And finally we have a final – the first of the two major men’s European finals kicks off tonight, with Inter Milan facing Spanish side Sevilla at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne, Germany.
This will be Inter’s first final in a decade, since ‘Special One’ Jose Mourinho fired Inter to the peak of European football, securing an unprecedented treble of Champions League, Seria A title and Coppa Italia in 2010.
Since then, Inter have suffered plenty of woes, trusting their fortune – or lack of it – to various coaches. Yet Antonio Conte seems to have put the nerazzurri on the right track, pushing them to second place in the domestic league – they finished just one point beneath champions Juventus – and taking them to the final of the Europa League.
Inter have plenty of elements in their favour for Friday’s final. Their coach, Conte, has a habit of making an instant impact on the teams he joins. He took Bari and Siena to top flight football in Italy, won three straight titles with Juventus, and lifted the Premier League in his first season with Chelsea. That said, despite winning five domestic titles in his career – one with Bari in Serie B, three with Juventus in Serie A and one with Chelsea in the Premier League – his cabinet is still missing a European trophy. This will give him further fuel to succeed. And since rumours about his future with the Italian side persist, he will want to exit – if it comes to that – on a high.
Inter can also field an impressively in-form Romelu Lukaku. The former Everton and Manchester United player has teamed up well with his fellow striker Lautaro Martinez and has found his scoring touch. To date, he has scored 33 goals in all competitions with Inter – and if he hits another goal tonight, he will be level with Ronaldo, who had scored 33 goals with Inter in his debut season.
It will not be easy for Inter though, as their opponents Sevilla have made the Europa League ‘theirs’ – in fact, the Spanish side has reached the final of this competition five times over the last 14 seasons. Not only that, but they have won all five finals, in 2006, 2007, 2014, 2015 and 2016. It’s the kind of legacy that gives Sevilla experience – and added confidence.
Moreover, Inter’s LuLa attacking duo will have a tough time against Sevilla’s defence, which has conceded just one goal in their last six games. That said, Inter’s defence is no weakling either – as they have only conceded one goal in their last seven games.
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