BUDAPEST, Hungary— Five months after scoring the winning penalty in the World Cup final, Gonzalo Montiel converted the clinching spot kick in the Europa League final to earn Sevilla a seventh title in the competition at the expense of Jose Mourinho’s Roma on Wednesday, May 31.
The Argentina international’s penalty sealed a 4–1 win in the shootout for Sevilla after the match finished 1–1 after extra time in Budapest, where Mourinho was looking to maintain his record of having never lost a final in European competitions.
Gianluca Mancini and Roger Ibanez failed to convert for Roma from the spot.
Sevilla has still never lost a final of the Europa League or its precursor, the UEFA Cup—the team also won the competition in 2006, ’07, ’14, ’15, ’16 and ’20—and secured a place in next season’s Champions League.
It was the first loss for Mourinho in a European final after five victories.
As Sevilla players celebrated on the field, Mourinho kept his calm.
Paulo Dybala put Roma ahead in the 35th minute at Puskas Arena in the Hungarian capital. It was Dybala’s fifth goal of the Europa League campaign. Gianluca Mancini sent a through ball for Dybala who netted past Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou with a left-footed low shot.
The Argentina forward had recovered from an ankle injury right in time to be declared fit for the final.
It was Dybala’s fifth goal of the Europa League, and 17th overall this season.
From the start Roma had looked a more dangerous team.
Sevilla equalized through Gianluca Mancini’s own-goal 10 minutes into the second half when he was under pressure from Youssef En-Nesyri. Captain Jesús Navas set up the goal with a cross from the right.
Navas, a 37-year-old veteran, was on the team that won Sevilla’s first Europa League title in 2006.
The score was 1–1 after 90 minutes.
