Openly disdained by most Premier League clubs and truly loved by only a small sub-section of society (read: Sevilla), the Europa League has always been the Boo Radley of European football — it’s believed to be a horrible thing for everyone who comes into contact with it. Rumor has it that it’ll even ruin your domestic title chances while decimating your entire squad with injuries.
It had all the earmarks of a romantic European Cup final, and what a classic match it turned out to be. Liverpool, a club founded in 1892, versus Sevilla, founded in 1890 and bearing the title of Spain’s oldest football club.
Liverpool, winners of this competition in 1973, 1976 and 2001, were looking to substantiate an exciting debut season for Jurgen Klopp with European glory and the ensurance of Champions League football at Anfield next season.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been in the news a lot the last couple of days. But who am I kidding? Zlatan Ibrahimovic is always in the news. I mean, come on, he’s Zlatan.
Sevilla are to the Europa League as drunk college students are to leftovers in the fridge. They just destroy everything, and there isn't much you can do about it.
Sevilla have a chance to win the UEFA Europa League for the third time in a row. The last team to win it twice in a row was, um, Sevilla. They own this league, having won it more times (4) than any other team (for those interested, Liverpool could tie that record should they beat Sevilla in the final).
Liverpool couldn't have picked a better time to play their best game of the year. The Red Men completely overwhelmed Villarreal in the second leg of the Europa League semi-finals, 3-0, after losing the first leg, 1-0.
The match saw world-class performances by Emre Can, Nathaniel Clyne and Roberto Firmino in particular, but no one in the squad could be said to have played poorly.
And one man was even more world-class than the rest.
Here's a sampling of miracles Liverpool have managed during the modern (read: Steven Gerrard and newer) era:
Liverpool are on to the Europa League quarterfinals, but it wasn't always a for sure thing when Manchester United scored from the spot to make it 2 - 1 on aggregate. With Manchester United up 1 - 0 and looking for a second to tie on aggregate, Liverpool's Coutinho scored a world class goal that took a great deal of skill. The Brazilian midfielder took the ball just inside the attacking third of the pitch, took on United right back Guillermo Varela, beat him in one move and chipped David de Gea from a extremely tough angle.
The announcer's call was as amazing as the volley goal. Aritz Aduriz of Athletic Club Bilbao scored a stunning volley against Olympique de Marseille in Europa League. Aduriz absolutely blasted the volley from 35 yards out. His 53rd minute goal was the game winner for Bilbao.
The second league for this match up is on February 24th as Marseille travel to Spain.
A stir was caused today by the pricing of Manchester United's away tickets for their Europa League game against Danish side FC Midtjylland, and the location of the tickets. One fan tweeted a picture of his seats. The picture seemed to show that he (and, presumably, his fellow United fans) was seated in some kind of giant cage.
Do you believe in fate? That moments or opportunities pass you by because there’s something better waiting for you in the future? During the Bayer Leverkusen vs. Barcelona game Wednesday there was a moment that some could deem as meant to be, a moment that can come to define a whole season. A moment that in the future, can leave you believing in fate.