Carlos Bacca double helps Sevilla retain Europa League crown

Andy West 07:18 28/05/2015
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  • Joyous: Sevilla celebrate.

    Carlos Bacca was the two-goal hero as Sevilla retained the Europa League title with a thrilling final victory over Dnipro in Warsaw.

    Dnipro took an early lead through Nikola Kalinic before Grzegorz Krychowiak and Bacca answered for Sevilla, only for the Ukrainian team to draw level before the break through skipper Ruslan Rotan.

    But eventually Colombian striker Bacca, who has been tipped for a big-money summer move, pounced to settle a pulsating encounter which swung one way and then the other but ultimately resulted in a well-deserved win for the Spanish team, who become the first side to win the competition on four occasions.

    Sevilla had the first sight of goal after just one minute when Bacca slashed his left-footed shot high and wide, but the holders were then stunned after their bright start when Dnipro took the lead with their first real attack.

    It was a route one affair as a long ball was headed on by striker Kalinic and winger Matheus Nascimento delivered a smart cross back into the path of Kalinic, who headed home from close range.

    Undeterred, Sevilla bounced back and quickly had dangerous efforts from Jose Antonio Reyes and Vitolo blocked, before Krychowiak had a header from a corner brilliantly saved by Denis Boyko.

    A leveller looked on the cards, and so it proved when another corner dropped to highly-rated Polish midfielder Krychowiak, who rifled home a fine low effort.

    Three minutes later, Sevilla were ahead when Reyes threaded through a brilliant pass to beat the offside trap and Bacca scampered through to classily round Boyko and comfortably slot home.

    At that stage Sevilla appeared to be cruising but Dnipro fought back, with dangerman Evgeni Konoplyanka having a wicked free-kick brilliantly saved by Sergio Rico, but the Sevilla keeper was left powerless from the next set-piece as Rotan curled in an exquisite effort.

    After a spell-binding first half, the early stages of the second half understandably failed to match the same levels of drama as the game settled down, with Sevilla continuing to look the more convincing team.

    The Spanish side were particularly dangerous from set-pieces but Dnipro stayed on level terms until they were punished for a poor piece of defending, sloppily failing to clear their lines and allowing Vitolo to release Bacca for a fierce first-time left-footed finish.

    Dnipro were starting to look tired and only a miraculous reflex save from Boyko prevented Bacca from completing his hat-trick with a close-range header.

    The Ukrainian team were forced to finish the game with just 10 men after Matheus worryingly collapsed following a clash of heads, and despite a late flurry of crosses there was no way back and Sevilla could celebrate a merited victory.

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