke (and yes, I know it’s not pronounced like that).
He got lucky, though, it must be said, collecting a rebound
off a Liverpool boot in what looked to be an offside position. Coke converted,
a flag went up, but was overruled by referee Jonas Eriksson. Substitute Martin
Skrtel led the touchline protests, soon joined by Klopp, but after another round
of consultation the decision stood.
And as the rain fell on Basle, so Liverpool’s Europa League
firework show simply fizzled out.
This time there was no drama, no comeback, no miracle to
behold. Liverpool are still a work in progress under Klopp and Sevilla, quite
simply, are not. They arrived in Switzerland not on a journey or a mission, or
a wave of emotion, but because they are one of the most consistently effective
teams in Europe right now. Then they did what consistently effective teams do;
they won.
Many are convinced Klopp will get there with Liverpool,
eventually, but this season it was probably an achievement to still be involved
at this late stage. That so many feel disappointed Liverpool did not win means
we still believe in magic, if nothing else.
And Klopp will be charged with performing more of it next
season.
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