LIVERPOOL - SEVILLA
Liverpool vs Sevilla 2016 Europa League final
In a game of two halves in the truest sense of the word, Unai Emery's charges came from behind to see off Liverpool and clinch their third straight Europa League title.
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Full time: Liverpool 1 - 3 Sevilla
Sevilla complete an incredible comeback from behind to clinch an historic third consecutive Europa League title. Tonight's final was perhaps the clearest example of football being a game of two halves. Liverpool were in total control up until the break and thanks to Daniel Sturridge were 1-0 up heading down the tunnel. But whatever Unai Emery said at half-time clearly stirred his troops as they burst out of the blocks to rattle the Reds. Gamiero levelled matters as some of the fans were still making their way back to their seats and Coke capped things off with a well taken brace. Sevilla will be in next season's Champions League while the European door is slammed in Liverpool's face.
Min 90 + 4 | Clyne is booked.
Min 90 + 2 | Sevilla make their final sub: Ever Banega off for Cristoforo.
Min 90 +1 | Clyne wins possession off Vitolo and then contrives to back heal to no one, allowing the Spaniard to get back on the ball and set up Iborra. But the man off the bench skies his effort over the bar.
Min 90 | Sevilla sit back and absorb the pressure as the game cruises in to injury time.
Min 88 | Gamiero is given a standing ovation as he makes way for Iborra.
Min 85 | Joe Allen blindly hoofs a ball forward which doesn't trouble the Sevilla back line in the slightest. Kolodziejczak launches a long ball to Coke who crosses to Gamiero in acres of space but the front man can't control the ball cleanly.
Min 82 | Mariano is shown a yellow card for taking an age with a throw in.
Min 81 | Benteke on in a last ditch effort to turn things around. Kolo Touré makes way.
Min 79 | Coutinho fires a shot over the crossbar. Chances have been few and far between for Liverpool who need to pull one back quickly.
Min 75 | Rami spins his arms around in the universally understood 'I'm done' motion. Kolodziejczak comes on to replace the Frenchman.
Min 73 | Joe Allen is brought on for Adam Lallana.
Min 72 | Liverpool have look shellshocked since Gamiero's equaliser and have barely ventured into Sevilla's final third since the restart.
Min 68 | GGGOOOOOOLLLLLLLL!!!!!! Liverpool's capitulation looks complete as Coke gets his second of the night. Liverpool 1 - 3 Sevilla.
Min 67 | Origi comes on for Firmino
Min 66 | Toure pulls up injured after an awkward knee twist.
Min 63 | Sevilla take the lead!!! Coke, Sevilla's captain finishes superbly into the bottom corner.
Min 59 | Mignolet comes to Liverpool's rescue just as all looks lost. Sevilla employ a trick out of the Rory Delap book of throw ins and the simplest of nod-ons finds Gamiero completely unmarked with just the Belgian to beat but the striker construes to blast his effort straight at the keeper. Shocking defending from Moreno to give the 29-year-old the chance.
Min 56 | Vitolo goes in the book for pulling on Lallana's shoulder.
Min 52 | Yet another handball penalty shout for Liverpool as a Lallana header strikes Carriço's arm. Safe to say Mr Eriksson won't be taking the Cavern Tour anytime soon.
STAT: Gamiero has had a hand in ten (eight goals, two assists) of Sevilla's 15 goals in this season's Europa League.
Min 48 | Liverpool look stunned and Gamiero nearly puts the Spaniards in front but takes too long to pull the trigger, allowing Mignolet, with the help of two back-tracking defenders, to snuff out the danger.
Min 46 | Goal Sevilla!!! Kevin Gamiero!! What did Unai Emery tell his men at the break?! The Andalusians score straight from the kick-off. Mariano deserves most the plaudits though, latching onto a Lovren headed clearance, evading the challenge of two defenders before squaring to his French team-mate.
Min 46 | The second-half is upon us...
Liverpool 1 - 0 Sevilla
Klopps's men are deservedly in front at the midway point. Other than an acrobatic Gameiro bicycle kick, the defending champions haven't troubled Mignolet, while The Reds have kept Soria on his toes throughout the opening 45 minutes. Carriço hooked a Sturridge effort off the line before seemingly handling the ball in the box to stop Firmino. Sturridge's exquisite goal sparked the Premier League's eighth-placed side into life and Emery's charges almost looked relieved heading down the dressing room.
Only a mad man would write the Rojiblancos off though. Emery is a cunning tactician and will no doubt have steadied the Sevilla ship during the break.
Min 45 | The half-time whistle is blown.
Min 43 | Clyne delivers a thunder bolt across the face of goal which somehow none of his three team-mates waiting outside the six-yard box manage to stir goalward.
Min 40 | Liverpool have sparked into life following the opener, much like they did against Villarreal at Anfield. Meanwhile, like a stage shy tortoise, Sevilla have completely sunk into their shell.
Min 37 | Lovren gets Liverpool's second... but it's ruled out as Sturridge's flailing leg from an offside position is adjudged to interfere with the Sevilla keeper's vision. Milner found the Croatian's forehand with an in-swinging corner kick.
