UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE: RCD ESPANYOL-SEVILLA (2-2)

It was the 18th minute and everything was yet to come. The Andalusians looked for the second. Puerta got through the defence but his cut back didn’t find anyone. Espanyol were shaken, but when Riera shot from outside the area, his effort came off a defender meaning Palop couldn’t get there in time to keep out the equalizer. After drawing level it was Espanyol who were on the front foot. The game was open and with half an hour gone, anything could have happened. In the 37th minute Antonio Puerta came close to scoring Sevilla’s second. His shot from inside the box just missed with Gorka beaten.

At the break Juande Ramos brought on Navas looking for more efficiency in the attacking third

The break came when Sevilla were dominating, but Juande Ramos decided to change things. Having initially opted for three in central midfield, Navas replaced Maresca as the Sevilla FC manager looked for more on the right-hand side. The change didn’t alter the rhythm of the match. It remained open. Both sides had chances saved thanks to Kanouté and Tamudo respectively, but it was Riera who brought the best out of the Sevilla goalkeeper with a rocket that Palop had to push onto the crossbar. Moisés’s sending off came with under 25 minutes of the 90 to play when he fouled Kerzhakov as he closed in on the Espanyol box.

In the latter stages Sevilla got into a number of good positions, making the most of their numerical advantage, but Espanyol were able to keep them at bay

Sevilla’s best chances came as the 90 minutes were coming to an end. Puerta broke and won a corner which was flicked on to the far post by Drago, where Kanouté’s header came back off the post, only for Drago to send the rebound over the bar. Sevilla kept at it with a string of corners, but in the end extra time was inevitable, and it began how normal time had ended, with Sevilla dominating. Navas came close on the counter and the corners kept coming. A cross from Navas even went through the six-yard box, but no one got there to put it in. Eventually, though, the second goal came. Navas put the ball into the six-yard box again and this time Kanouté was there at the near post to guide it past the goalkeeper and send the travelling Sevilla fans into a state of sheer joy. Sevilla were within touching distance, but just when it seemed assured, Jonathas beat Palop from distance, meaning the final would be decided on penalties.

It was all be decided by a penalty shootout in which Palop turned out to be the hero once again, having sent Sevilla on the road to glory in Donetsk

The atmosphere was tense, but Palop kept his cool. He saved three of the four penalties he faced and sent Sevilla wild. Palop turned out to be the hero once again, having sent Sevilla on the road to glory in Donetsk. Sevilla lifted their third European trophy in little over a year. They join an exclusive club of teams to have won two UEFA Cups in a row. This is the new Sevilla, possibly the best in the club’s history. And there’s still more to come, with the league and cup still to play for. Glasgow, like Eindhoven and Monaco will always be remembered. Thank you, Sevilla, for this magical story that looks set to continue.