Europa League Final 2014: Fixture and Prediction for Benfica vs. Sevilla
Try to tell and Sevilla the Europa League is meaningless.
Supporters of both clubs were sent into ecstasy following Thursday's semi-finals.
held out for a 0-0 draw against , riding the 2-1 of the first leg, while Sevilla needed a goal from Stephane to knock out Valencia 3-3 on away goals.
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With the growth of the Champions League, the Europa League has gained the reputation for being the red-headed stepchild and a Mickey Mouse cup, which is a bit unfair.
While the Europa League boasts neither the prestige nor the riches of its big brother, it can serve as a springboard for clubs looking to jump into the upper echelon of Europe's best.
And who doesn't want to be called a European champion?
| Benfica vs. Sevilla | Wed., May 14 | 2:45 p.m. ET; 7:45 GMT | Juventus Stadium, Turin, Italy |
Neither club is foreign to Europa League success. Sevilla won the title in back-to-back seasons (2006 and '07) when the competition was still the Cup, and made it to last year's final, losing to Chelsea.
For the Eagles, getting back to the final represents a chance for redemption. In the space of three weeks at the end of the 2012/13 campaign, lost a league, domestic cup and European title.
Rather than carrying the weight of that disappointment, manager Jorge Jesus has instead used it to motivate his players. Goal's Joe Wright made the point that have adopted an entirely new mentality:
"Mentally, they are a different animal. Gone is the pervading sense of entitlement to success which preceded last year's collapse, replaced by a simple conviction that complacency is not an option. Since an opening-day defeat to , have not lost a league game and have been top since beating Porto 2-0 in January. When they switched off with the tie almost over against Spurs to fall 2-1 down at home, they had to respond. They did.
"
Even after transfer to Chelsea during the January transfer window, the Portuguese champions haven't faltered one bit.
Anybody who still doubts their overall quality needs to watch the two legs of the semi-final against . were resolute in defence and clinical with their chances. That's generally a winning combination.
For Sevilla, the Europa League is one of the few avenues in which the Spanish club can still win a trophy, given the competitive imbalance that pervades La .
Manager Emery knows exactly what's at stake. Speaking after the Valencia match on Thursday night, he praised his squad and the supporters who've followed the club all season, per Inside Spanish Football:
"There’s no team that has given so much enthusiasm in this competition, truthfully, no other. What we’ve experienced at Sevilla right from the start, from 1st August, what we experienced in Estoril at the start of September with 4,000 of our fans there, not every team has experienced that.
We had a huge responsibility to our fans and we owed them this. Sevilla has lived every moment of their support. They’ve experienced the goal of , the goal of Antonio and today, the goal of , a strength that has been shown with the force of everyone.
"
Striker Kevin has returned to the form he showed at Lorient in 1, scoring 15 goals in 34 league matches, while Ivan has pulled the strings in midfield, with 12 goals and 10 assists.
, who was a disaster at Queens Park Rangers, has also proven to be one of Sevilla's most reliable players. Free from the turmoil at Loftus Road, he's flourished, posting the club's third-highest overall rating (7.19) this season, according to WhoScored.com.
Emery has turned this unit into a great counter-attacking side who can absorb pressure for long stretches and then score against the run of play, much as they did in the two legs against Valencia.
Handicapping the Europa League final is hard to do, given the strength of both sides.
A big problem for is how many players will be out for the final:
Central midfielder Perez picked up two yellows in the semi-final second leg, winger Eduardo is out on yellow card accumulation and winger Lazar was sent off after getting into a spat with on the bench.
Centre-back Ezequiel may also be a doubt after he was caught across the face by Paul boot as the French midfielder was attempting an overhead kick in Thursday's draw:
Among those four players, may be the biggest potential loss because he and make for a great combo in the centre of the defence. In addition, his eight goals across all competitions this year show how good can be on set pieces.
One thing working in favor is that they already have the title wrapped up. That will allow Jesus to rest some key players—like Garay, possibly—against FC Porto on May 11 if he so chooses.
Sevilla, on the other hand, are in the race for fourth in La . Emery may not be afforded the luxury of resting his players on May 11 against , who will be fighting for their place in the first division. Fighting on multiple fronts is tough for even the best clubs in the world.
Having so many players unavailable may force Jesus' hand a bit. Benfica usually play a very attractive, positive style, but that may be suicidal against Sevilla in the final.
That will lead to a more tactical, defensive match. Neither side will look to attack too much for fear of becoming too vulnerable at the back.
The performance of Oscar Cardozo may be the difference. The 30-year-old forward has failed to recreate his form from last year's Europa League, in which he scored seven times in nine matches.
If Cardozo does start, he won't venture too far outside the 18-yard box, but he's still the kind of finisher who only needs one touch to change a game. Despite what's been a disappointing campaign, his predatory instincts in front of goal haven't disappeared completely.
In the end, this one will finish 1-0 to . If does play, their defence will be too tough to break down for Sevilla.
Note: All stats are courtesy of ESPN FC.