Min 34 | GOAL!!! DANIEL STURRIDGE!!
All three components of Liverpool's attacking trident involved. Firmino to Coutinho to Sturridge. Mariano stands off the English hitman just inside the box, allowing the ex-Chelsea man to curl a delicious outside of the boot finish into Soria's bottom right-hand corner.
Min 31 | Kevin Gamiero, so close!!! Sevilla's top scorer contorts his body wonderfully to meet a headed clearance with a bicycle kick but stirs his effort just wide of the upright.
Min 29 | Meaty challenge by Lovren on Gamiero earns the Liverpool defender the first booking of the game. The French striker didn't have many tackles like that to deal with in La Liga...
Min 27 | Sevilla are weathering the storm so far but are yet to register a single shot on goal.
Min 23 | Lallana cuts in on his left, slips Sturridge through with a disguised pass but Soria rushes out to close down the angle for the England international who hits his shot straight at the keeper. Play is stopped afterwards as Escudero requires medical attention as a result of a clash of bodies with James 'made of rocks' Milner.
Min 20 | Sevilla are keeping things compressed in the centre of the park, forcing their opponents to play down the flanks or revert to long-ball tactics.
STAT: Both teams have won all their finals in the Europa League/UEFA Cup. Sevilla have clinched four from four, while the Merseyside Reds have lifted three from three.
Min 16 | No lack of bite in this final, that's for sure...
Min 11 | Penalty shout for Liverpool. Firmino controls the ball expertly in Sevilla's box only for Carriço to obstruct the Brazilian's path. Erikkson dismisses the appeals and waves play on.
Min 10 | Carriço clears a tame enough Sturridge header off the line. Clyne found his team-mate lurking at the back post. David Soria's position pretty suspect.
Min 7 | Klopp nods his head in approval as Lallana wins the ball off Vitolo but then looks aghast when the Scandinavian official blows for a foul.
Min 6 | Fouls aplenty at the beginning as both teams struggle to cope with the frenetic tempo
Min 3 | Emre Can introduces himself to Banega with a swift kick in the legs and concedes a free kick in his own half. However, the Argentinian wastes the opportunity with a poorly taken setpiece.
Min 1 | And we're off...
Swedish ref Jonas Eriksson will be the man in charge.
Now the slightly perplexed players make their way out the tunnel and the crowd goes wild.
An odd opening ceremony gets underway with large jellyfish-like balloons floating their way onto the pitch before a hoard of children dressed in what seem like orange and grey dressing gowns dance merrily during a powerful rendition of ‘Not in Love’
A few scuffles have broken out in the terraces of the St Jakob-Park Stadium. Shameful scenes on anotherwise joyous occasion.
The teams have been confirmed:
Liverpool XI: Mignolet; Clyne, Toure, Lovren, Moreno; Emre Can, Milner; Lallana; Firmino, Coutinho, Sturridge
Sevilla XI: David Soria; Mariano, Rami, Carriço, Escudero; Krychowiak, N'Zonzi; Coke, Banega, Vitolo; Gameiro
Preview Liverpool vs Sevilla 2016 Europa League Final
Welcome to our live coverage of the first major Eurpean final of the 2015/16 season. And what a game it should be between two sides with a lot at stake - and with attack, rather than defence, being the focus. Liverpool come into this final after a change in manager during the first half of the season and a disappointing 8th position finish in the Premier League. A win tonight would equal the record (currently held by their opponents) of four Europa/Uefa Cups but, possibly more importantly for the status and rebuilding of the club, it would gain them passage into the Champions League for next season. Sevilla on the other hand are looking for their fifth title, their third consecutively, something that Uefa were not expecting to happen any time soon.
Júrgen Klopp came into the Merseyside club in October 2015 and the wave of optimism - some would say "blind faith" - that followed has gained momentum pushing the team to tonight's final. Everyone from the Anfield tea-lady to those fighting for the cause on the pitch seems to be bought into his cheery grin, hard-pressing style and club togetherness attitude. Knocking out his previous club (and cup favourites) Dortmund and bitter rivals, Manchester United, en route has endeared him to almost every Liverpool fan. Unai Emery, has similarities to the German but is very much his own man. His sometimes technical press conferences are not everyone's cup of tea but his thought out approach to key games effective, and his passion on the sidelines just metres from Klopp could make for some interesting viewing especially if tensions rise.
The clubs come from cities that have their similarities too. Both have strong ties to their respective rivers - the Mersey and the Guadalquivir - and both are well known for their music, most notably the Beatles and Flamenco, as well as their sense of humour. The football club comparisons continue too. Both sides have reached a domestic final this campaign - Liverpool losing to Manchester City and Sevilla taking on Barcelona on Saturday evening. But possibly the thing that stands out to many observers of both clubs though is their anthems. The passion of You'll Never Walk Alone and El Arrebato will fill the Swiss sky before, during and after the match lifting the hairs on the back of the neck and bringing a tear to even the most hardened of fans.
Live build-up to tonight's game: Liverpool vs Sevilla
Min 7 | Klopp nods his head in approval as Lallana wins the ball off Vitolo but then looks aghast when the Scandinavian official blows for a foul.