Manchester United, one of the main favorites for the 2022-23 Europa League title that left Barcelona and Betis in the ditch in the previous rounds, also cross paths with Sevilla, ‘king’ of the league and the only remaining Spanish team.
The winners of six titles in this competition under the current name and as the UEFA Cup are experiencing a more than difficult campaign in LaLiga Santander, in the middle of the battle for salvation, but after leaving the Champions League they have made progress in their fetish tournament with tough rounds against PSV Eindhoven and Fenerbahce thanks to their victories over Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán in the first legs.
The team led by Jorge Sampaoli ultimately suffered both in Eindhoven and Istanbul where they lost 2-0 1-0 respectively, but they came through and despite their shortcomings and problems, they will try to make the surprise leap, something that will they don’t. Neither Barcelona nor Betis could, against the rival that no one wanted, but who delivered the “innocent hand” of former Hungarian player Zoltan Gera, ambassador of the final of Budapest’s Puskas Arena.
In the history between the two teams, the Spanish team has never lost to United, winning two games and drawing one of them, but the situation for both now appears to be very different with a match prediction in favor of the English bloc on their way to the final on May 31.
In the round of 16 of the 2017-18 Champions League, the team led by Italian Vincenzo Montella won 1-2 after the 0-0 defeat in Sevilla in the second leg with a brace from Frenchman Wissam Ben Yedder, and in the semi-final final In 2020, the Andalusian team in Cologne won 2-1 in one game through goals from Suso Fernández and the Dutchman Luuk de Jong.
In this round, Sevilla have the field factor for the second leg, a circumstance that does not deter United, who sealed the tie against Betis in the first leg at Old Trafford and won again over Benito Villamarín in the second leg.
The English are chasing their second title in this competition, which they won in 2017 against Ajax in the final, which would give them access to the next Champions League, although they are currently in the Premiership in that area.
If Sevilla got over Manchester United’s huge obstacle, they would also have a very tough semi-final against the winner of Juventus-Sporting Lisbon, a duel between another favourite, with three titles to their name, and the Portuguese team, who won Arsenal surprised in the round of 16, which he got out at the Emirates in the penalty shootout.
Roma, the executioner of Real Sociedad, will meet the Dutch Feyenoord, twice champion of the tournament (1974 and 2022) that defeated Ukrainian Shakhtar Donetsk in the second leg (7-1). If they win, Jose Mourinho’s team will face the winner of the draw between Germany’s Bayer Leverkusen and Belgium’s Saint-Gilloise, the great revelation that will make history this season
There could be a reunion between Mourinho and Xabi Alonso, coach of Leverkusen, who coincided as coach and player at Real Madrid.
The quarter-finals will take place on April 13 and 20, the semi-finals on May 11 and 18 and the final in Budapest on May 31.
Source: El heraldo
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.
